Killswitch Failure at sea

[willk]

I have a Story and a Request for Help:

Over the last two seasons, I have had two killswitch failures at sea. The switch/es were aftermarket additions to a Yanmar diesel. They looked like the picture below:



The clip is holding the button out when fitted. This makes a circuit and when removed the button drops in and the circuit breaks - activating the kill/stopping the engine. In my case my original switch failed at sea, about 150 meters off a rocky lee shore - fortunately in good conditions but we did get to the point where the hook was about to go over the side. Luckily a bit of "knob twiddling" on my part remade the connection and we motored out of danger where I fitted a cable tie that widened the gap a bit and we RTB.

I had the switch replaced but the replacement went the same way the following season - this time half way across the Irish Sea but I was able to sort it underway - knowing the "way of the knob" by then.

Barrus have now supplied a different type of switch now (Thanks Scott ) and it's a push down type - release to kill. No offence intended to any of the suppliers, but all the switches are the cheapest, nastiest bits of flim-flam imaginable. TBH, I haven't seen any better on sale anywhere myself so no complaints from me! But it really is a two dollar switch - maybe a one dollar switch!

[willk]

[tinhat on]Today I fitted an override switch on my killswitch...[/tinhat off]

Having experienced the feeling of being in a perfectly good boat with a f##ked killswitch, I decided to incorporate an override into the kill circuit - basically an isolator that when "on" shorts the circuit and fools the engine management system into believing the killswitch is merrily making the circuit - even though the lanyard may be removed or the switch dead. The isolator is hidden in the depths of the console and as I test the killswitch before starting, I'm unlikely to steam with it activated.

Still - I feel naughty...

[willk]

The new switch obviously has a different lanyard and clip. I need a spare but they're proving elusive. It is a three pronged affair (see attached) but the gap is a little wider than the similar clip found on my Universal killswitch. Basically it's similar to the Evinrude/OMC/Yamaha clips but with an 8mm gap to their 5mm, different. Irritatingly, I bought one by accident back in 2008 for my 'Rudes, and chucked it in disgust. The tartan 50% of my blood is boiling! Has anyone got one going spare or know where I can score one? Not keen to pay $30 postage from the States

[paintman]

I prefer the Mercury flick switch type. Just a basic two position switch.
Easier for those left in the boat to operate if I've had an unexpected dip & they don't know/have forgotten where the spare cord is - just put it back to the run position & start up.
I've got both types on my boat - Mercury flick for the main & Suzuki DT4 with the hold-out-the-button - & the Mercury one is much simpler.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by paintman

I prefer the Mercury flick switch type. Just a basic two position switch.
Easier for those left in the boat to operate if I've had an unexpected dip & they don't know/have forgotten where the spare cord is - just put it back to the run position & start up.
I've got both types on my boat - Mercury flick for the main & Suzuki DT4 with the hold-out-the-button - & the Mercury one is much simpler.

I've never been a huge fan of the Mercury flick switch (and having cruised with willk have no doubts anyone who was trusted with recovering him, would know where the spare cord was etc.) however I think in this case that type of switch which is not a cheap spring might be better. But my dislike of them is for the reason that might actually make them preferable - they are easy to override.

The irony of complaining about a 2 dollar switch and then objecting to paying 30 for the cord made me smile though!

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by willk

[tinhat on]Today I fitted an override switch on my killswitch...[/tinhat off]

Having experienced the feeling of being in a perfectly good boat with a f##ked killswitch, I decided to incorporate an override into the kill circuit - basically an isolator that when "on" shorts the circuit and fools the engine management system into believing the killswitch is merrily making the circuit - even though the lanyard may be removed or the switch dead. The isolator is hidden in the depths of the console and as I test the killswitch before starting, I'm unlikely to steam with it activated.

Still - I feel naughty...

+1.
I used a "missile launch" type switch to bypass mine if need be.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

...and then objecting to paying 30 for the cord made me smile though!

I object to paying $30 to post an envelope. The lanyard was another $10. Customs would get another crack at me when it arrived.

Maybe someone from there might be coming this way soon?

[willk]

Originally Posted by paintman

I prefer the Mercury flick switch type. Just a basic two position switch.

Yes - but I suspect that this switch is set up the other way around - make to kill? Mine is break to kill...

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

Yes - but I suspect that this switch is set up the other way around - make to kill? Mine is break to kill...

I'm speculating here, but can you not mount the toggle switch upside down with respect to the housing to achieve that?

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

I'm speculating here, but can you not mount the toggle switch upside down with respect to the housing to achieve that?

I still need a lanyard to fit my new killswitch!

[slate1234]

any chance someone could tell me or sketch me how I could do a inline override switch please
Thanks

[Poly]

Originally Posted by slate1234

any chance someone could tell me or sketch me how I could do a inline override switch please
Thanks

If you just have a normal kill switch (outboard style - closes to ground = kills engine) then just putting any switch in series with the kill cord will disable the kill switch. as suggested above something like this http://www.minispares.com/image.axd?...350/MSA345.jpg would be a good idea... To prevent accidental use.

[slate1234]

I think that's a great idea I might have a go next weekend,
Thank you

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Poly

I'm speculating here, but can you not mount the toggle switch upside down with respect to the housing to achieve that?

If you're ebay hunting then some you can, some have the switch bonded to the housing.

[slate1234]

Before I start am I right in thinking I only need to split the two wires and add the switch

[paintman]

Originally Posted by Poly

I'm speculating here, but can you not mount the toggle switch upside down with respect to the housing to achieve that?

Just connect the wires to the switch the other way round

[Poly]

Originally Posted by paintman

Just connect the wires to the switch the other way round

RfLmao

[Maximus]

Slightly different than Wilks but funny how these things crop up when they do.
I had a few problems on our Lundy trip I was useing a "spare" Lanyard and it popped out a few times whilst in the rougher stuff!...like The man said...NOT nice close in on a Lee Shore!
Although the engine started again immediately,it does spoil the moment somewhat.

I remedied it by placing the Cord Upside down in the Clip,so it had no-where to fall.
At home on close inspection I compared the "spare" with the original Suzuki clips,and concluded it was just a not very well made copy,and Binned them!
Food for thought and lesson learned....you can have the best Rig possible and a -sub 1p bit of plastic can potentially cause you real problems.
Kill Cords go Genuine!

[Chunk]

Am I being stupid here? Prob my ignorance.

If the objective is to enable the engine to start if the kill switch sticks in an open position (meaning you can't start the engine), wiring the firing switch in series will only add another gate - you could kill the engine via this extra switch but the ignition key will do the same.

I would have thought you'd wire the firing switch in parallel and leave it in a open position until failure occurs. Then close it to bypass the kill switch to start the engine...

awaiting missiles

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Chunk

Am I being stupid here? Prob my ignorance.

If the objective is to enable the engine to start if the kill switch sticks in an open position (meaning you can't start the engine), wiring the firing switch in series will only add another gate - you could kill the engine via this extra switch but the ignition key will do the same.

I would have thought you'd wire the firing switch in parallel and leave it in a open position until failure occurs. Then close it to bypass the kill switch to start the engine...

awaiting missiles

Chunk most outboard kills switches operate such that when the cord is removed the switch closes, shorting the spark circuit to ground - preventing the engine from firing. In order to disable the kill switch you need to break that circuit.

Now to add confusion to the mix Willk (who just to remind everyone started this thread hoping to find a rare kill cord at a celticly-acceptable price!) is using a diesel inboard where the kill circuit is wired in the opposite direction [i.e. the switch opens to kill the engine].