wiring problem

[rsimmons42]

OK, this morning I went out to the boat to track down a drain on the battery. I found it to be the gauges hooked up to possitive not to the acc. I went ahead and purchased a good Marine Battery for running my electronics then kept the existing one for the engine. I have all the wires hooked up and here is the issue.

The Engine will start, all the electronics work. The gauges that should come on with the ignition switch are not. Tested the wire, NOTHING. The wire that is going into the alternating current strip is Purple. My engine is a 1977 Johnson. I do have a wire diagram and have look through the thing and have got nowhere. I see the purple wire to be correct, is this right? Please help....

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: wiring problem

You have a 1977 "what" Johnson? The terminals on the back of the ignition switch should be labeled B, C, M, S, A, M.

The "A" terminal should have 12 volts applied to it ONLY when the key is in the ON or START position. This is the terminal that should feed voltage to the gauges.

Accessories such as a radio, depth finder, etc should have separate feed wires leading from the battery to a fuse panal and from there to separate switches or to the accessories themselves.