Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

[stoudt21]

i have an 89 force 125. i had power to the engine and i found out that my starter and solenoid are bad, so i replaced them and now when i turn the key to on and push in the key the choke engages but if i leave the key on for more than 10 or 15 seconds my negative wire connected to the battery heats up and melts. also my positive lead going from the switch to the fuse box gets extremely hot too? what is wrong?????

 

[JB]

Re: Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

Most likely it is a poor connection or cable in the starter high current circuit.

Remove, inspect for weakness, clean and reconnect all cables from battery to the engine block and solenoid and from the solenoid to the starter. The worst offender is the negative cable to the block connection.

There is a chance that your starter and solenoid were not bad in the first place.

If that doesn't work, go to the Engine FAQs and do the troubleshooting in "Outboard won't start".

Good luck.

 

[stoudt21]

Re: Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

ok thanks i will try that. hopefully that will work. but is corrosion or a weak connection the reason why it would make the negative lead from the battery to my fusebox under my dashboard heat up and melt and make the possitive lead so hot and then pop my fuse on the fuse box?

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

Your starter should not be engaged for more the 5 or ten seconds at a burst. The starter has less then 1 ohm of resistance which is almost throwing a short across the battery. If you have to crank the starter for more then 15 seconds at a pop you have something else wrong either choke is not right or a messed up ignition system. Ground wires or positive wires will get hot. Current flows from one direction to the other so it does not matter if it is a ground wire or a hot wire. Both will melt.

 

[stoudt21]

Re: Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

alright i will check cables to make sure they are good thanks.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Turn key nothing happens but choke does engage

If your wires under the dash are heating and melting, you have a short circuit somewhere. recheck that all the wires bith at the ignition switch and in the engine are properly connected.