There is NO short from the green and blue wire from the wires under the hood that run north and thru the engine and up to the throttle box. Every test there shows it is completing a circuit......
Unless I'm completely off my rocker, (which is possible.. LOL), This confuses me... Completing the circuit IS a short The difference is, completing the circuit via switch or something is what you want. A "short", is completing the circuit in a way you don't want..
(Unless I misunderstood what you're saying.. lol)
With knife connectors (and Battery) disconnected, put red probe on the power wire that feeds the shifter switch, and the black on the knife connecter (one at a time) for each Green and Blue respectively (Boat side of wires, not wires running to lower unit):
When in FWD, you should NOT have continuity (should have Infinite resistance, or O.L on meter) through shift switch on either the blue or the green.
When in Neutral, you should have continuity on the Green wire ONLY. (No continuity on Blue)
When in Reverse, you should have continuity on BOTH the Green and Blue wires.
Next, to check for a short to ground on boat side:
Put red probe on knife connector (boat side, not leading to lower unit, one at a time green and blue, make sure they're not touching any metal on the head or pan) black on ground in remote control box (or metal part of control box casing)
Should not have continuity on either under any circumstance (Fwd, Rev, Neutral). If you do, then there is a short in the boat side wires somewhere.
Basically, Starting with the long run (knife connector to remote casing) if you find 0 ohms then follow the wire up to the remote to it's next connection point, (could be harness plug that connects boat to engine wires, a splice in the wire loom, or connection at a switch inside remote...) disconnect wire there, put red probe where you disconnected wire and test again from there. This makes it a shorter run of wire trying to isolate the issue. If you now have no continuity, then short is between the testing point you're on and the previous testing point.. (checking for cut insulation, exposed wire etc.. along the way..)
Then test lower unit wires again, red on knife connectors leading to lower unit (one at a time green and blue)
Black on ground (or lower unit casing if unbolted). Should have 5-6 Ohms (Possible 6.7, should confirm that's ok..) on EACH of the wires.
If 0 ohms on a wire, then there's a short in that wire.
It is however only showing a short still from the wires that run down the lower unit and into the solenoids. This is what makes no sense, I have replaced EVERYTHING including new wires and harness, brand new solenoids and even 'newused guaranteed to work' solenoids and it is still reading a short once the lower unit is bolted together.
This sounds like you may be confusing a short, and what it's supposed to do... If you're saying you get 5-6 ohms continuity when bolted up, that's correct and normal, not a short.
However, if you're seeing 0 ohms, then yes.. There's a short in the lower.. (Cut insulation, exposed wire contacting any metal of the lower unit or leg inside)
Like I stated before if the lower unit is not bolted together it doesn't get hot which is so weird to me. There is nothing left to replace in the lower unit. The 2 solenoids are the only thing electrical down there. The only thing I can think of is the way the wires are crammed into that small space where the solenoids are or does that not matter ? Does ANYONE have any more ideas ??? I am at a complete standstill on what should do next.
Think of it like this..
The casing of the solenoid was your ground when you tested them on the bench.
The casing is attached to the lower unit casing somehow..
The lower unit casing is bolted to the leg of the engine.
The leg is bolted to the power head.
The main ground is attached to the power head.
So, if lower unit is unbolted, you have broken the connection to ground and you will NOT have power flow. (It won't get hot).
When lower unit is bolted up, you have completed the ground connection, so power can flow through wires, down to solenoid, through solenoid casing to lower unit casing, up leg, into power head, and to the main ground wire.. Circuit complete. (it CAN get hot if there's a short somewhere, and that doesn't necessarily mean the short is in the lower unit.)
I suppose it's possible that even the new wires got pinched in the "Crammed space" and cut insulation or something causing a short, but that should show up in the above continuity tests..
Not sure how else I can describe it, and honestly, not sure if this description will even help you..
Maybe there's something in the link I gave in a previous post to the online manual that can help as well?
Again,
I am NOT an expert on these, nor am I an expert on troubleshooting them, but I have one and that's the best attempt I have to describe it as I know it.
Hopefully I'll be corrected if anything stated above is incorrect...
I truly hope that helps, but I'm out of Ideas and ways to describe it.
For what it's worth...
. I just want to be a happy boater asap