Re: please help give me some info
your six-terminal switch should work, but you just use half of it, either side, doesn't matter.
get yourself an autoranging digital multimeter (walmart has one in automotive, about $25, not the best but good enough).
to test your old switch, set your multimeter to test for continuity, touch one probe to the middle post and the other to the upper post. push the switch down, a tone should sound. move the probe from upper to lower post and push the switch up, a tone should sound. If you get this result then the switch is ok.
Test the wires: set your multimeter to VDC. Notice how the readout "floats" when the probes aren't touching anything -- that's what it looks like when there's no connection. Touch the red probe to battery (+) and black to battery (-) -- if it's fully charged you should get 12.65 or more. That's your "open circuit" battery voltage.
Now move the red probe to the wire that goes on the middle post of the switch. If it won't reach, use a spare length of wire to make the connection. Should get about the same, a little bit under, the battery open circuit voltage. Any other result means a wiring fault.
All plugs out for compression test, disable spark by pulling the emergency lanyard.
"left side" is that left side of the boat facing forward (port), or left side of the engine looking at it from inside the boat (starboard)? Plugs should have a light coating of oil after idling. Are the port bank plugs the same color as the starboard?
