electric push button switches
 

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Got the electric push button switches you see lower right and have them wired so when the battery switch is turned on the ignition buttons light up blue, push the switch and the switch turns red, fuel pumps prime, simrad units power up and the start switches turn blue, all good... when I hit the start switch all I get is a ticking sound (think dead battery click) WTF was my first thought.... some retracing and troubleshooting checking connections, couldn’t get it to work..... Called the manufacturer the next day and I got "well that switch really isn’t designed to be a start switch it probably isn’t passing enough current" well then why the hell did you tell me before I bought them that they will work and why do you sell the engine start icons for them? and his reply was "well maybe they will work if you wire in a relay or something i build switches not boats so I have no idea how you have it wired" well I said screw that and put the key switches back in temporarily and everything works fine.... now all I have at the helm is the standard 525 efi key switch harness, red hot wire that is hot when the battery switch is turned on, the purple wire(acc) that when power is applied turns the fuel pumps on and yellow/red tracer wire that is engine start when power is applied. All small gauge wire at the helm(maybe 18ga), so obviously that is already powering a relay to turn over the starter when power is applied. So what is my problem and what is the fix to get the led switches to work? Or won’t they?

Seems like the switches you bought can`t pass enough voltage to close a relay?
I have no issues with these

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They look great where did you get them?

The main feed Red (normally is a Red/Purple) has a 20 amp fuse or breaker. The purple is feed for motor and can draw up to 20 amps, but normally is 10 to 12. The Yellow/Red feeds the slave relay on the motor to engage the starter. Without a relay the switch should be able to handle at least 20 but may get away with 15 amps

The purple should be energized when the ignition switch is operated. The yellow/red should be energized when the start switch is energized, operating the starter solenoid, that’s a 16ga wire max and I can’t see that drawing more than 15A. Those are the blue water switches correct? It’s either wiring in the boat or bad switches or the design of the switch. Maybe you could try one for a start switch on another boat. Start only not ignition and start.

For those of you using the start buttons are you still using a key elsewhere?

No, I have a kill switch hidden, but I could have used the key switch but saw no need.

Mine is thru a control box and is a 4 push button. Push 1 (flashes) - accessory only. Push 2 (solid light) - energizes the fuel pump and buzzer. Push 3 and hold (still solid) - starter engages. Just release when engine fires. Push 4 (light out) - everything off. Hit the toggle switch and nothing works.

I have toggle switches that turn on the accessories then you hit the push buttons to start the motors,the toggle switches also shut the motors off.
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My 38 ZR has keys under the rear seat. Basically in series with the ignition switches.

The Blue Water switches are 15 amp max. A starter relay should solve your issue.