Engine ignition switch wiring question with dual control stations

mculpii

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Oct 3, 2011
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32
I have a Reinell with fly-bridge and twin 302 OMC's. I got the boat with these conditions present. Left engine goes to crank immediately when you turn battery switch on. No keys in ignition switches. Right motor doesn't ever get 12 volts to starter solenoid when in crank. So we had no keys anyways so all 4 ignition switches I replaced. Can someone describe how these were or should be wired. I found on the fly-bridge switches that there are wires present for battery, ignition, and start and replaced them exactly as they were. They look to be as I would expect. Downstairs there is only multiple wires on the "on" tab and one wire on the "start" tab. Nothing is present on the "battery" tab downstairs. So My thoughts were you could only restart them from downstairs and the fly-bridge switches must be in the on position. Is this true? Also the condition of immediate crank on left motor and no crank on right motor stayed the same when I R&R the switches. Any thoughts or does someone have a diagram? Its a 1977 Reinell 24 or 26 foot full cabin cruiser.

Thanks Mitch
 

alldodge

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Mar 8, 2009
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43,534
Re: Engine ignition switch wiring question with dual control stations

Start with this and have a look
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/13/13E4R2.PDF

Fix the main station first then adding a fly bridge switch to start would be easy enough. Should only need momentary on (normally open) switch to supply power to the start circuit Yel/Red wire
 

mculpii

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 3, 2011
Messages
32
Re: Engine ignition switch wiring question with dual control stations

Thanks for the info. I used these diagrams and it struck me that the right engine may have an issue with the neutral safety switch. Went out and worked with it and it did, now it cranks. I was cranking it from bottom station with no key in at top. So I'm pretty sure I didn't have the ignition on plus I'm not at that junction yet. I'm happy I resolved the right no crank issue. Also it seems that this boat is wired with fly-bridge as primary station.
 

alldodge

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43,534
Re: Engine ignition switch wiring question with dual control stations

It's one of those you just never know what someone will do to their boat. With it cranking without a key switch turned, sounds like someone ran a hot lead to the remote start switch.
 
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