Ignition switch power

[pinellas50]

1996 Mariner 115. I just got done rebuilding the fuel pump and carbs on the motor along with replacing fuel lines. I have everything back together now and I went to start the motor to see if everything was OK. But now I have no power at the ignition switch.

During my work I didn't touch one single electric wire and I had the batteries shut off at the battery switch. I did have to unbolt the rectifier and set it aside but I never unpluged it. Now, I have power back at the engine from the batteries and everything not involving the ignition switch works. The guages get their power from the wiring going to the ignition switch and they come on when the switch is turned. All the guages are dead. I tested the wires going to the switch and I can't find power an any of them.

I have checked every fuse I can find both on the boat and the 20 amp on the motor. All check out fine. Tilt/trim still works fine too.

So my question is, where does the ignition switch get it's power from. Is it coming through the remote wiring harness from the motor? Is there something I may have bumped while doing my work that could have caused this? I have a manual but it doesn't really get into the non engine side of the remote harness.

 

[saumon]

Re: Ignition switch power

So my question is, where does the ignition switch get it's power from. Is it coming through the remote wiring harness from the motor?

Yes. I'd try retightening the harness connection inside the cowling by pushing the two halves together.

 

[pinellas50]

Re: Ignition switch power

Thanks saumon. You hit the nail on the head for me.

I have either a bad connection or a broken wire in the harness near the connector under the cowl. I'm hoping it's just a bad connection.

Thanks again.

 

[saumon]

Re: Ignition switch power

Please report back, it's always appreciated..

 

[pinellas50]

Re: Ignition switch power

Well, a loose connection is what I have been thinking all along. There was no resistance what so ever when pushing the two halves of the remote harness together.

I first cleaned up both sides of the connector with healthy doses of contact cleaner. Then I cleaned everything up using a clean rag, Q-tips, and pipe cleaners. Note--avoid pipe cleaners; they leave fuzz down in the female end of the harness which is rather hard to get back out. I coated everything with a liberal amount of die electric grease and reassembled. That didn't work.

I then went at the male side of the harness. I used a very small screw driver and pried the tips of the pins out to make them slightly wider. I put it back together with more grease and this seems to have fixed the problem.

Thanks again saumon!

 

[pinellas50]

Re: Ignition switch power

Further update. It turns out my "fix" didn't work. I have been fighting this connector for awhile now. Saturday it left me with a non running boat at the boat ramp. So I am done!

Is there any reason I can't simply cut this connector out and hard wire all the wires? Or is there some repair I don't know about that I can try?

 

[MacDaddy21]

Re: Ignition switch power

I am currently doing the same thing on my merc 40. If you buy a terminal strip you can cut the plugs off and run the matching wires to the terminal strip. Got that idea from another member on this forum. Apparently it is a fairly common fix.

 

[pinellas50]

Re: Ignition switch power

I hadn't thought of doing something like that. How are you going to protect that strip and wire ends from corrosion?

In a last ditch effort, I went back at the prongs in my connector again last night. This time I was armed with a dental pick. I was able to get the end of the pick into the center of the male pins and pry them open much better with the pick. I only jammed the pick into my hand once.

After this "fix" there was a lot of resistance when sliding the two ends of the connectors together. I am hoping this means there will be good contact on all of the circuits. If not I am going to start cutting wires I think.

 

[MacDaddy21]

Re: Ignition switch power

I have some of that liquid tape that you paint on connections to waterproof them. Ive used it before with success. I'm sure there are other methods as well. But my main concern with my motor is it's age (1979) and the wiring is pretty bad. If you search "1979 mercury 40 wiring problems" you should find my thread, and the guy that is helping me posted a pic of a Chrysler motor with the same set up.

 

[pinellas50]

Re: Ignition switch power

Thanks for the info. I'll certainly keep this in the back of my head.

Right now it seems like my connector is truly fixed. But I thought that once before............