99 Mercruiser Electrical Problem
 

I got the boat ready Saturday to start her up for the first time. Been
charging the battery during the winter months. Hooked it up. Raised the
lower unit so I can move her to the driveway. Lowered it back down.
Checked all the fluids. Everything looked good. Put the muffs on and
turned on the water. Turned the Key and nothing. Nothing at all worked.
Radio doesn't come on and the horn doesn't even work. Battery is fully
charged, fuses are fine, kill switch is not engaged.
I had a friend of mine who was working on it so I am not sure which
cables he jumped on the starter/solenoid. When I turn the key there is
no power anywhere in the boat and it doesn't click the starter either.
He did a jump at the starter and got it to turn the motor a little.
Then he jumped another wire and there was power back in the entire
boat. Where is my problem?

--------------------
1999 SeaRay 180 Bowrider,
3.0L Merc 135hp I/O

Get a meter or test light and go along the path from the battery to the
motor to the dash. There should be power to a large red wire going to the
ignition switch. Normally comes from the + lead of the battery at the
starter or solenoid connection.
Bill

wrote in message
oups.com...
I got the boat ready Saturday to start her up for the first time. Been
charging the battery during the winter months. Hooked it up. Raised the
lower unit so I can move her to the driveway. Lowered it back down.
Checked all the fluids. Everything looked good. Put the muffs on and
turned on the water. Turned the Key and nothing. Nothing at all worked.
Radio doesn't come on and the horn doesn't even work. Battery is fully
charged, fuses are fine, kill switch is not engaged.
I had a friend of mine who was working on it so I am not sure which
cables he jumped on the starter/solenoid. When I turn the key there is
no power anywhere in the boat and it doesn't click the starter either.
He did a jump at the starter and got it to turn the motor a little.
Then he jumped another wire and there was power back in the entire
boat. Where is my problem?

--------------------
1999 SeaRay 180 Bowrider,
3.0L Merc 135hp I/O

Bad connection. Once you get something to work it sometimes fixes it by
burning thorugh the oxidation. Start cleaning connections. Use a wire
brush. Start at the battery.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I got the boat ready Saturday to start her up for the first time. Been
charging the battery during the winter months. Hooked it up. Raised the
lower unit so I can move her to the driveway. Lowered it back down.
Checked all the fluids. Everything looked good. Put the muffs on and
turned on the water. Turned the Key and nothing. Nothing at all worked.
Radio doesn't come on and the horn doesn't even work. Battery is fully
charged, fuses are fine, kill switch is not engaged.
I had a friend of mine who was working on it so I am not sure which
cables he jumped on the starter/solenoid. When I turn the key there is
no power anywhere in the boat and it doesn't click the starter either.
He did a jump at the starter and got it to turn the motor a little.
Then he jumped another wire and there was power back in the entire
boat. Where is my problem?

--------------------
1999 SeaRay 180 Bowrider,
3.0L Merc 135hp I/O

I had an 2000 larson 3.0 mercruiser. It had a 50 amp breaker on top of
motor. the button is round and red so try pushing it to reset. never had to
do it my self but it will shut down all power to dash fuse panel.
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
ink.net...
Get a meter or test light and go along the path from the battery to the
motor to the dash. There should be power to a large red wire going to
the
ignition switch. Normally comes from the + lead of the battery at the
starter or solenoid connection.
Bill

wrote in message
oups.com...
I got the boat ready Saturday to start her up for the first time. Been
charging the battery during the winter months. Hooked it up. Raised the
lower unit so I can move her to the driveway. Lowered it back down.
Checked all the fluids. Everything looked good. Put the muffs on and
turned on the water. Turned the Key and nothing. Nothing at all worked.
Radio doesn't come on and the horn doesn't even work. Battery is fully
charged, fuses are fine, kill switch is not engaged.
I had a friend of mine who was working on it so I am not sure which
cables he jumped on the starter/solenoid. When I turn the key there is
no power anywhere in the boat and it doesn't click the starter either.
He did a jump at the starter and got it to turn the motor a little.
Then he jumped another wire and there was power back in the entire
boat. Where is my problem?

--------------------
1999 SeaRay 180 Bowrider,
3.0L Merc 135hp I/O

We followed it from the battery to the starter, thats were we stopped
and did the jumps. What wire should I follow once I leave the starter?

No breaker button here. Wish it were that easy.

Guaranteed I will be doing this.

wrote in message
ups.com...
No breaker button here. Wish it were that easy.


All boaters need to learn a little electrical trouble shooting. When you
are dead in the water at sea or in the middle of the big lake it could save
your life or at least a cold night. At the ramp it could save the boating
day. Easy to take a test light and trace the power path if you have an idea
of the power feed network.
Bill

There is a red wire to the dash and from the dash to the ignition is violet.
Also check that the ground is ok also. You can have power to the dash, but
if the ground wire is open, then same results. I think the starter wire
from the ignition switch is yellow, but no guarantee on that.
Bill

wrote in message
ups.com...
We followed it from the battery to the starter, thats were we stopped
and did the jumps. What wire should I follow once I leave the starter?

I'll be working on it later this week or this weekend. I'll let you
know what I come up with. Thanks for your help and if you thing of
anything else let me know.
-g


Calif Bill wrote:
There is a red wire to the dash and from the dash to the ignition is
violet.
Also check that the ground is ok also. You can have power to the
dash, but
if the ground wire is open, then same results. I think the starter
wire
from the ignition switch is yellow, but no guarantee on that.
Bill

wrote in message
ups.com...
We followed it from the battery to the starter, thats were we
stopped
and did the jumps. What wire should I follow once I leave the
starter?

90 amp fuse is 88-79023A90 seems to be the issue. Gonna get one and
replace the old one. Keeping my fingers crossed. ;-)

I got the boat ready Saturday to start her up for the first time. Been
charging the battery during the winter months. Hooked it up. Raised the
lower unit so I can move her to the driveway. Lowered it back down.
Checked all the fluids. Everything looked good. Put the muffs on and
turned on the water. Turned the Key and nothing. Nothing at all worked.
Radio doesn't come on and the horn doesn't even work. Battery is fully
charged, fuses are fine, kill switch is not engaged. I had a friend of
mine who was working on it so I am not sure which cables he jumped on
the starter/solenoid. When I turn the key there is no power anywhere in
the boat and it doesn't click the starter either. He did a jump at the
starter and got it to turn the motor a little. Then he jumped another
wire and there was power back in the entire boat. Where is my problem?
--------------------
1999 SeaRay 180 Bowrider,
3.0L Merc 135hp I/O
==================================
There should be a cluster of about 6 wires on top of the engine. This
is for breaking away all the connections at one point for removing the
engine from its mounts. Over the winter these connections can corrode
and lose contact. Take some very fine crocus cloth sand paper and clean
up the male connections. Then, roll up some of the paper, making it
into a small tube and clean up into the female connections.
Plug it all back to gether and see if you have power.

Good luck, Norm

It was the fuse! We have power and the boating season can begin! Thanks
guys.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned checking the fuses. Besides the 50 or 55
amp one back in the engine compartment, there should be about 10 on the back
of the instrument panel, near the switches. (My 1998 model 1950CL has a
yellow fuse for the ignition.) You probably won't be able to see the fuse
block while you're reaching for the fuses, so it takes a few minutes to get
your arm up in there and check them one at a time.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Guaranteed I will be doing this.