No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

[Valley Boater]

Trying to determine if my recent purchase is a "runner" and I have an electrical problem. Motor has remote start (dash mounted key switch). Hooked up a fully charged, new battery, turned key, nothing happens. Removed the start switch from dash and found 5 wires coming up the wiring harness, none of them showed any voltage with battery hooked up. I do show 12 volts at the solenoid where the red cable connects. I ran a hot lead from the battery to the opposite post on the solenoid and starter operated fine. I can?t find another ?hot? circuit anywhere else on the motor. Should I invest in a new solenoid or look elsewhere for other possible issues?

 

[Valley Boater]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

I can't believe I'm the only one who has had this problem. I have been searching old postings for help and noticed that some of the bigger hp OMC's have a fuse that can blow and shut down the electrical system. Does the 1978 35 hp OMC have a similar fuse? If so where should I look for the fuse?

Any help is appreciated.

Don

 

[Daviet]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

On the back of the switch one of the terminals should have a red wire going to it, that is the B (battery) wire, it should have battery voltage to it. There is a fuse on the powerhead inside a rubber boot (#8 below), that feeds the switch, make sure the fuse is good.
http://www.ishopmarine.com/ishop/js...CatFilter=BRP&eCatSupFldr=supplier-100-005-EJ

 

[Valley Boater]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

I don't think I would have found that fuse as the label showing a fuse was tucked behlnd the fuse holder without your suggestion. However, the fuse is good. That takes me to the solenoid as being faulty. I see three (correction, 2) wire terminals on the solenoid, one open (bottom) and one with a yellow wire and the other with yellow with red stripe. Neither of these terminals show voltage when the circuit is energized. I did test the starter switch and the positive from the motor (red) is hooked to "B" but I don't get any voltage through the "red" wire at all.

Thanks for your help, a least one possibly problem is eliminated.

 

[rockfinder2]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

I have a 76 35 hp and found that the big black plug under the engine hood can be plugged together wrong and the starter won't work. Look on the each side of the plug and you will see arrows for the proper way to connect.

 

[Daviet]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

If you don't have any voltage on the red wire at the switch and the fuse is good, do you have voltage at the fuse?
I think on your engine the fuse picks up battery voltage at the solenoid, there should be a wire attached along with the battery cable to one of the large posts on the solenoid. The other large post should have a cable that goes to the starter. One of the wires on the small posts should come from the switch and show voltage when the key is turned to start. The other small post will have a wire that goes to ground, usually through the neutral saftey switch.

 

[Valley Boater]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

Made some additional discoveries. The one end of the red wire at the fuse goes to a terminal on the other side of the motor. It has continuity but no voltage. The other end goes to the large rubber plug with 2 arrows to match the union. I unplugged the plug and the red from the fuse has continuity to the largest prong but also no voltage (when battery is hooked up). The prongs were bright and clean.

Here's what may be part of the problem - the red wire going from the fuse to the terminal on the other side first leaves the fuse and is taped and apparently joined to another red wire that has a large eyelet the size that could fit over one end bolts on the starter solenoid before crossing to the terminal. It was getting dark and I didn't peel the tape off. This doesn't look very factory.

This may be the missing link to the taped eyelet - I recall when I removed the starter switch from the dash for testing I recall there was a red wire running from the positive battery post to the "B" post on the switch. This was not a bundled wire from the motor. I didn't know that the "B" was the "hot in" at the time and all my tests have been made with the extra red wire disconnected as I didn't think the circuit needed a hot directly from the battery. It looks like there is some kind of after market wiring on this motor.

Does any of this make sense?

Thanks so much for your assistance.

 

[Daviet]

Re: No electricity to remote start - '78 Evinrude 35 hp

The B post on the switch should have battery voltage on it whenever the battery is hooked up. You need to check the red wire for voltage and hook it up to the B post.