boat wiring issue....

[stratos201s]

I have a 1992 stratos 201 ski with gt200 johnson outboard. I recently installed a new battery and disconnect switch. Then I removed the stereo and harness from under the dash and all of a sudden the engine would not turn over. I then turned the disconnect switch off and back on and realized the battery was backwards so I corrected this. As soon as i turn on the disconnect, teh engine starts turning over now but no fire, even with the key off and kill switch removed. I am completely confused....thinking at first it was a ground issue. I'm not real savvy with electrical so if anyone could help, I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: boat wiring issue....

Did you hook the battery up backwards at the battery? Like the red cable to (-) and the black cable to (+)......

 

[jonesg]

Re: boat wiring issue....

Fried ignition, rectifier for sure and probably more.

 

[wifisher]

Re: boat wiring issue....

start tracing all of the wires and fix the ones that are melted

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

Did you hook the battery up backwards at the battery? Like the red cable to (-) and the black cable to (+)......

i hooked black to negative and red to positive. The engine turned over .....obviously backwards. Now the engine turns over continuously when the battery is on line, but the starter does not try to engage the flywheel at all. I am not even sure now which direction the crankshaft should turn! Counterclockwise or clockwise. It does however turn continuously though. So confusing! Thanks for all the advice!

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

i traced every single wire and couldn't find any problems. The ground circuit is a maze of wiring, but the condition looks good.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: boat wiring issue....

If the starter engages the minute you put the battery on-line, then either the solenoid is stuck in the engaged position or you fried the ignition switch and the start terminal is active regardless where the key is. Disconnect the positive (RED) battery cable at the battery. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Using a test light or ohm meter, check for continuity between the small terminal on the starter solenoid to ground. If there is continuity, the ignition switch is bad. Now check continuity between the two large terminals on the solenoid. If there is continuity the solenoid is also stuck in the engergized position. I doubt both the switch and solenoid are bad but it is certainly possible. There should be no continuity in either of these tests. If you put turn the key to START, then and only then should there be continuity between the small terminal on the solenoid and ground.

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

If the starter engages the minute you put the battery on-line, then either the solenoid is stuck in the engaged position or you fried the ignition switch and the start terminal is active regardless where the key is. Disconnect the positive (RED) battery cable at the battery. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Using a test light or ohm meter, check for continuity between the small terminal on the starter solenoid to ground. If there is continuity, the ignition switch is bad. Now check continuity between the two large terminals on the solenoid. If there is continuity the solenoid is also stuck in the engergized position. I doubt both the switch and solenoid are bad but it is certainly possible. There should be no continuity in either of these tests. If you put turn the key to START, then and only then should there be continuity between the small terminal on the solenoid and ground.

so to make sure i understand correctly, with the battery disconnected (on the positive side), there can still be continuity for a test light throughout the boat? or will this only work with an ohm meter? I'm no electrician but am pretty mechanically inclined at least when it comes to autos and other stuff. This is my first boat. thanks for your info!!

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

If the starter engages the minute you put the battery on-line, then either the solenoid is stuck in the engaged position or you fried the ignition switch and the start terminal is active regardless where the key is. Disconnect the positive (RED) battery cable at the battery. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Using a test light or ohm meter, check for continuity between the small terminal on the starter solenoid to ground. If there is continuity, the ignition switch is bad. Now check continuity between the two large terminals on the solenoid. If there is continuity the solenoid is also stuck in the engergized position. I doubt both the switch and solenoid are bad but it is certainly possible. There should be no continuity in either of these tests. If you put turn the key to START, then and only then should there be continuity between the small terminal on the solenoid and ground.

also, when the battery disconnect is turned on and the starter spins, it never engages the stator teeth. This seems weird to me. When the battery was hooked backwards the starter had spun and engaged the teeth. very confusing.

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

i performed the test exactly like you said with ignition off and battery positive disconnected and the continuity test shows 0.5 ohms when touching either of the small terminals and the ground. The meter reads zero when placed between large terminals.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: boat wiring issue....

That says the problem is the ignition switch. there is +12 volts getting to the "S" (start) terminal on the switch without the switch being in the START positon. Disconnect the wire on the "S" terminal at the switch. Now reconnect all cables and turn on the battery switch. If the starter still spins, your fried some wires in the harness that runs from the engine to the switch and all I can say is you have my condolences. If the starter does not spin in this test, the switch is bad.

Just for your info: An ohm meter is NEVER used on a circuit that has power on it. The ohm meter uses an internal battery for testing. A voltmeter or a test light can measure "voltage" (or absence of it) in a circuit. Voltage is measured from the hot side of a circuit to ground.

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

so i removed the "s" wire from the solenoid and reconnected the wiring to the battery and tried to start. Nothing. I guess the ignition switch is fried. Meanwhile, when the starter did spin, it never engaged the stator teeth. Is this due to lowering voltage or something I'm overlooking? The gear on teh starter head spins freely up the shaft using a small screwdriver but won't spin up on it's own under starter power.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: boat wiring issue....

i hooked black to negative and red to positive. The engine turned over .....obviously backwards.

Your posts are a bit confusing....the connection you describe above is correct.
Was it hooked up differently to begin with?

Now the engine turns over continuously when the battery is on line, but the starter does not try to engage the flywheel at all. I am not even sure now which direction the crankshaft should turn! Counterclockwise or clockwise. It does however turn continuously though. So confusing! Thanks for all the advice!

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

i appologize for the confusing comment. i had hooked black to positive and red to neg terminal and tried to start originally by accident.

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

i replaced teh starter switch today and it still spins the starter immediately upon turning the battery disconnect on. Any ideas??

 

[bigdragons]

Re: boat wiring issue....

Ok first check your stereo wires ,separate (ALL) of them .You may have shorted your switch.
And I dont think your starter will engage if it is spinning back wards, I think it should spin counter clockwise and the engine should spin clockwise.Check your battery ground wire ,trace it to the outboard
block,and pos will go to your starter solenoid.

 

[stratos201s]

Re: boat wiring issue....

my starter spins clockwise right now. To manually spin the gear up the bendix by hand you have to rotate it clockwise on the shaft. Does this mean the starter should spin that same way or the opposite way? When it was hooked up neg to black and red to positive it still started everytime battery hooked up but it actually engaged. However the red wire goes to the solenoid and black to a ground. Also I just replaced the solenoid and starter switch today. Still nothing different. I'm at a loss!

 

[bigdragons]

Re: boat wiring issue....

Yup ,so when the starter spins counter clockwise it forces the geer up to the flywheel geer.
Look close at your battery I think its hooked up wrong.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: boat wiring issue....

After reading through all of this, if you want an honest opinion, at this point, take it to a trusted party and have it done properly. If everything is really a maze as you have described it, and been hooked up improperly what sounds like about 3 times now, it needs to be looked at by someone with experience in these matters.