12v push button switch for outboard

[nw04jen]

Hi
Could anyone help me with which wires to put where please - 3 arrows in picture - one coming from 12v supply from battery, one the red wire to the engine start mechanism and one black from engine start mechanism (ground)
all worked before i took apart !!
engine starts fine from pull start - can get lights on toggle switch and centre light but then unsure how to send power to push button and then that power to engine...?
TIA

[User name]

The black/ground is the left most arrow. The pole labeled number 3 is the live from the battery or from what looks like a rocker switch there with the spades on it.

The pole labeled number 4 would be the live to the starter, or starter relay.

If you could post pics of the wires themselves and the rest of the panel it would help get a clearer picture also. It looks like there's no connection to the second pole on the rocker switch in the back. Is the main push button always active?

[nw04jen]

Thats super helpful thank you and makes sense - really appreciate

[nw04jen]

One more thing....

I have a 12v battery brand new -i have 2 short wires going to a brand new 12v distribution fused box - my voltmeter gives 12.6 @ the battery but only 10.8 ish at the distrib box which is less than 20cm away ? Is this normal or should it also read 12.8 at every 12v connection - should i make the gauge of the wire smaller - does that help increase the voltage?

thankls

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

One more thing....

I have a 12v battery brand new -i have 2 short wires going to a brand new 12v distribution fused box - my voltmeter gives 12.6 @ the battery but only 10.8 ish at the distrib box which is less than 20cm away ? Is this normal or should it also read 12.8 at every 12v connection - should i make the gauge of the wire smaller - does that help increase the voltage?

thankls

Shouldnt have that much volt drop over such a short run, looks like you have a duff connection somewhere. To avoid a volt drop you increase cable size but its unlikely thats your problem over such a short run.

[nw04jen]

100% no duff connection - changed wire to matching black / red and now get 11.6@ distrib and 12.6 at battery - still surprising over such short distance

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

100% no duff connection - changed wire to matching black / red and now get 11.6@ distrib and 12.6 at battery - still surprising over such short distance

Do you have a heavy current draw while your checking the voltage? If no current draw the difference in voltage should be minimal unless something is causing extra resistance especially over such a short distance

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

100% no duff connection - changed wire to matching black / red and now get 11.6@ distrib and 12.6 at battery - still surprising over such short distance

What's the ohms reading? There should not be any noticable IR/voltage drop. Check voltage from negative to battery connector, then to other end of new wire connector at fuse block, then at actual accessory connection point. There should be no change. Remove all fuses and retest if needed. Disconnect wire from fuse block and see if it now produces battery voltage.

To us in the USA DUFF is Homer Simpon's fictional beer.

[User name]

That's a hell of a voltage drop for such a short distance. If you could post pics it might help identify the issue.

What kind of junction are you using, and is the wire copper, or maybe copper coated aluminium? What gauge, and is there any load on it while you're testing?

Also, it might seem silly, but are you sure you're using the multimeter correctly?

[nw04jen]

Apologies. Sorted that issue. Dirty connection on the isolator. New isolator fixed that.
New issue - wired up push button start - last season no issue. Now nothing. Engine pull starts no problem.
With battery power on and key in pos 1 I get 12.6v at the solenoid, rectifier etc but push button and nothing.
Where do I start? Check CDI switch box? Check the 3 rectifier posts are 'good' - definitely power from battery to engine. Not sure how to bypass push button initially to start tracing the fault or what I should do and in which order. There's only a couple things it really can be just not sure how to 'test' them

[Pikey Dave]

Is the engine cranking with the push button & not firing, or isn’t it cranking? Can you hear the solenoid closing (clicking)?

[Peter_C]

I would hot the solenoid to rule out the starter motor first, then start checking wiring backwards. Often a screwdriver (Or a chunk of metal) can go from the large battery input of the starter, to the solenoid trigger side. My preference is for a remote starter button deal with alligator clips, but I don't like to use nice screwdrivers for shorting things on purpose. Key need not be on to crank it over, but it won't start.

[nw04jen]

Thanks chaps
Nothing at all - with key turned 'push button' lights up etc as it should but no sound at all ..not firing - will hot the solenoid to try that first then will do the CDI check on youtube mercsonL6

[User name]

Post pics of how you have it set up. Are you using a relay to trigger the solenoid?

Using your multimeter, test the ignition wire to the solenoid to see if you get 12v when the button is pressed. If you do, then your wiring is likely ok and the solenoid is the problem.

You can test the solenoid by jumping it directly from the battery to the ignition wire on the solenoid to see if it has any response. This will help you identify if your problem is in the solenoid or in the ignition circuit that triggers it.

Check your ground cable is good also.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

Thanks chaps
Nothing at all - with key turned 'push button' lights up etc as it should but no sound at all ..not firing - will hot the solenoid to try that first then will do the CDI check on youtube mercsonL6

What boat is this on? It's not a normal setup, I'm assuming it isn't a RIB.

[nw04jen]

Think ive given up = worked fine b4 something gone bad - hot wire no issue so not solenoid - have 12.7 at switch and at rectifier etc im guessing possible cdi switch box might be at fault - i will pull start and get it to engineer whenever the rain stops!!!

On a small rib just to make starting simple for kids - which is fundamentally not proving to be the case

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by nw04jen

Think ive given up = worked fine b4 something gone bad - hot wire no issue so not solenoid - have 12.7 at switch and at rectifier etc im guessing possible cdi switch box might be at fault - i will pull start and get it to engineer whenever the rain stops!!!

On a small rib just to make starting simple for kids - which is fundamentally not proving to be the case

I think you need to strip out all the superfluous gubbins, get it back to stock & start again. Even when you get it working, it's looking like a problem waiting to happen. Does your mod take into account the kill cord/stop circuit? Is that inhibiting the start cct?

[nw04jen]

yes kil cord works fin e with this system
think you are right square 1 or just pull start!

[User name]

I'm just trying to digest your diagram, but how is your engine grounded? Is the ground at the solenoid the only ground point?

If you put a jumper from the negative battery terminal directly to the engine, does this allow it to work?

[nw04jen]

Hmm Im no expert! - crossing the solenoid works, pull start works and kill switch works - hence black and yellow from switch box connected correctly to ignition
i have 2 large gauge wires from engine block to helm waiting to be connected to switch
the red cable goes to the bottom terminal on rectifier 'X' in pic on right and has a 30amp fuse
the black cable goes to the -ve on the solenoid 'X' on left of pic
i have large gauge battery cables also from engine to +ve and -ve terminals of battery (assume thats how the engine is grounded)

push button starter worked fine at end of season

so now i have a new starter - could you explain what to wire where ?

my assumption

12v to bottom spade from battery
-ve to top spade from battery and then to bottom spade of light

then i dont know - i need to get +ve to light, and then I assume
black and red cable from solenoid and rectifier to top and bottom of push button
do i daisy chain a +ve cable from middle spade of toggle, to top of light and then to bottom terminal on push button?

ignore waygos - temporary