Today I was getting the boat ready to go out and I started it on the trailer with hose water hooked up. The boat started like normal, it had to get fuel to the carb and was sounding the oil pressure alarm for a little bit till it got running. I let the boat run on the hose for about 10 mins to make sure everything was running as expected and when I was satisfied I switched the key to the off position and the boat kept running. I got a little freaked out well ok I got really freaked out and pull the kill switch harness and it was still running with the key on the floor and the kill harness on the floor. I have no clue what might have caused this to happen and so I pulled the ignition switch and kill switch panel off with the screwdriver to see if something was causing the issue there, the wires for the kill switch didn't shut it down even when touching them together. I was finally able to have a friend answer his phone and he suggested to undo the batteries (I switched the perko to off) and viola the motor shut down.

The question here is whats the possible problem and solution?

1994 Baja 260 Merc 454 Mag Bravo 1

Your engine required 12 volts to run, thus I'm thinking your "key" switch is faulty. The lanyard (when pulled) should cut the 12 volt power supply to the engine. Thus, touching the wires together wouldn't kill the power supply to the ignition system. Did you actually remove the wires from the kill switch?

I did remove the two wires from the kill switch and touched them together in an attempt to stop the engine with no success.

Touching them together "completes" the circuit. If you have a multi meter you can test the kill switch and the ignition switch. With the ignition switch in the off position, you should not have any continuity between the B terminal & the I terminal. If you do have continuity with the switch in off position, then the switch is faulty. Same for the kill switch. if lanyard is pulled, there should be no continuity between the terminals.

My other thought is that the alternator is failing by allowing current to get to the ignition wire to allow it to continue running even though the switch is in the off position and the key is removed. This Scenario also makes sense being that even with the emergency kill switch being activated it is overridden by the alternator "noise" so to speak... Any one else that can chime in on this?

With the key off, check and see if you have 12v power coming from the purple wire. You should not have any power with the switch off. If you do, the key switch is bad.

I had a moment today that I was able to test the safety switch and it seemed to function correctly with the OHM meter, I also had a chance to test the ignition switch and it tested to be working correctly.

What other ideas are out here.

Oh while I was at it I did a little cosmetic work on the dash.

Holy **** so I was able to figure out the gremlin today..... One of the previous owners had a wire lead coming from one of the accessory rocker switches on the right of the cockpit going to the positive post on the voltage meter on the main dash, some how over the past few months the wire slid off of the accessory switch and got placed back on to the wrong side of the switch. The end result was that the power was being fed to the same line as the ignition wire from the key switch path on its way to the voltage meter causing the whole boat to be power so long as the perko switch was in the on position. I have corrected the issue by removing this jumper wire that should not have ever been hooked up or even in place to begin with...

Im so happy my cheap E-Bay 120amp alternator was not the cause of this.

have to ask did you buy the carbon fiber vinyl off of ebay as well - if not then where. Also thx for posting the fix..

The 3M Carbon DiNOC adhesive is available on ebay and I would only recommend you buy it from a genuine seller to be sure you get the same product I got, I read some are selling fake 3m products. http://www.ebay.com/itm/110965700272...84.m1423.l2649 this is what I ordered.