97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

[paczowski123]

ok, so i have seen a few posts with people having the same prob where as soon as a cycle the key to"ON" not start but ON and the fuse blows on top of the motor the main power source 20A. but i have been through most of the repair ideas people have had. Heres what i have done any ideas on where to go next?

checked grounds at motor and batteries, cleaned and retightened. fuse blows
battery is fully charged
disconnected starter, fuse still blows
removed all accesories from batteries, fuse still blows
traced almost all wires under engine cover and all i could find, none frayed or grounded. fuse blows
cleaned all other grounds and retightened, fuse blows

Any ideas?, could it be the ignition switch maybe?

 

[tboydva]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Not sure if you traced your entire cable between the control box and the outboard. Not saying this is your issue, but I had a fray in the wire where my cable was routed under the floor. Like your search, I tried all the "out in the open" options. You might open your control box and see if the wire is shorted somewhere too.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Check to see if the choke solenoid is jammed.

Short of that, some component or wire is shorting out that leads from the accessory terminal of the ignition switch. To find it, simply unplug one at a time until the fuse stops blowing. Easiest way.

edit: I have also used an ohmmeter set to HIGH ohms scale. Insert one end into the fuse holder, and the other lead to power head ground. Being that a short is present, you should have a high ohms reading. If when wiggling wires or components connected to the accessory terminal drops the ohms reading to 0, you found your short.

 

[luv2fish13]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

hi, i'm having the same problem with my 1988, 175hp, ran fine couple days ago, i removed old micrologic explorer loran unit, and now i have this problem. the loran system had a heavy ground cable running to a ground plate on hull, could this be related ? jim

 

[paczowski123]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Im a little confused on what you mean by control box? could you clarify a little?.

also when you say unplug each wire and see when it stops blowing, do you mean each wire on the back of the ignition cylinder.

 

[luv2fish13]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

also, i don't even have to turn the key, i have dual battery system, when i turn either battery on, the fuse blows

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

luv2fish13, you should really start your own thread, it is getting confusing for me, (and thats easy to do).

Paczowski123....when he said control box, he was referring to the remote control, the unit with the shifter and key switch on it.

Have a look at the choke solenoid first. Disconnect it and re test.

THe wires that I was referring to are the components that are wired to your "A" terminal on the back of your keyswitch.

 

[daselbee]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Save yourself some fuses....wire in a 12v light bulb at the fuse location. Two wires to the bulb, one wire to each side of the fuse, fuse removed of course. Rig it up.
A dimly lit bulb indicates no short. A bright bulb means the short exists. Play with the wiring until you find where the short is. Fix as required.

 

[boobie]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Agree with Dasel.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

Same idea as the ohmmeter I mentioned, but easier to do by yourself Id imagine. I usually fetch my wife to watch the meter for while while I jiggle wires. She is also good at watching the spark tester, guiding water lines while I lift up gearcases, etc... Good Apprentice

 

[paczowski123]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

hightrim my shifter is separate from my ignition switch my ignition is on the switch panel for the aerator and bildge, lights etc with the shifter/throttle behind it on a seperate panel not that it should matter. but im not very good with marine repair could you also clarify what the "A" terminal is?

Also, where would i find the choke solenoid?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

It doesn't make any difference where the ignition switch is.
The control box is the control unit with the throttle/shift lever (it's by your right hand when seated at the helm)
The "A" terminal is the "accessory" terminal on the back of the ignition switch.
The primer solenoid is under the engine cover. It has a little red lever on it. DON'T MUCK WITH IT! There are also some small hoses on it.

Not very good with marine repair! That's why you really need a service manual for your specific engine if you intend to service it yourself.

 

[paczowski123]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

ok, i know where the red lever is its on the front of the motor. I have touched that before b/c i thought it was like a bleeder to remove air from the fuel lines. I usually do that after the boat has sat for a while like after winterizing. i will prime the bulb hold pressure on it open the red lever bleed some fuel out then close it and release the bulb. Almost like you would bleed a brake system?

is that not what its for? could the fuses have anything to do w/ that?

 

[jrs_diesel]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

No, that red lever is not a bleeder device. It's a primer to help start the engine when cold. It squirts gas into the intake instead of blocking the intake like a choke would.

The primer solenoid is usually activated by pushing in the key when starting the engine. The red lever is a manually operated backup in case the solenoid is broken or battery power is lost.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

My '98 johnny (bought used) came with a melted wiring harness. Initially only the tachometer didn't work, and I found 3 or 4 wires melted together, on the port side of the motor where the electrical wires are run. The short was next to the main plug, but on the boat side of the harness. After I fixed that (splicing in new wires and shrink tube), everything was fine for a year until the main fuse started to blow. That problem was the purple wire (switched +12VDC) that is used to power the gauges and other small items. The purple and black wires were melted together where they connected to the trim gauge in the dashboard.

 

[paczowski123]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

No, that red lever is not a bleeder device. It's a primer to help start the engine when cold. It squirts gas into the intake instead of blocking the intake like a choke would.

The primer solenoid is usually activated by pushing in the key when starting the engine. The red lever is a manually operated backup in case the solenoid is broken or battery power is lost.

ok, so what position should that lever be in when looking at the front of the motor (it would be facing your back when driving the boat normally, i think thats considered the front)? and should it be squirting gas out when i open it up?

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=305323

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

What do you mean by opening it up. That red lever has two positions. Parallel with the solenoid and 90 degrees to it. Normal is parallel to the solenoid and unless you ever have a dead battery and need to rope start the critter, you NEVER need to muck with the lever. The solenoid operates like this.

1) You squeeze the primer bulb until its firm.
2) You raise the fast idle lever on the control box.\
3) Your turn the key to START AND push in on the key. Pushing in on the key activates the primer solenoid which allows fuel to pass directly into the engine.
4) When the engine starts you release the key but be ready to momentarily push it again if necessary to avoid stalling.\
Note that you never touched the red lever. The schrader valve (the tire valve device) is to INJECT fogging oil when storing the engine for long periods. The solenoid and the schrader valve are therefore definitely not bleeder valves. In fact doing what you are doing is probably letting air INTO the system.

Should you need to rope start the engine due to a dead battery, you turn the red lever which opens the fuel path. You squeeze the primer bulb which allows the engine to get a shot of fuel. Remember, the battery is dead so pushing the key in does nothing. You now pull the rope and when the engine starts you flip the lever back to normal. If you don't you flood the engine.

 

[paczowski123]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

what i mean is when i turn the lever perpendicular to the solenoid it leaks fuel out from around the bottom of the lever..thats why i though it was a bleeder valve..but i unplugged and replugged the solenoid and it still blows...could it possibly be the ignition cylinder and if so does anyone have any testing methods?

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 97 Evinrude 90 hp SPL blowing 20A fuse when key turned to "on"

You unplugged the solenoid and tested BEFORE plugging it back in?

The problem is with something connected to your accessory terminal on the back of the ignition switch as already mentioned.