1992 Evinrude 175 Spitfire Ignition

[coachmoe]

Engine: 1992 Rude 175 Spitfire
Good afternoon folks. Thanks in advacne for input and suggestions.
Probem: Not getting anything when turning the key to start engine.
Battery is fully charged @ 12.6 V.
Instrument panel gauges (voltmeter, fuel) engage when key is turned to the "ON" position.
I've found 1 in line fuse that is apparently on the ignition to solenoid wire (yellow/red). Fuse is good (small buss fuse).

Here's what I did to cause the problem;
I removed the starter to replace the solenoid. While re-installing starter I arced the +/- as I did not remove battery cable. Yes, I know, I was a dumb@$$!!!
It was at this point that I no longer got anything out of the ignition switch when turning the key to start the engine. As stated before, I do have power to the instrument panel when the key is in the "ON" position. I just can't turn the engine over as there is obviously a break/short in the circuit to the starter solenoid.
What/where do I begin to track the culprit down? Any suggestions or input are always greatly appreciated.

 

[Bosunsmate]

take a small wire and jump it from the small positive on the solenoid to the big live positive on the solenoid.
Does it work?

 

[coachmoe]

Bosunsmate, it did not work sir.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Bosunsmate, it did not work sir.

Did you hear the solenoid click?

 

[coachmoe]

no sir

 

[Bosunsmate]

no sir

Try running jumper cables to your solenoid direct from your battery and try again.
Check your ground wire from the solenoid is ok
Just where exactly and what wires did you short to ground?

 

[Bosunsmate]

Also try pressing your key in, can you hear your choke solenoid click in the engine bay? (its quite loud so you should be able to hear it from by the keyswitch.)

 

[coachmoe]

Bosunsmate, nothing on the choke solenoid. I DO get power to the starter from jumper cables but only jumping the crossover brass piece from solenoid to starter. In other words, by jumping the host post on the starter itself. I cannot get anything while trying to jump the hot post on the solenoid. I hope thats makes sense. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Alright.
So the starter works.
But the starter solenoid has issues and the choke solenoid too, but your gauges have power.
Have you tried putting the jumper from the battery positive on to the the solenoid main post and retrying?
Im thinking your battery to solenoid might of burnt and that would mean you wouldnt get much juice to anything but just enough to run some gauges.

 

[coachmoe]

Thank you again Bosusnmate. I want to make sure I understand you correctly. Move the jumper to the other side, hook it all up, and see if that works? I will try that. The first thing that comes to my mind in this set up, is that I have constant juice to it and won't be able to control it???? At any rate, I'll give it a shot this evening.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Your solenoid has a main cable to the starter and one main cable from the battery to the solenoid. Use your big jumper cable to jump from the battery to the solenoid. Then try using the key.
If that doesnt work, use a small jumper wire from the end of your big jumper cable where its attached to the solenoid( which is +ve) to the small positive terminal on the solenoid where the wire from the ignition box comes from. Just touch it to the terminal that way you can control it