Kill Switch Removal.

[Ian9525]

Hi All, I am rewiring a RIB I have recently bought, it was used for RYA stuff and has 3 kill switches fitted.. I obviously intend to keep the one located on the Honda ignition panel, but the other two are fitted either side of the console and are not required.. How do I remove these two, can I just trace the wires back as far as possible and cut them off, or do I need to cut each set and join them by soldering.........?

[rigi36]

Can't help you with removing a panel... but once you have, I'd happily buy one off you as I need to fit one for training on the Sea Scouts boat. Let me know if you'd be happy to do this.

Many thanks

[ShinyShoe]

A standard (if there is really a standard) kill switch works by shorting the Low Tension Electrics to ground. That stops the LT side being "amplified" into the HT side which produces the spark.

when you pull the Kill Cord it switches the switch ON and connects the power to ground. SO you wouldn't want to solder the contacts. You should be able to disconnect the switch wires and the engine work.

The switches should be in parallel - i.e. if any of the three is activated there will be a route to ground irrelevant of the other three.

I wouldn't just cut if avoidable. You can bet your bottom dollar the cut wires will somehow find a short (water, metal, black magic!) and short off the LT wires just as you really didn't want your engine to shut down.

[Ian9525]

Originally Posted by rigi36

Can't help you with removing a panel... but once you have, I'd happily buy one off you as I need to fit one for training on the Sea Scouts boat. Let me know if you'd be happy to do this.

Many thanks

No problem mate .. if you let me know your address I can post it to you (when I have taken them off). they will be no good to me so you can have one free, Scouting is a great thing for youngsters so glad to help..

[Ian9525]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

A standard (if there is really a standard) kill switch works by shorting the Low Tension Electrics to ground. That stops the LT side being "amplified" into the HT side which produces the spark.

when you pull the Kill Cord it switches the switch ON and connects the power to ground. SO you wouldn't want to solder the contacts. You should be able to disconnect the switch wires and the engine work.

The switches should be in parallel - i.e. if any of the three is activated there will be a route to ground irrelevant of the other three.

I wouldn't just cut if avoidable. You can bet your bottom dollar the cut wires will somehow find a short (water, metal, black magic!) and short off the LT wires just as you really didn't want your engine to shut down.

OK thanks for that.. I will try removing them one at a time, I think they may be OK if I seal the end of the wires with 3 sets of heat shrink and prevent them from moving around.. if that sounds OK ?

[rigi36]

Thanks Ian, PM sent

[Last Tango]

Just disconnect one wire from one of the switches (any one of them) and try to start the engine.
If it won't start then they're wired in series and go open to kill the engine.

If this is the case you'll need to effectively link the wires of each of the removed switches but one of the three will be the "main" switch and I'd trace the wiring back to that and undo the mod that will have been done to the attached wiring.

If the engine runs with one of the wires disconnected then it will be "short" to kill. If that is the case simply remove the extra switches and any associated wiring double checking the remaining switch still works.

[Ian9525]

Thanks for that mate, I will give it a go and post how I get on.....