# Scout 160 Sportfish Wiring Problems (Help needed)



## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Do not cut and splice main power wires. You'll need to make/or have made new mains. When I had my Scout 192 rewired we stripped everything out and started from scratch. That's what I'd recommend you do.


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## Will_Craig627 (Mar 29, 2020)

iMacattack said:


> Do not cut and splice main power wires. You'll need to make/or have made new mains. When I had my Scout 192 rewired we stripped everything out and started from scratch. That's what I'd recommend you do.


Thanks for the reply iMacattack. Do you know where I could buy power wires for the engine. as mentioned above its a 2007 yamaha 70 tlr. Also, if i bought new power wires for the engine would I have to buy a key switch and rpm gauge or anything else for it? thank you


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

This will be a custom run of wire. You'll need to measure then find someone to make a custom wire. (This is why the battery is in the stern). I have three batteries in the stern of my Scout 192. You're going to do a lot of work for little to no return on performance.


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## Will_Craig627 (Mar 29, 2020)

iMacattack said:


> This will be a custom run of wire. You'll need to measure then find someone to make a custom wire. (This is why the battery is in the stern). I have three batteries in the stern of my Scout 192. You're going to do a lot of work for little to no return on performance.


The main reason that was going to move the battery was to open up storage in the back hatch and to provide ease of access to the battery switch but what your saying sounds expensive I might just leave it be. Thank you for your responses!


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

When I had my Scout rewired by a local specialty shop I spent about $2500-$2800 and it was worth every penny!


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

You can have the wires made easily at a battery shop. If you find an interstate store or similiar you can even ask them about blemish batteries that sell for cheap and come with the same warranty. Thoughts for later. If you want to make the wires go to a car stereo shop and get the wire or buy an amp wiring kit with 4 gauge wire. And just replacing wires doesnt mean you have to replace anything electronic.


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## Will_Craig627 (Mar 29, 2020)

Mike Haydon said:


> You can have the wires made easily at a battery shop. If you find an interstate store or similar you can even ask them about blemish batteries that sell for cheap and come with the same warranty. Thoughts for later. If you want to make the wires go to a car stereo shop and get the wire or buy an amp wiring kit with 4 gauge wire. And just replacing wires doesn't mean you have to replace anything electronic.


I've been doing some more research and just thinking stuff over but the idea that i have now is keeping the yamaha battery cables in the back of the boat and connecting the positive and negatives into separate bus bars. From the bus bar I'm going to take the same gauge of wire and run it underneath the floor to the console (where the new battery switch is located) The reason for doing this is because the yamaha battery wires aren't long enough to reach the new place. Do you all have any concerns about that idea? 

@iMacattack I would have it professionally rewired but I dont have the money to spend on it right now and it's a pretty small boat and there's only like 4 switches plus the engine that I need to wire up so it should a fairly easy job. The hardest part was gonna be running the wires underneath the floor. Thank y'all!


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

Use an old wire and get some nylon type twine. Use electrical tape and tape the string to say 6" of wire wrapped the while 6"s. Hope that makes since. Then pull the wire out and it will bring your string through. Now you can type your new wire to that string and pull it through. Personally I would just mount the switch in the back. You want it close to your battery. If that means moving the battery then move it. The yamaha wires are not special. Any decent 4 guage wire will do. Just buy or make longer wires for the motor to the battery and pull them through with the string. If you need you can all me and I can explain better. Just let me know. Michael


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I'm trying to slowly re-wire my boat. I feel your pain. I have some thoughts. Can you rig a PVC pipe under the floor or down the side to run your wires. Another way I pulled wires was to get the shrink solder wire connections, join the 2 wires heat with a heat gun hot enough to melt the solder, let it cool, get some spray silicone and spray where it's going. As you pull jiggle the other wires to see if that helps
I'd like to rip all mine out and start over but that would put my boat out for too long


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Only use 4 AWG Gauge Marine Tinned battery cables.


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## Will_Craig627 (Mar 29, 2020)

Mike Haydon said:


> Use an old wire and get some nylon type twine. Use electrical tape and tape the string to say 6" of wire wrapped the while 6"s. Hope that makes since. Then pull the wire out and it will bring your string through. Now you can type your new wire to that string and pull it through. Personally I would just mount the switch in the back. You want it close to your battery. If that means moving the battery then move it. The yamaha wires are not special. Any decent 4 guage wire will do. Just buy or make longer wires for the motor to the battery and pull them through with the string. If you need you can all me and I can explain better. Just let me know. Michael


Thanks for the reply! I already have some string run from the back of the boat to the console so i could theoretically pull new wires through but i'm not sure if i'll be able to run the big battery cables through because there are a lot of old wires that are tangled and stuck in there and I haven't been able to pull them out I might try @permitchaser idea and see if i can run a pvc pipe through.


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## Will_Craig627 (Mar 29, 2020)

permitchaser said:


> I'm trying to slowly re-wire my boat. I feel your pain. I have some thoughts. Can you rig a PVC pipe under the floor or down the side to run your wires. Another way I pulled wires was to get the shrink solder wire connections, join the 2 wires heat with a heat gun hot enough to melt the solder, let it cool, get some spray silicone and spray where it's going. As you pull jiggle the other wires to see if that helps
> I'd like to rip all mine out and start over but that would put my boat out for too long


Thanks for the reply! I want to take everything out as well but as you said i'd be off the water for way too long. I only started 3 days ago and im already missing it I like your idea of using PVC pipe I think that should work because i have some livewell tubing that is run from the back of the boat to the console so i should be able to run the PVC the same way! thank you so much for the idea! I'll let you know how it works!


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Send some pictures please


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