1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

[NorcalLou]

Greetings. I have a 3.8L OMC I/O equipped Horizon 170. I have had trouble starting it this season (its first outdoors for the winter), but worked thru that with a little starter fluid and a new battery. The engine runs poorly until it warms up, and in the process of troubleshooting I noticed a Black/Purple wire in the vicinity of the starter motor solenoid that is not connected. Since this is an old boat - I can not find a wiring diagram that addresses this wire. Four Winns website lets you download a generic manual that has a generic wiring diagram - but no black/purple wire is depicted. If anybody knows where I can get a wiring diagram for this boat or knows what this wire is for I would appreciate it.

Thanks -

Lou

 

[Coors]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

Purple/black normally goes to the small outer terminal on the starter solenoid, for 12 volts at cranking, to the + on the coil.

 

[NorcalLou]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

Okay thanks - but do you know where does it go from there? It disapears into the loom and the boat does start with it not hooked up. The joys of being the last of multiple owners...

 

[Coors]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

It goes from the + on the coil to the outer small terminal on the starter solenoid, for the full 12 volts at start-up, then the wire from the alternator supplies the current.

 

[NorcalLou]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

Thanks - that could explain the difficulty I had starting the boat. Troubleshooting electrical issues without a diagram is always a challenge. I appreciate your help.

If anybody else knows where a wiring diagram can be had for a boat like this I would appreciate it. I am not trying to get this info for free - I do have the Omc Stern Drive Shop Manual, 1964-1986 (Clymer) but it does not go into a lot of wiring specifics. Is the SELOC manual much better?

 

[Coors]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

go on ebay, new/old manuals there

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: 1985 Four Winns Horizon 170 Wiring

What you really want/need is the manual for the engine which will give you the wiring for it, not the wiring for the boat, preferrably an OMC factory manual as mentioned above often found on ebay.