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Pulled fuse while running, now no start, shifter feels funky...

S

sealilly

New member
Ok, I know, bad move on my part. I was traveling back home and bilge pump not working. I had my wife drive while I was pulling fuses one at a time looking for blown fuse. I pulled a fuse and boat went dead. I reinserted fuse and dash came back on, but no starter action. The shifter also feels funky, like the round "neutral" button not popped out while in neutral. Could there be any reset I am missing since fuse was pulled while motor running and drive in forward? I have checked all fuses, under dash and at battery, also tried the red reset button on top of motor. This is a 2004 Maxum with 5.0 and Bravo II. Sleeping in dog house till fixed...
 
Not to beat you up, but the proper way to test for bad circuits is with a multimeter. They are available for cheap like ten bucks. Get one, watch the youtube viddys on how to use it and you will save yourself many future days of doghouse livin'.
Not sure what fuse you pulled out. Do you have a fuse panel or was it an engine-mounted fuse? Bilge pump would not be on any of the engine-mounted fuses, so I'm guessing you pulled one out of the switch panel. I can't imagine that your boat would be wired in such a way that pulling one of those fuses would kill the engine, but anything's possible. So, maybe a little more info or a picture of what fuse you pulled? Remember to size your pics 800x600 before you try to upload. This place doesn't auto-resize images.
 
The best way to test/check for power issues on NON EFI circuitry is a 12 volt test light.

Do not do any additional troubleshooting until you go to your local auto parts store and buy one!! And dont be CHEAP get a good one you wont regret it!

Once you have one in hand and hopefully understand how to use it ( if not we can explain) then post back and we can lead you through proper trouble shooting of electrical issues.

Much depends on how your boat is wired at the dash so maybe a pic of the fuse/breaker array may help. The dash board not the fuse panel!!

Note to self: NEVER PULL FUSES ON A RUNNING ANYTHING!!! EVER!!!
 
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o2batsea said:
Not to beat you up, but the proper way to test for bad circuits is with a multimeter. They are available for cheap like ten bucks. Get one, watch the youtube viddys on how to use it and you will save yourself many future days of doghouse livin'.
Not sure what fuse you pulled out. Do you have a fuse panel or was it an engine-mounted fuse? Bilge pump would not be on any of the engine-mounted fuses, so I'm guessing you pulled one out of the switch panel. I can't imagine that your boat would be wired in such a way that pulling one of those fuses would kill the engine, but anything's possible. So, maybe a little more info or a picture of what fuse you pulled? Remember to size your pics 800x600 before you try to upload. This place doesn't auto-resize images.
Click to expand...

Auto mechanic for 30 years but in my impatience, I plain old blew this one lol. I use a test light when checking fuses, but I had been through the blown bilge pump fuse before. My eyes wanted the 5 amp fuse in slot 2, but my sausage fingers grabbed the 15 amp in slot 3. Whatever that fuse is (under dash) knocked out engine and gauges. This setup has a fuse for the bilge pump switch under the dash and an additional fuse on battery for float switch. Today's update has me believing something with the shifter. The "throttle only" button is NOT popped out while in neutral. I know nothing about shifters other than they have neutral safety switches, cutouts, etc. I am wondering if when the engine died, the shifter got "jammed" into neutral and got out of whack. When the motor died, my wife went to put in neutral and she said it was very hard. Perhaps it got forced.
 
If the shift control is stuck in gear then the neutral safety switch is closed and NO CRANKING.


The button simply (mechanically) disengages the shifting so you have throttle only which in effect bypasses the neutral safety switch because the shifting is not happening.

You "should" be able to shift the control back and forth to fwd and reverse and when neutral is achieved the button should pop back out.
Try working it carefully to make this happen.

There is a YELLOW WITH RED STRIPED wire that goes from the crank position on the key switch to the neutral safety switch in shift control box and back out into wire harness to slave solenoid on engine (SMALL YELLOW WITH RED STRIPE at solenoid).

If you find that slave solenoid, jump from large red terminal at top to small yellow with red (with KEY OFF) and engine should crank over.
if not then post back for more
 
OK. Shutting down your engine with a bravo drive will lock the cone clutch in gear.

Shutting down your engine while on plane can hydro lock your engine. Hopefully you did not have this happen.

If the boat is in the water, tie it up good, go to the engine and jump the top posts of the slave solenoid to get the engine started, then pull your shifter into neutral.
 
Docksidemarineservices said:
OK. Shutting down your engine with a bravo drive will lock the cone clutch in gear.

Shutting down your engine while on plane can hydro lock your engine. Hopefully you did not have this happen.

If the boat is in the water, tie it up good, go to the engine and jump the top posts of the slave solenoid to get the engine started, then pull your shifter into neutral.
Click to expand...

And what he said!! I missed the Bravo part..........was only reading stupid!!
 
That did it!! Thank you Chris!! And thank you for the simple resolution without the lecture, I will never live this down at the yacht club LOL>
 
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