Merc ignition switch help needed part # 87-88107A5

[191Seanymphstriper]

Ok I was out on the boat saterday with the kids and threw the ancher and put out a couple of poles with the kids..... One of my kids must have turned the key into the run position and all of a sudden the motor started cranking itself.....

So i started the motor and sure enough with the motor running the boat kept trying to start itself....


So I used the kicker the rest of the day.....

I called the merc parts dealer who im friendly with and being I was out on the water and they were closed sunday the owner Jhon offered to leave the switch in the mail box so I could pick it up sunday and install it to use the boat....



Ok.... The part number is 87-88107A5 .....

The key looks the same as the old key...

The unit looks the same

The part is the right part

But the old switch had the wires going to the switch and sodered to the switch...


The new switch the wires are pre capsulated in a plastic looking capsule and enclosed and then the wires come out of it.

Now on the old switch there was a thick solid red wire sodered to its own post

A yellow wire with a black strip wireed to its own terminal

a yellow with a red stripe wired to its own terminal

2 black wires sodered to its own terminal

a purple and pink or light light brown sodered to it own terminal

and 2 black wires with yellow strips sodered to its own terminal(one of these wires were never connected to anything just taped off

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Ok now for the new switch

The new switch had some wires that are like a (Y) The red wire had a (Y) it is basically as far as i know one solid red wire with a spliter making a (Y)

So With the red I have 2 reds

With the black I have 2 blacks

2 purples

1 yellow with red stripe

1 yellow with black stripe

2 black with yellow stripes

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So it seemed simple enough.

I hooked all the wires up with the battery switch off and then turned the battery switch on and turned the key and bam... It started right up...


Tach was working etc....


Turned it off and waited for a friend to get down to the marina because we were going striper fishing.....

He got there turned the key and she cranked but sounded like a low battery....

Now I have dual batterys and 1 battery is shot! I had forgotten the new battery at the house before I left...

So I am basically working with 1 battery here...


I pluged the charger in and let it charge for a half hour..

Turned the key and it sounded weak but she started....


I figured that by the time we get to the fishing grounds the battery would be charged good...


So on the way tach was working great and motor ran great...


We stoped at the gas bait station and filled up and got bait... Engine turned off...

Went to crank her and very slugishly started.....


Left the dock and noticed the tach was not working.....


We started fishing shut the motor off etc and everytime we moved again very slugish slow cranks then she started....


Now heres the deal... Tach stoped working which some of these wires from the switch runs the tach....


Also I noticed the battery had pleanty of power to lift the motor up and down....

Just very sluggish starts



Now with the key turned off I do not here a thing sounds like everything is off....

With the key turned to run I here some sord of a ignition type sound like a very very very low humm then goes away...

With the key in run and or motor started I hit the low oil overheat test siren on motor and sure enough it worked and siren sounded under console whicj is connected to switch...(GOOD SIGN)


in run position with motor off if I puch the key in I here the choke being activated... (Means so far so good) im thinking......


When I turn the key to crank the motor the motor does crank and start and run fine... Just very very slow sluggish cranks... (NOT NORMAL)


Also sunday right before i changed the switch I did start the boat with the old switch...

It started strong and sounded good just the started was trying to activate because the switch was starting to short... Hence why Im changing the switch.....


Now when i installed the new switch I connected 1 red wire and taped the other off after all its a Y and both wires go into 1 wire to the switch...


I connected both blacks to other both blacks

I connected the yellow with red stripe to the same

I connected the yellow with black strip to the same

the black with yellow stripe I connected 1 of the 2 and left 1 not hooked up to anything as it was previously

(NOW THE TRICKY PART)

The new ignition switch had one solid purple wire coming to a (Y) so it was then 2 purples

Now on the old switch I had 1 purple and 1 pink yet they both went to the same terminal as is and does these 2 purples...

So i connected them...


Now before I mounted the key switch in its spot everything sounded great started strong etc...

Then I mounted the key and started it and she started and then I let it run then shiut her down to wait for my froend and do some odd ends around the boat to go fishing...

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So the issues are.... Tach stopped working..... Battery seems good but cranking very slugish.....

Now usaully is it was cranking that slugish the power trim wouldnt even budge... do to low battery... But the trim was working fine...

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So did I do somthing wrong here?

Do you think my battery is just no good?

Is it hooked up wrong?

Did the tach maybe just take a walk and its just my unlucky day and my battery is no good?


Tomm I will be bringing a new battery... So I will be able to rule that out...

Now if the case is that the battery is no good ok.. The batterys did come with the boat last year and who knows how good they are...


So maybe everything is hooked up correctly....


(I DO NOT THINK SO)

But if it is and it is just my batterys...


Then what caused the TACH to go south....


Its sitting at 0 not moving at all even when I turn the battery switch on and off etc it dosent 0 because its at 0 etc...


Now the tach was working for a 10 min run... Perfectly... And its a fairly new TACK 2 month old max.....


Any help or suggestions please???

 

[191Seanymphstriper]

Re: Merc ignition switch help needed part # 87-88107A5

Also I have a type a ignition key/choke assembly 84-816626A- 54906


It also says on the very vague instructions


INPORTANT: When installing a replacement key switch assembly into a ignition /key Choke assembly 1500A1 or a commander side mount control, it will be necessary to trim either the new key switch wires and/or existing harness wires to suitable lenghth to allow the new switch assembly to be properly installed!


Now im thinking that maube I should have cut the (Y) on the red wire down to the strait solid wire and went strait I to I instead of taping off the other red on the (Y) Maybe its loosing some current off that (Y) ???????


Any help would be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[191Seanymphstriper]

Re: Merc ignition switch help needed part # 87-88107A5

Any input? I was unable to get down to the boat today. Im still working

 

[191Seanymphstriper]

Re: Merc ignition switch help needed part # 87-88107A5

Ok i cleaned all battery terminals tuesday and charged 1 battery and installed 1 new battery and that was the issue! Now im working with 2 good batterys, I have used the boat everyday since and no issues so I think I can saftly say I did the wiring right and the battery's were the issue thank goodness!