overheat alarm wiring?

[tjello327]

Hello forum,
I am checking the wiring for my 1986 125 hp force. I think that the wiring is wrong for the overheat alarm. The orange wire that comes from the engine terminal strip is mark thermostat, I checked it for continuity from this strip to under the dash and it checked good. This is wired to the alarm under the dash. My question is where is the 2nd wire that goes to the alarm come from? I am sure mine is wrong, it comes from the signal connection on the back of my tilt/trim gauge.

Thanks,

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: overheat alarm wiring?

If the tilt/trim gauge is wired so that it always has 12 volts at the signal; terminal then you are OK. If not pick up any gauge wire that is always hot while the switch is on, for example, the tachometer power. You can come directly off the "I" terminal of the ignition switch, but if it is inside the control box, it will be a little bit of a fuss to get to it.

Since I never know what wires I will connect in the future, under the dash I generally run a positive buss from the ignition switch "I" terminal, a constant power positive bus from the battery, and a common negative ground buss. A little extra work, but that leaves me with plenty of choices of terminals for whatever I decide to power.