Replaced wiring harness...won't start

da83moon

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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122
Engine: 1979 Johnson 55 HP.
Well I replaced the wiring harness where I had shorted out the black wire and it broke. Well I took each wire loose one at a time and put the new wire back one at a time. Went to start the engine, and nothing. Went back traced all the wires and said well its all hooked up. Well nothing will work now. The only difference was that the old harness had the black wire that was broke and the new one has a good connection. Before replacing it would start but not turn off, but now it won't start :mad: So my only guess would be that now the kill switch is activated, because if my diagram and my routing is correct that black wire would also be the kill switch if I was to fall out. There is a 3 prong receptor under the key and friction knob that appears that it should be the kill switch. So my guess is if the other side, the one I don't have, isn't plugged in in thory the motor would not start. My dilemma is I just want to get it running and can I route around it somehow, and also where could I get the plug in part? Do you all think this is my problem, or maybe something else? They did have the switch covered with electrical tape and I reomved it. Also I've got the water pressure gauge installed, how much PSI should I be showing? The manual says nothing about this.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

We've checked the switch the problem is there is no lanyard, and somehow they had wired around it. My dad And I took and ohmed out the switch; however there isn't a lanyard, and i see those marks on it. If the lanyard was not connected period would this cause the engine not to start?
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

if that 3 prong connecter is like mine that goes to your tack, the wires are purple-ign, grey-tach sig and black-ground

if your lanyard isnt wired in that shouldnt hurt if youve wired aroundit.

you may want to read stupid human tricks "my favorite line" before you leave that lanyard out. its at the bottom of the site.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

Thanks David, glad to know that is what that is for, however not glad to hear that is not a lanyard for a kill switch, what have I done to my engine. Guess its back to the blocks
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

ill tell you what happened to me.

before i knew exactly what those wires were, i was told they were tach wires.
so before i ran a test on them i made a rookie mistake, as im an auto mechanic and should know better, and hooked them up. then everything powered up but no action from the key. so i went online to find out exactly what those wires were and hooked them up properly, still no action from key.

no signs of melted wires so i started running ohms tests on every one i could find---turned out those little black bootie wire connectors have fuses in them. i checked all the wires took a while---long story short blown fuse.

it may not help you but you may check the fuses.

good luck i hope you get her runnin again.

p.s. did you read "my favorite line"? lmao:D
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

ill tell you what happened to me.

before i knew exactly what those wires were, i was told they were tach wires.
so before i ran a test on them i made a rookie mistake, as im an auto mechanic and should know better, and hooked them up. then everything powered up but no action from the key. so i went online to find out exactly what those wires were and hooked them up properly, still no action from key.

no signs of melted wires so i started running ohms tests on every one i could find---turned out those little black bootie wire connectors have fuses in them. i checked all the wires took a while---long story short blown fuse.

it may not help you but you may check the fuses.

good luck i hope you get her runnin again.

p.s. did you read "my favorite line"? lmao:D oh yeah mines a '79 115 johnson thats why i figured it would be the same wires. they should have the same remote engine control.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

Thanks for the help, when you say those little blakc booties have fuses, are you talking on the motor side or the control box side. What are these little black booties linked too?
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

motor side. you may have to use a tester on them to check them if they are as old and crappy as mine.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

Ezeke, no noting would try to start. When I had the old harness on it would start and run great just not turn off. Now it won't do anyhintg at all.
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

thats what mine was. so i replaced them all with new ones.

like i said test them some are hard to tell if they are blown.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

Thanks Guys you all are great, I'm going to go over everything when I get home. From the view of that diag, which i would like to say thanks, there is more than the 30 amp fuse that is inline on the red wire correct? I will update tommorrow mid day when I get to work
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

good luck i hope it works out for ya.

p.s. mine also has an inline, just like the ones on the motor, on the power trim solenoid wire. just thought you might like to replace that one too.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

David your lucky, I don't have power trim, I have two guns, or at least they will be once I tilt the engine 20 more times
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

have you looked at the cmc units on this site?

they are a little pricey, and you need fairly good transom as it changes the fulcrom point but it makes a HUGE difference on plane.

i got lucky my trim is factory, but i also bought a stingray hydrofoil($50) and it helps A LOT when youre getting to plane or trolling.
 

da83moon

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

Well everyone as promised I would give you all an update. She is up and purring now. She runs great. My water pressure gauge is working too. What should the psi be coming out of this? It showing like 8 psi of pressure in start up and idle? Oh one more I replaced the spark plugs and set the gap to .030 and now it seems to be idling really high. My only thing was that maybe it was charging the battery, but I thought it woulddo that if your running. I'm also working on the tach. I know the half moon thing on the control box is the tach stuff. I have the red green and black wire from the tach. Which slot on the half moon do I hook the tach wires too?

Thasnk for all the help everyone!! I really do appreciate it.
 

david_r

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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

i thin the red is the signal the green is the ground and purple is the ignition, but you might crack the control open again to make sure the relation of pulg to plug in-----purple,ign-grey,sig-black,gr.

i dont know about water psi

was it the fuse? did you replace them all as i did?

glad it worked out for ya.:)
 

da83moon

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Re: Replaced wiring harness...won't start

David you were right on, fuses. Repalced them ran like a champ. Oh now for some reason the overheating horn blares all the time.. I mean I haven't even started the engine to see if it will run and the overheating horn was blaaring, so I know it wasn't too hot, any suggestions on this.
 
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