Electrical short?

[Fed]

Re: Electrical short?

I'm not seeing this. Could it be the one leading to the point in the picture above?

I suspect that is where the secondary negative connection is because the ground strap was getting hot when you tried to start it.

How many wires are on the positive battery terminal & where do they go?
How many wires are on the negative battery terminal & where do they go?

BTW what motor is it?

 

[gregk9]

Re: Electrical short?

It's a '91 Johnson 70 HP.

There's 4 wires on the ground terminal counting the ground strap. That I remember.

I'll get the rest of the info tomorrow. Didn't have time to work on it this afternoon/evening

 

[gregk9]

Re: Electrical short?

FOUND IT!!!

Ground strap between the block and mount.

I?d been cranking over the starter several times a week for the last couple weeks and it?s worked fine every time. Assumed then the problem was just dirty contacts. Yesterday I go to put all the wires back where they belong and finish up the project and when I went to pull the ground strap to slip it on the stud, it just kept coming.

This thing must have been slowly breaking away the last couple years. Sometimes my tach or speedo wouldn?t work, then it would. Also about the last year or so, when I?d start the outboard, the sonar would turn off. Finally it just got so bad that the starter wouldn?t crank right. Don?t know why it?s been cranking good consistently lately. Maybe by fooling with the wires I had it making a good contact temporarily.

Anyway, ordered a new one. Should be in Friday.

MAN! What an ordeal!!!!

 

[Fed]

Re: Electrical short?

You're not done Greg, you have a second negative going from your battery to your hull and while ever your motor is running you will have current flow through your hull via the engine mounting bolts.

 

[gregk9]

Re: Electrical short?

Say what? Current running through my hull? I'll look for this wire in the morning.