Ignition problem

[hydroguy]

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that the ignition switch would not shut off the motor, I had to pull the mercury switch cover off. I thought it was probably a bad switch and replaced it yesterday but same problem. I'm trying to track it down but have to jumble thru a conglomeration of wiring. Its only Batt, Solonoid and Ign. any ideas out there?? :confused:

[61howard]

sometimes it backfeeds from the alternator excite wire

[hydroguy]

Nope, Race only, no alternator only 6AL.

[RiverRacer]

Put a mag in it and forget about it and win races!.. Let the ball bustin begin, LMAO!..:D:D:D

[61howard]

maybe from the voltmeter or amp guage?

[69 Shopbuilt]

Sounds like it could be a short in the wiring. Anything got hot or maybe pinched. Be sure to check one thing at the time to isolate the problem.

[hydroguy]

Yeah, I'm thinking of the short too, I don't know what else it could be. I just have to get out and trace it down. I'm thinking about a mag art, I haven't decided between an internal coil and external coil.

[AquaCraft]

[QUOTE=hydroguy;4939]Yeah, I'm thinking of the short too, I don't know what else it could be. I just have to get out and trace it down. QUOTE]

Your ignition is continuing to get juice with the switch turned "off". If it is not another bad switch then yes; the IGN lug on the switch is getting juice from one of the wires connected to it.

You mentioned a jumble of wires; check for anything else connected to the IGN lug on the switch that might be staying "hot" with the switch turned "off".

A simple way to do that would be disconnecting everything from the IGN lug on the switch and then testing each one individually with a test light to find what is "feeding back".

Until it gets fixed I would be disconnecting the battery to avoid the ignition staying "hot" while the boat is in the garage.

[hydroguy]

Thanks for the info, I have my battery disconnect switch "off"

[RiverRacer]

Hmmm, let's see here 2 wires to start, one wire to kill the mag=3 wires, how simple and reliable can that be!..:rolleyes:



Phuk you guys, I already know I'm an a$$hole so there!..:p:D:D

[AquaCraft]

Hmmm, let's see here 2 wires to start, one wire to kill the mag=3 wires, how simple and reliable can that be!..:rolleyes:

Phuk you guys, I already know I'm an a$$hole so there!..:p:D:D

'Na,

Give yourself some credit, RR. 'Keep bangin' the drum about mags and injection and eventually some of us will start listening.

OK, starting with magnetos, I think most of us get scared-off by the initial cost of $1,000 plus for a Vertex from one of the catalog houses.

Do we "bite-the-bullet" and drop-a-grand or is there other magnetos or better places to buy them?

[wagspe208]

Buy a mag and sell me that MSD crap cheap!:D
I will help you out like that. LOL
Wags

[AquaCraft]

Buy a mag and sell me that MSD crap cheap!:D
I will help you out like that. LOL
Wags

'Ya, I don't even have MSD to sell you; I'm still running a $130 Mallory Marine mechanical fixed unit RR already told me to "deep-six". When you only get out of the aluminum chair in the early AM and late PM for a hot lap to make the girls scream; even an old single point tends to last forever.

[RiverRacer]

'Na,

Give yourself some credit, RR. 'Keep bangin' the drum about mags and injection and eventually some of us will start listening.

OK, starting with magnetos, I think most of us get scared-off by the initial cost of $1,000 plus for a Vertex from one of the catalog houses.

Do we "bite-the-bullet" and drop-a-grand or is there other magnetos or better places to buy them?

Hey man, all I do is pass on what's been reliable, simple and trouble free for 30 years and cheap!.... I don't know where you're looking at mags but it's the wrong place, you can get new ones for $700 and you can pick up "good" used ones from $350-$450, spend maybe $100 to check and freshen and you're good to go for 25 years!..:D

[RiverRacer]

Buy a mag and sell me that MSD crap cheap!:D
I will help you out like that. LOL
Wags

Hey Steve, you want a brand new complete MSD setup for free , there's one at Bluewater somewhere at the bottom of the river, just have to swim for it though!..:D:D:D

[hydroguy]

I'm trying to track this problem down today. If I was getting feedback to the ignition terminal it would show 12v on it in the off position but that is not the case. I stuck my VM on it and with the ignition switch in the off position the ignition terminal shows zero potential. Something else is happening here and has baffled my usually brilliant mind. :confused:

[Flatmvn]

Did you check it with the engine running, It will only feed back if the engine is running.

[hydroguy]

That tells me that the feedback must come from the distributor since I have no alternator. So I should be looking for a connection from the ignition module that shouldn't be, correct?

[Flatmvn]

You do have a point there. I forgot about that.

[hydroguy]

Back in from another go at it, I'll be darned if I can figure out whats going on. I have gone over and gone over the hookup and it appears to be correct. If I don't find it pretty soon I'll miss the opening races here. :mad:

[SnoC653]

do you have a starter switch or a starter button? And do all your positives run off the same run post? I'm thinking your feeding power back through a ground and keeping the circuit hot. If you have something that runs directly off the battery without going though the post on the run side try disconnecting it once and see if it shuts off. I'm thinking you should have one wire to the coil, one wire to the starter solenoid, and one wire to power your guages. If you have lights, then one wire to the light switch. Does this sound correct? If there are no wires going from the battery positive to anything else then it is possible that the solenoid is shorting out internally. This would put voltage though the ground and run back through the gauges, lights or what ever back to the positive side of the coil. If that is the case try disconnecting the solenoid wire from the starter switch. Hope that helps.

[hydroguy]

I have a 3 lug starter switch and 1 wire to the coil and 1 wire to the solenoid. I'm thinking the same thing you are. I have a BG fuel pump running thru a relay and my bilge pump hookup is a two wire so I have to check that out also. I just can't find out whats keeping it hot. I'm going to try the solenoid wire next I didn't think about that posibility.