outboard wiring - no signal from boat

[abbotm5]

I was working on wiring a 120 force to my 1991 bayliner capri 1800 and cant seem to get a signal from the boat. I was originally working to get the hydraulics working. When I have the key in the accessory position and push the hydraulic up button I get no signal on what I thought was the hydraulic up wire or any other wire for that matter. By accident I gave the outboards hydraulic motor a positive signal and the hydrualics worked, so I think this may be a problem with the boat. Are there any fuses that could be blown on the boat that would affect the controls like that? Any other thoughts?

 

[jtexas]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

Is it just the accessories, or is the engine start circuit also dead? If there's no juice to the helm at all, check the outboard's main wiring harness fuse, usually a 20-amp fuse in an inline holder on the port side of the engine block, between the starter solenoid and main harness plug.

The tilt/trim is not usually on an accessory switched circuit, as you may need to raise/lower the motor without the keyswitch on.

Presumably your boat has a fuse box, did you check it?

 

[abbotm5]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

I think the engine start circuit is also dead. I tried to start it once to see what it would sound like and nothing happened, but the spark plugs were disconnected because I didnt want to take any chance of it actaully firing up. The outboards main wiring harness fuse is good. I actually blew it a few times wiring it up incorectly.

I have not yet checked the boat for a fuse box. All the boat accesories work, such as horn and lights, so the boat fuse for the remote control only came to me after I finished working on the boat for the day.

 

[jtexas]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

Power for the accessories is usually independent of the engine wiring, except of course for "switched" accessories (only work with the key on), including but not limited to gauges. Horn, lights, bilge pump are probably not switched.

Tilt/trim power might be in the same harness with the motor wiring, or in a separate harness, and probably doesn't run through the boat's fuse box. It'll have a couple relays and most likely a circuit breaker located on the tilt unit.

Spark plugs are completely independent of the starter motor; when you turn the key to "start" it should engage and spin the flywheel regardless.

If nothing happens, not even a "click" from the starter solenoid, try the electric choke - if you don't hear it "click" either, then you aren't getting power through the engine wiring harness. It'll have to be that fuse, or the keyswitch, or a wiring fault.

If the choke solenoid engages but the starter doesn't, then power is getting to the helm and the fault is in the return line to the starter. That circuit includes the neutral safety switch.

Note that if you operate the starter with the spark plug wires disconnected, it's best to ground 'em to the engine block using jumper wires. An alternative way to disable spark is to just pull the emergency lanyard.

Troubleshooting the electrical is really just a process of elimination with a multimeter or voltmeter. If you don't have one, walmart has an autoranging digital multimeter for about $25; it's not the best, but good enough and is a handy gadget to have around the house. A 12V test light will do in a pinch.

 

[abbotm5]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

Right now im concentrating on the tilt/trim, so I'll leave everything else alone for rihgt now. When I run a wire off the positive 12V power to the wire where the boats wiring harness plugs into the outboards wiring harness, the motor will go up or down. However, if I just connect the boat and outboard harness, I get no movement when I push the up or down button. When using a 12v test light, I get light when i connect the tilt/trim straight to the positive power supply, but not when I push tilt/trim button. Basically, I think this shows that the issue is from the wiring harness up to the remote control, but I dont know what could be along that line that would cause any issue.

 

[bhammer]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

Could it be the TT switch(s) are bad? I know some boats have relays as well plugged in between the switch and the motor.

If you go to the switch with your test light (you should get a multi meter) do you get anything there? How about checking cotinuity on the ground from teh TT switch?

just a coupel thoughts. I am by no means an expert and some probaby have well laid out decision trees for trouble shooting.

 

[abbotm5]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

What are TT switchs? There are relays, but the ones I know of are on the on the outboard side of the boat/outboard connection, which works. From what I can see there is a green white and blue white wire that come from the boat. I get nothing on these when I push the raise or lower buttons. Then this connects to the green white and blue white wire on the outboard that run into relays that also have power and ground hooked into them, which then goes to the tilit/trim motor. This assembly works when 12V power is applied.

From playing with it, I think the boat should be giving out a positive 12 volts along the blue white, green white wires when the tilit/trim buttons are pushed. I dont know how they get the power though, so Im not sure if this assumption is correct. What signal the boat is suppose to put out from the remote contol to raise/lower the outboard?

 

[bhammer]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

Sorry, TT for me is Tilt and Trim.

 

[abbotm5]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

well the tilt and trim worked fine last october when I had the old motor on.

 

[jtexas]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

To answer your question, "What signal the boat is suppose to put out from the remote contol to raise/lower the outboard?" There is no "signal" per se.

The switch on the helm closes a circuit, current flows from the battery (+) terminal to the switch, from the switch to the relay through the green/ or blue/white wire, and back to the battery (-) terminal. This activates the relay, closing a different circuit, along which current flows from the battery (+) through the relay to the tilt/trim motor and back to the battery (-).

Be advised that testing switches with test light is dangerous - a 12V battery can deliver a lethal current if you're not careful. With a multimeter a lot of the testing can be done with the battery disconnected.

ok, lets start at the top.
Pull the tilt/trim switches out of the helm. "Up" has a blue/white wire on one terminal, how many other terminals and what color wires are connected there? What is at the other end of the blue/white wire? What is at the other end of the other wire(s)?

"Down" has a green/white wire - same questions.

 

[abbotm5]

Re: outboard wiring - no signal from boat

I took apart the remote control and from the switch and there was a green, a brown and a yellow wire. I then followed these wires, the green and brown connected to the blue and green wires for the tilt and trim and the yellow wire, which Im assuming is the ground, ended up going to a fuse that was blown. I have not tested the tilit trim on the boat yet since I forgot my keys, but Im very sure this was the issue. Thanks for recomending to take look at the wiring of the remote control, otherwise I wouldnt have figured out the yellow wire was connected to the trim.

I have some other electrical question, but since this has predominantly become about the tilt and trim I'll start another thread.