1990 Force 150 kill circuit

[NJBoater01]

Hello all. I’m hoping someone could help me figure out a problem with my 1990 force 150. Last season it wouldn’t start after a day of running great. A search on here revealed people posting about the black and yellow wire for the kill circuit. I disconnected the wire from the block under the starter and taped it off. The engine fired right up and ran great. I ran it like that the remainder of last season and would ground the black and yellow wire to turn off the motor. Today I replaced the ignition key switch and lanyard kill switch in the US Marine control box, but the same problem exists. With the black and yellow wire hooked back up, the engine will pop on the initial turn of the engine, but won’t run. With the lanyard disconnected, it doesn’t pop at all. I disconnected the black and yellow wire and it fired right up again. Any ideas on what I can try next? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[The Force power]

Sounds like the BLK-YEL wire is grounding, disconnect at motor and take an ohm-reading between the wire and ground.
The wire could be rubbed through somewhere and causing to ground

 

[The Force power]

Hello all. I’m hoping someone could help me figure out a problem with my 1990 force 150. Last season it wouldn’t start after a day of running great. A search on here revealed people posting about the black and yellow wire for the kill circuit. I disconnected the wire from the block under the starter and taped it off. The engine fired right up and ran great. I ran it like that the remainder of last season and would ground the black and yellow wire to turn off the motor. Today I replaced the ignition key switch and lanyard kill switch in the US Marine control box, but the same problem exists. With the black and yellow wire hooked back up, the engine will pop on the initial turn of the engine, but won’t run. With the lanyard disconnected, it doesn’t pop at all. I disconnected the black and yellow wire and it fired right up again. Any ideas on what I can try next? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[NJBoater01]

Thank you very much for your reply and forgive my lack of knowledge. What will I be looking for doing this to see if it is in fact grounding out somewhere?

 

[The Force power]

I'm glad I could help, good luck

 

[puffitu]

The way I would check is to remove the existing wire and temporarily replace with another of same gage. Crank the motor and see if the problem persists.

 

[NJBoater01]

Thank you. I will try that.

 

[The Force power]

What will I be looking for doing this to see if it is in fact grounding out somewhere?

You trace the entire "kill" circuit from the engine to the switch check if the wire is touching a ground-(wire)
IF...you can't find the short; you can install a new wire in that circuit (as Puffitu suggested)
IF...that did not help/solve the problem; it will be the on/off switch

 

[NJBoater01]

Thank you all for the help. I traced the wire and couldn’t find any missing insulation. After a while of looking around and messing with it, I found the problem! The plastic block where the white wire from the controls and black and yellow wire meet under the starter was somehow allowing itself to arc back and ground to the metal plate that the block was screwed to. It actually burned a trail through the plastic. I took everything apart, cleaned, and put back together and it’s fixed!

 

[The Force power]

I'm glad you found it, stay safe out there

 

[Trophy83]

I dont mean to HiJack your thread but i would like to eliminate the lanyard kill switch. Can I just remove it and will the engine shut off when the key is shut off ?

 

[The Force power]

I dont mean to HiJack your thread but i would like to eliminate the lanyard kill switch. Can I just remove it and will the engine shut off when the key is shut off ?

yes, you can; I guess you don't mind your boat keeps going after you fell out !?!?!

Your boat is now going to maybe plow into another boat, run over people in the water, with horrible consequences.
but hey! you go right ahead

 

[Trophy83]

Thank you but I’ve been boating for 40 years and have never tethered a lanyard to my hand in any vessel, never fell out and never hit another vessel. So thx For the advice tho.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Don't hijack, start your own thread.

 

[Redbarron%%]

7 or 8 states require kill switches on boats under 26 ft in length as does the USCG.
They do not require that you add one if it did not come equipped, but you cannot remove it.
There is no requirement that you use it, however.

 

[The Force power]

There is no requirement that you use it, however.

He's been doing this for 40 years.....he does not fall out of boats, likely does not need a life-jacket either:fear:

 

[jerryjerry05]

Myself I've never fell out of a boat(unless you saw me trying to get my big butt in that canoe a couple years ago)
But I hook the lanyard to my life jacket and when the boat's moving?? EVERYONE wears a life jacket.