ThruHull

Dropped new engine in this weekend with new wiring harness and the engine starts and runs great, all gauges appear to be working correctly but none of my switches work. When you turn some of them on they will light up other switches. I have tried to trace wires to check for a bad ground but it is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Any suggestions where to start?

jhiguy377

main circuit breaker normally located on engine; under some wiring schemes it supplies power for accessories. could also be circuit breaker located within about a foot from your safety main switch(es)
just hold down the red button(s); good luck -jeff

ThruHull

I tried that, I even tried a jumper wire thinking the circuit breaker may be bad but same result. I don't understand why when I turn the blower on the light works but it also lights up other switches. I have not touched any of that wiring and it worked when I put the boat away last year. The only thing new is the harness on the engine. This has really got me stumped.

ThruHull

The key switch will not cut the engine off either!

Wally

iTrader: (1)

sounds like a ground issue with your harness....when you hit a switch and it has power...it will need a groudn source to complete the circut....so it will jump to other acc. that are turnd off to pull a groudn from...and in turn light up the other switch cause its seeing a power source on the light of the switch thats turned off...
First thing i would do is verify you hjave a good ground from battery to engine....then check where the engine harness is gorunded at. If those two things dont find an issue then i would run a jumper from the battery ground straight to the switch bank ground under the dash and see if that solves the problem....if it does then you gonna have to back track the ground wire from the switchs to where it gets its source from...

razor1115

If you hooked the alternator diode wires up incorrectly, the key switch will not kill the engine. Depending on the style of alternator you have, the two spades that go to the diode could be reversed. I did this once...

Zack

ThruHull

I think I found my Key switch problem, I ran my 12v wire to the D.U.I. distributor from the red/purple trace wire. I think I need to use the purple ignition wire for the ditributor 12v source. That should kill power the coil when the key is off. I don't know what affect that is going on my acces. switch problem though. I am going to try this tonight. I am pretty sure the red/purple trace wire is the power feed for acces. Right now I have that power feed coming out of the plug to the top terminal of the circuit breaker. Then it breaks off and part of it goes to the top terminal of the starter slave solenoid and ther other goes to output on the alternator. Does this sound correct?

Wally

iTrader: (1)

yes the red/pur wire is a Misc acc. feed wire....

ThruHull

Do you think that would have any effect on my switches by having that wire tied to the distributor? I like to think that by using the purple to feed the ignition instead of the acces. wire I would solve both problems!

Wally

iTrader: (1)

i wouldnt think it would have any effect on the switches....i mean all you were doing is giving the distributor a constant 12v feed....it shouldnt have made one bit of difference to the switches as far as back feeding....the switch thing i believe is still something else...but stranger things have happened!