Electric choke question.

neg voltage reading would mean the leads on the test meter are reversed.

Thanks Bt Doctur for the reply, after reading this I double checked my meter and it's correctly hooked up. Tested it on a couple different places and it reads right. Thanks

(I see that you asked the same question on the BOC.)

tlcausey said:

Hello All, I'm trying to get my electric choke re-connected. I have a 1996 Bayliner 2655 with a 5.7 liter engine, Edelbrock 4 bbl carb. My choke was sticking closed, traced the wire from the choke (purple/yellow) to the alternator where it had came loose. The terminal was the type that slipped onto the bolt and has gotten rusty so it wouldn't hold any more,so I replaced it where I thought it was connected before on the purple wire on the alternator with just an eye terminal type. My findings where to purple wire on the alternator was to the ignition switch. After connecting it I get a negative 8-10 voltage reading at the choke. Got me stumped, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Terry, first off, these should be called an "Automatic Choke" with an "Electric Un-Choke", so to speak.

I doubt that your choke plate stuck closed because by default, a choke plate is to close when the engine is cold.
The Helix does this automatically when cold, and in the same fashion that the old school pull cable did.
This same Helix opens the choke plate as it warms.
The Helix on your system is heated electrically via a 12 volt electric heating element inside of the black Helix housing.

It's likely that your Helix heating element is bad, or is not recieving power, or is not making a good Negative connection.

Some Helix heating elements recieve power through the Ignition circuit, and some recieve power from the alternator field circuit.
My prefered method would be via the alternator in that the heating element will not begin to warm the Helix until the engine has fired up.
With an Ignition circuit supplied power, the element begins to warm the second that the key switch is in the ON/RUN position.

When you take your voltage reading, make sure that you're using the correct alternator terminal, and take it while not connected to the Helix heating element.

You should see no power with the engine stopped, and power with the engine running.

If Ignition system powered, you should see power the moment that the key switch is in the ON/RUN position.



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"""" replaced it where I thought it was connected before on the purple wire on the alternator with just an eye terminal type.
My findings where to purple wire on the alternator was to the ignition switch.""""

These two statements are a bit confusing.



The schematic shows what I describe below.........although you are saying purple with yellow wire......that color is not in my merc manual schematic for that year motor. Also that "eldelbrock" carb is not a mercury carb. it is either a Rochester or a WEBER..........

Has someone rewired your boat at some time?


1. The choke electrical connection does NOT connect directly to the Alternator.

2. There are four wires on the ALT,
large Orange wire is output to battery/(starter solenoid large connection),
Black is ground,
Purple this is the input to alternator from ignition key (run position) the excite wire to alternator and it also goes to the coil + and the CHOKE
RED with a purple stripe, This wire is basically +12 volts (or battery voltage), the sense wire for the Alternator. It feeds the B+ on the ignition switch
and the slave solenoid and also goes the the 50 amp red button breaker.

So with the ignition key in the ON position any PURPLE wire will/should show battery voltage. Red with purple will show battery voltage all the time.

So The choke should be connected to the Purple wire somewhere in the harness.........NOT AT THE ALTERNATOR...

If you found a corroded connection at the alternator you should repair that and that only.

After that is repaired then find the connection for the choke.

Maybe some more clarification on your confusing statements is in order

Jack, would you please post the schematic for us?

.

Do you have an electric fuel pump?

From #17
From #24

1996 Bayliner 2655 with a 5.7 liter engine.

Click to expand...

In 1996, the SBC was no longer being machined for a mechanical fuel pump.

I've asked Jack if he would post the electrical schematic for us.


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Wow thanks for all the replys. Got things solved, it seems the negative wire going to the choke had a break in it inside the insulated coating. Found it after I started tracing the ground to make sure it was connected.Everything seems to work fine now, I did connect the positive wire (purple/yellow) that had comes loose to the purple wire on the back of the alternator.All is good now, again thanks so much for the input. Great forum. Terry