help identify brown wire

[Wesab]

I"m new to boating, and have a 1998 tracker deck boat with a Mercury Force 120 outboard motor. I've been doing some maintenance, replaced impeller, rebuilt starter. There is a brown wire disconnected in the engine bay - how can i determine what this wire is?

 

[Jiggz]

Is that a solid brown or does it has another stripe color? If it is solid, it's probably the thermo switch wire which is referred to as "Tan". That is the only solid tan or brown wire that I am aware of. The other brown wires have colored stripes on them and are for the stator wiring.

 

[jerryjerry05]

That could be for a second sensor for the thermo switch.
Mercury used the wiring harness on a BUNCH of different motors.
Some had 2 sensors on the head.

 

[Wesab]

it's a brown wire with white stripe, and a solid tan wire

 

[Jiggz]

The solid tan wire goes to the thermoswitch.