Electrical problem HELP please

[zachl]

Ok Took the boat out sat and everything was running smooth. Motor Started right up everytime. A little later in the morning the outboard started acting a little funny. every once in a while it would act like it was going to cut out but it never did. I thought maybe a fuel filter or something and didn't think much more of it. Later on i started to head over to another creek and all the sudden the motor cut out. I tried to start it up again but when i turned the key nothing... not even a click no needles on the dash movement. So i figure its got to be a fuse or a connection. I Checked all the fuses but all are fine. I checked all connections and all seem fine. So just for the hell of it i switched everything over to my trolling motor bat. Boom started right up and the motor didn't act like it was going to cut out the whole way back at all. So i buy and replace the battery (needed to anyway it was 4 years old) Take it home, charge it hook it up and ...... NOTHING again. No start and no trim on the outboard. Its a 2000 50 hp merc

any suggestions?

thanks

[Tom Powers]

If it is a two stroke I have that motor. Maybe mine is the 1999 model which I think is the same motor. .

Did you check the 20 A fuse under the cowling, also check it for corrosion? I don't know if it just kills the spark or if it also kills the rest of the electrical system. Somewhere around here I have a shop manual for the motor. I can check and see what the fuse does later.

Here is another thing to check. Basically you want to check to make sure that the battery voltage gets to the starter continuously. Put a volt meter on big stud on input side of the the starter solenoid (under the cowling on the right hand side of the motor) and the other side of the meter on the ground side. Have a buddy turn the key to start the motor. If nothing happens and the voltage stays there then you have eliminated the cables and connections between your battery and your motor.

Solenoid function next. . . Next check the voltage on the smaller stud on the starter solenoid to ground it should go to like 12 V (maybe 10) when your buddy turns the key. This one may actually work backwards from this and have 12 V when the key is open and be grounded when the key is turned but I would have to check this.

Thirdly check the other big stud on the solenoid. It is the wire that goes to your starter. When you turn the key it should get some voltage. Probably 8 to 10 V because of the drop in the rest of the system.

Of course you have to do those checks when things are not working properly.

Not saying that it is the problem but, the kill switch on the controls kills the spark. The motor will turn over it you pull the lanyard but it will not start. (That one is a Duh kind of problem when you are out and it suddenly dies like it did to me one day.)

[biglee1]

I would check your cables from your battery to your battery switch. Make sure there isn't a knick somewhere in the cable and wire corrosion. Also, clean the posts on the starting battery and make sure that your cables are tight on the posts. Recommend disposing the wing nuts and use the nylon lock nuts. Since everything worked fine off of the second battery, I would expect it to be in the cables to the battery switch, or the switch itself.

[zachl]

Thanks for the responses. I fixed the problem last night. It turned out to be just some corrosion at the terminals on the battery. I cleaned them off the best i could while out on the water but i must have missed the underside of the negative terminal that is the 1st one seated on the battery. Since it all worked fine on the other bat i assumed i cleaned them good enough. Last night i took the dremel and a good wire brush adapter and scrubbed all the connections good.... started right up and tilt works fine.

Thanks again for the responses

[Tom Powers]

Corrosion block or a similar product for batteries should help keep it away.

[hippie]

I had the same problem with my smaller boat years ago. Biglee1 said it right. My cables looked good, all clean etc. Then I noticed a small knick in the one from the battery. I cut it open and all of the copper wiring inside was eaten away. Changed the cable and all was well. Bob