Control box neutral safety switch

[pickard1]

Hi folks,
I just bought a 1987 StarCraft Medalist 1601, and the first thing I need to iron out is the neutral safety switch. I completed a compression check then put the muffs on the engine to run it a bit. I turned key & nothing. I ran to the internet and read that it may be the neutral safety switch in the control box. The article recommended wiggling the throttle in neutral. I tried it and it worked. Anyway, took apart my controls and here is a pic. Can someone eyeball the switch for sure? Is it the small black unit with the red and yellow connectors?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... That's it,.... Meter it to test it,....

 

[bynuma]

I'm sort of having the same problem, I have a 1977 Pacemaker with two Detroit diesels. Each engine has its own key, starter and stop buttons. When I turn on the key, it buzzes but when I push the start button, nothing happens. It is as if the starters are not getting any electricity. Anyone know where the neutral safety switches are and is there one switch for each engine or is there one on the control for both engines.

 

[MH Hawker]

the switch should read 0 to 5 ohms or less to be good

 

[Bondo]

Anyone know where the neutral safety switches are and is there one switch for each engine

Ayuh,..... One switch on each shift control, one each motor,....

They should pass power in neutral, 'n be open circuit in gear,....

 

[pickard1]

Thanks all, tested it and fixed the problem. The neutral safety switch was good, but the previous owner had left all the screws to get loose at the control box.
Tightened everything up and it's perfect.

 

[bruceb58]

the switch should read 0 to 5 ohms or less to be good

Hopefully, you left out a decimal point...0.5 ohms

 

[MH Hawker]

Hopefully, you left out a decimal point...0.5 ohms

in a industrial climate 5 ohms is the break point that the switch will scrub the contacts clean by its self, more than that and they will weld together

 

[bruceb58]

in a industrial climate 5 ohms is the break point that the switch will scrub the contacts clean by its self, more than that and they
will weld together

The spec for micro switches is actually less than 0.03 ohms.
Here is an example:
http://www.soberton.com/wp-content/t...-sheet-pdf.pdf

If you actually had 5 ohms of resistance and the slave relay for the starter had a draw of 1A, you would be dropping 5V! That would be a pretty unreliable system.