# F%&K!!!!!



## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

So I fish in my boat at least once a week. Today I went to go out and I have no power at the Trim on the throttle lever And she wont turn Over. Changed the battery (it was dead) and Power everywhere else, all fuses on the block good. Trim works on the engine switch. Still wont crank or trim from the switch. Has me stupped. Just fished last saturday all day with no problem. Both batteries are brand new. 

Only thing different I did Was add a float switch to the bilge. So i tried cutting the wires to see if if would change and Still nothing. Any ideas?


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

corroded contacts? My bilge switch was out of commish until I flicked up and down 30-something times until it worked.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

i'm replacing a float switch right now on the f&f that had a slight voltage leak to it :-? you could barely hear the pump running and there was no way to stop it other than clipping the leads to the float switch, once i removed it from the circuit all's good now


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

On sunday I added the float switch checked it with the hose both on auto and manual. Worked fine. put the boat up that night and went to go fishing last night (tuesday) and the battery was dead. Whatever it is is draining the battery too. Thats why I thought about cutting the bilge off the circuit to see if that was the case. Still not working, even with new fully charged battery. Im gonna go check it again tonight and see if the the other battery is drained now that I have dissconnected the bilge.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

check, double check, and triple check ALL connections for corrosion and make sure they are tight! hard to believe that it ran fine one day and the next its not for any other reason than those stated above. when my bilge pump was draining down it was a slight little hum unlike the much louder buzz when its normally powered... i could hardley hear it unless i put my ear down close to it.... good luck


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Random question, is it normal for the automatic bilge pump to work when the battery switch is set on Off?


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

> Random question, is it normal for the automatic bilge pump to work when the battery switch is set on Off?


yes  usually you would want the bilge pump to activate regardless if the power switch is on or off, the float switch should be the only component on your boat that goes straight to the battery


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## cal1320 (Jun 6, 2007)

To check for a battery draw:
1 Charge battery
2 turn off all switches in boat
3 hook up ground lead to battery 
4 instal 12v test light between positive cable and pos batt terminal

If test light glows, disconnect fuses/wires one at a time until light goes out. That is the offender.


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

> To check for a battery draw:
> 1  Charge battery
> 2  turn off all switches in boat
> 3  hook up ground lead to battery
> ...



Good advice. Did this and the only thing to have power was the stereo. Still no power at the key or throttle lever. 

Dont know if this is correct or not but there are no fuses for the instrument panel. Only fuse block on the boat controls the vhf, stereo, GPS and one other componet. There is a main coming off the battery directlty to the engine and the I suppose there is fuses on the engine.


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## Flpt (Nov 11, 2007)

Depending on the engine, check the fuse at the motor under the cowling. Had the same thing happen on a 50 yammi, a short elsewhere blew the fuse on the motor and it would not crank nor would trim operate. On my Yammi 50 the the fuse (glass in an inline fuse holder) was located next to the shift/throttle linkage)


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

This has got me going crazy. Between all the wires on the ignition and the engine there are no fuses. I find this disturbing to say the least. I only could find 2 fuses under the engine cover. Both were good. With all the wiring under the console for the switches, guages, fuel sender, everything there are no fuses. Am I crazy? And to have power to every other component including the lights on the guages is nuts. 

From the engine to the battery is a 4 gauge wire, neg & pos, going directly to one another. And the trim works from the switch on the engine when these are connected. But not on the throttle lever.
Im gonna go with sandpaper and put new connectors on the battery and see if that does anything for me.


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## jrod0785 (Aug 26, 2009)

Do you have a control box that has the throttle/trim and iginition all in one? Or is the ignition separate? Also, did you use a meter to omm out the fuses? I have seen fuses that look ok, but they wont omm out.


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

They are separate. The key and kill switch are together and then the trim is coming from the throttle lever beside it. This morning a re did some wiring and brought my test light with me. 2 of the 6 contacts on the ignition have power.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Trim switches on the console or throttle handle go bad.
Salt water and electricity guarantee corrosion.
That's why the manufacturers sell replacement switches.
I've had it happen on 4 boats over the years.
Replacing the worn out switch solved the problem.
The fact that the engine tilt switch functions
is a pretty good indicator of what's gone wrong.


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

I thought about replacing that first but the ignition stopped working at exactly the same time. Even when you turn the key to the on position before the crank there is nothing. The gauges dont flicker the gas gauge doesnt move volts or nothing.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Is your kill switch on the binnacle activated?
Is the shifter in forward or reverse?
Both will cause your problem, as will a loose supply or ground wire.


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

Ok so I just went through the whole wire harness under the dash and under the engine cover. Checked all grounds all looks good. Re-crimped some connections on the battery and sanded the contacts. Still no power at the ignition nor the throttle trim. Everything else is working fine. The "ON" position is not working on the key either. 

Shouldn't there be a fuse for the ignition?


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Binnacle make and model?
Outboard make and model?


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

50hp Honda 4-stroke 2004
Honda Controls (dont know exact model)


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Multiple automotive style blade fuses in Honda wiring harnesses.
Verify no burnt fuses and that the kill switch hasn't shorted out.
You're going to be looking for this type of fuse holder...


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

I am going to double check for that tomorrow. Thanks for this info.


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## beyondhelp (Nov 6, 2008)

On my 1998 Honda 50 I had a bad wire between the big round multi pin plug under the engine cowl and the control box so i couldn't kill the engine. I ended up having to test continuity in every location from the engine forward to find where the issue was. The wire was one of the bundled ones between the box and the motor. 

I skimmed your thread so forgive me if I'm being redundant. Imagine how the electricity "flows" to the controls from the engine and use a test light to a known good ground or better yet an electrical meter set on 12v to verify power starting at the first connection and all the way through. I'd start at the battery and check the whole system. Could be that there isn't enough voltage at the starter or computer etc... 

I can't remember the color codes for my Honda except that the kill switch was black/red stripe. 

Another tip, double check your tester in between one or two connections to make sure it still works so you don't have to go over everything twice.  :-[


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

> double check your tester in between one or two connections
> to make sure it still works so you don't have to go over everything twice.


You've done that too?   ;D

That's why I use a probe light and a volt/ohm meter.
Redundancy is not a waste of time!


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

I have no fuses/holders that resemble that in the picture. I just downloaded the manual and it says there is a fuse under the engine cover that controls the ignition, starter, etc. Its good, if I remove it the trim on the engine switch will not operate. Put it back in and it works fine.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Easy removal of ignition and kill switch.
I'd be removing the ignition switch from the console about now,
to test it where I had access to all it's components.
Laying on my back trying to access leads with test probes
is just annoying as heck. Prove what is good to figure out
what part has gone bad. Process of elimination.

                                  :'(


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

I had a bad wire from the engine harness to the console. Somewhere along the line the wire is damaged. So i replaced the wire and she woorks fine. Will be fishing tomorrow. thanks you everyone for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## beyondhelp (Nov 6, 2008)

Awesome! I know how I felt when I solved my kill switch issue. 


Hope you were able to get out and catch a bunch.


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

Ok so I had a problem with no power to the throttle or ignition and the batt was dead Again. This time while I was out fishing. So i changed the battery, still no power. Radio was still playing, baitwell was on so I never noticed anything. Knowing what I do know I replaced the wire again right there on the water and after swapping batteries with the trolling motor it started right up. Now I have the same issue, just not happening all the time. The boat had been sitting while anchored for 2 hours and I thought I heard a faint whining noise but left it at thinking it was the bait pump. The stater was HOT when I opened the cover. Could this cause the wire to burn out? And could this have been the faint whine I was hearing??


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Are you leaving the key in the run position after turning it off?
That would make things hot under the cowling.
Is the bilge pump switch in the on...off...automatic position? 

:-?


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## OffShoreSkiff (Jun 28, 2009)

Key is off, that way hour meter not just adding up. And bilge was off in this case as i was just in the intracoastal poon fishing. bilge still works when this problem occurs.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Hook up a battery and see if you can find a hot circuit that shouldn't be.
Electrical problems can be a bigger pain to find and solve than mechanical ones.


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