1989 seaswirl with omc cobra ford 5.0 motor non start

Capt. Zack

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Feb 18, 2018
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I have a 1989 seaswirl with a ford 302 motor,. I am having issues with getting the starter to turn over. I have wired up the solenoid per wiring diagram. Have power to ignition switch. Hit ignition to start and I get nothing. I thought I would see if I cam jump the starter before taking it off to make sure it is good or bad.. Help with jumping. Thanks Jack
 

Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
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First of all make sure the remote control is in neutral and the kill switch if equipped is plugged in!
Next turn on the battery switch and check the voltage at the large terminal on the solenoid that is connected to the red positive cable from the battery or battery switch common terminal.
You should get battery volts there. To check the ignition circuit:
get a remote starter switch & a volt meter...
turn on your battery switch and check for battery voltage at the big terminal on the solenoid. If you have batt volts there then good. Now connect the + terminal of your voltmeter to the yellow red wire connection on the solenoid, and the neg terminal to ground. Turn the ignition switch to start and you should see battery volts on the meter. If so your starting circuit is working and the starter solenoid and/or starter are bad. If not you have to troubleshoot the starting circuit. To test the starter connect one terminal of the remote starter switch to the big terminal on the solenoid and the other to the yellow/red wire terminal (s terminal). Hit the button on the switch if it cranks the starter and solenoid are good.
 

Capt. Zack

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Feb 18, 2018
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Thank you for the response. I will test with a remote starter button . It has got 2 new batteries hooked up and a battery tender installed On the solenoid I have the red cable going to the starter, red cable coming from the battery switch a yellow and red wire and what looks like a gray wire. When the power is on I have juice to my entire fuse panel. I have not traced the wires to see what they turn into but the previous owner has 3 red wires coming out of the ignition switch

The OMC manual also said to hook a remote jumper to the solenoid large posts and hit the remote start button as a way to check the starter. They also say to run a jumper wire from the negative battery post down to the body of the starter and them hit the starter. How critical is the ground on the solenoid. I removed the bracket and painted it before I installed it on the new motor I put in the boat.

Thanks Jack
 

Capt. Zack

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Feb 18, 2018
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I hooked up jumper leads and remote start lead. I have power going into the solenoid from the batteries. I have power going to the ignition switch and the fuse panel. This is with the switch in the run position (on). I am not getting anything through the solenoid. I hooked the ttwo solenoid big leads up with a remote start and the batteries switched on. Hit the remote and got nothing. Hooked a jumper to the negative lead on the battery and the other end to the body of the starter. I hit the ignition switch and got nothing. I have confirmed that it was in neutral.

Is it possible to have the batterry cable and the starter cable hooked to the opposite large post on the solenoid..

Thanks Jack
 

Lou C

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Nov 10, 2002
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the solenoid should be automatically grounded by being bolted to an engine bracket, this is the Ford system where the starter solenoid is not on the starter motor itself.
did you make sure that when you turn the key to START, that you have 12V between the yellow/red wire terminal and ground? Because if the solenoid has current and you have 12 V at the yellow/red terminal the starter should engage and crank over

PS this is a Ford Starter, so it might be a bit different than the more common GM design. Color codes should be the same though, they are universal. Checking my OMC shop manual it looks like the Ford starter is mounted separate from the starter, the solenoid has one heavy gauge wire going from it to the starter and at the solenoid there are 4 terminals, one for 3 heavy red cables, one heavy red cable to starter, one for yellow red (S terminal) and one for the black/blue terminal (I terminal) . Of the 3 red cables on the one terminal one is from the battery or batt switch, one is from the pos terminal on the alt (could be an orange wire after a fuse holder) and One goes to the down solenoid for the trim system (red turns to a blue/red after a fuse holder). Still should work the same, the one terminal with 3 red cables should have battery volts if your batt switch is on, and if you connect your remote starter switch to this terminal and the yellow red and hit the button it should crank.
 

Lou C

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photo330467.jpg
hope you can read this...#10 is the starter, #14 is the solenoid
 

Capt. Zack

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Feb 18, 2018
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33
There are two things that I need to check. I painted the bracket that the solenoid mounts to and bolted the solenoid to it without creating a ground platform. I thought the bolts would be enough. maybe not. The second thing is that I have a red cable going to the starter it has a solenoid on top of the starter. Possible that this is a GM starter not a Motocraft ford. The picture that you provided is the same one that I have in my OMC service manual. If I do not have what looks like a gray wire hooked to the coil. This would not stop the starter from being activated Thanks Jack
 

Capt. Zack

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Feb 18, 2018
Messages
33
I am having a hell of a time with the electrical on the boat. I have not been able to get the starter to turn at all. I have installed to new batteries and a new solenoid. I have connected them per the diagram in the OMC cobra owners manual. Admiral Lou gave me some input on jumping the starter to make sure it spins The starting circut should allow me to get it to spin.

I found a red wire in the back by the solenoid that is not connected to anything. I did not notice it when I took the original motor out to install this one. I know that the motor that was in it was full of sea water and rust but the starter would try and turn. I took that motor out and installed another motor. I thought that I connected all the wires the way the diagram shows. I turn the ignition on and have power to the dash. I turn to start and get nothing.
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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71,110
Ayuh,...... The yellow/ red wire is power from the key switch, when in the start position, which fires the starter,.....

The grey wire just provides battery voltage to the points, when the starter is engaged,......

Jumperin' from the battery's big red cable to the yellow/ red will engage the starter,.....
 
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