12v push button switch for outboard

[User name]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

i have large gauge battery cables also from engine to +ve and -ve terminals of battery (assume thats how the engine is grounded)

Attach a jump lead between the negative battery terminal and the engine itself so you're creating your own new ground and see if anything changes. It's possible the point you're assuming is ground, isn't actually grounded at all so you'd have to test. You can continuity test between that point and the engine itself also.

[User name]

Just looking back on your previous diagram. Can you confirm my understanding on the solenoid. The 2 larger gauge cables, the left one (yellow) should be 12v+ (switched) directly to the starter, the right one (black with white stripe) should be 12v+ constant to the battery. This one on the right is where you can take your 12v+ feed to the switch/key/push button etc.

The 2 smaller gauge cables, the upper one (black with yellow crimp) should be ground, the lower (yellow with blue spade) should be 12v+ switched (from the key, button etc).

Some photos from further back would help to get a better understanding of how it has all been wired.

[nw04jen]

So the engine is grounded on the left - large black cable attached to block (normally behind that rubber lead cover)
you are right about black and white which is from main battery +ve to solenoid

[User name]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

So the engine is grounded on the left - large black cable attached to block (normally behind that rubber lead cover)
you are right about black and white which is from main battery +ve to solenoid

On the two smaller wires at the solenoid, which of them is the live trigger? It should be the lower (yellow with blue spade) but it looks like that might be going to ground in the latest image. Is that correct?

If that's the case then your solenoid is never getting energised to trip the starter motor. You can test by putting a jumper wire across the heavy gauge black wire from the battery, to the terminal that the yellow with blue spade is on (Making sure to disconnect it from ground first of course).

[nw04jen]

You were right. Found a YouTube video and was wired in a strange way. Hasten to add not by me !
So the live from the switch was wired to the bottom pole of the rectifier which in turn has a live going to the main solenoid pole (with live from battery)
The smaller poles had one going to ground = correct and the other was black going to the switch which I was connecting to ground at the switch.
I moved the live switch wire to the smaller pole and discarded the black grounding wire from that pole. Hey presto...connect push button to battery and that live wire and she fires up. Where I am now confused is have I bypassed the key switch and kill tab completely with this set up

[User name]

Excellent, at least you're making progress.

Am I right in saying the yellow wire and grey wire in the black sleeving is from the rectifier? It's hard to tell from the pics.

What exactly do you have on your switch panel? I'm guessing a key switch, starter button, fuse etc? Can you get decent pics of those?

The CDI cut-off is usually done by closing a ground connection to the CDI (normally open setup). You can take a ground from the main ground point on the engine to the switch/key that is used to cut the engine out. The output from that switch goes directly to the CDI. That way, the engine will run when there's no ground at that CDI wire, but once you turn the key/flip the switch, the CDI gets grounded again and cuts out.

Separately, you can run a constant 12v+ from the solenoid (main terminal on the right) to the panel. This will go into the fuse, out the other side and to the push button that operates the starter. You'll then come out of the push button and back to the lower of the two smaller gauge terminals on the solenoid. All just theory until we know what hardware you have exactly, but hopefully this is helpful in understanding how it works.

[nw04jen]

Thank you for patience and help. Will do next bits if / when the sun finds our country. As you day making progress - just need to follow your advice for CDI part now but will fill prop bag and try and start without key / kill switch. Hopefully doesn't actually turn over other than initial fire from push button and that side all good