SHIFTER PROBLEM ?

[Captain Vis]

1995 OMC Cobra 5.8 Four Winns 258. I normally push the small white button on the shifter and start the engine. I can rev the engine if I want and then shift to the vertical position and put it into forward or reverse. Up until now it has worked great, no problems. This last weekend, I push the white button and nothing happens, I mean absolutely nothing. I put the shifter to the vertical position and presto the boat starts. Any ideas why ????

 

[oldboat1]

Re: SHIFTER PROBLEM ?

sounds like the lever has to be in the vertical position or the neutral safety switch will not close the starter circuit. I would guess the button is a detent that allows you to rev the engine in neutral without engaging the gears (usually would pull out to do that, though, as I recall). Presumably, you have to do something with the button (either in or out) in order to shift into either forward or reverse.

 

[boat doc]

Re: SHIFTER PROBLEM ?

usually those buttons get tight, especially the ones with the rubber around them, What the button does is deactivates the throttle arm inside the remote (shifter). Usually if you just push pretty hard on the button (carefull the isides are usually plastic), you can get it in neutral again. The main reason you want to be able to use this "neutral postion" is for warm ups on carbed engines. If have a fuel injected engine, you do not want to have the throttle in any other location than "neutral, or idle". Oldboat1 is right, your boat will not start if it is in gear, and your neutral safety switch is fuctioning properly.<br /><br />A little tip : I typically work on boats in boat houses so I always push the throttle lever backwords when warming up an engine. If the neutral safety switch is not working right, and you have the throttle in fowards, you could drive the boat into the boathouse, instead of out the door.