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Bf50 efi starting issues

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AdmiralSteve

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My bf50 has run fine with no issues until this spring. When I would turn the key I would get a faint 2 beeps as if the battery was low. The battery is fine and the boat started up but over a weeks time I lost power to the controller. After inspection I noticed the 12v pin on the lager green harness plug had corroded away. I removed the wire and hard wired it solving that issue, I thought. It worked one or two times but now in the morning I can’t turn the key and it will beep at me multiple times before it finally beeps it’s two times. The beeps are loud so it makes me think it’s getting enough juice. It would start before when it was barely beeping before. So it beeps a bunch and then ends with the normal 2 beeps and fires right up. I put it in gear and away we go. Everything seems fine. When I turn the key off and then try to start it again I get no beeps and it won’t start. But it will turn over just fine but won’t start. No beeps. The boat has never died after it’s started and last weekend it cut out and when I tried to start it again I got no beeps. Made it home and tried to start it up again and it was fine after sitting a couple hours. It’s almost as if there is a capacitor in there that isn’t holding a charge. I am considering hardwiring the harness as well after noticing corrosion on the motors main plug. Any suggestions are appreciated guys and girls. Is it safe for me to spray break cleaner or something on the plug to help clean up the connections without damaging plastics and rubber insulation?
 
Corrosion such as what you describe will often "migrate" up the wires and cause permanent damage to the harness. Auto techs call it the "green death". The only way to know for sure is to unrap the harness and strip some insulation on suspect wires. If only one or two wires seem to be an issue, it is perfectly acceptable to "overlay" new wire to the plug socket or component to save time and money. But, if you see problems arising in other wires, a new harness may be your best bet.

I would use nothing but contact cleaner or de-Oxit on electrical connections to prevent the harsher solvents from attacking the plastics.

Good luck.
 
Started the boat first try right away. Beeped more than the normal two times but did start. While tied up I put it in gear and it was running just fine for 10 mins and then died. No alarm, just stopped. So I turned the key off and then back on and I get no beeps. It will turn over but not start. Let it sit for a bit and still no beeps. But tomorrow morning I will go out there and it’ll fire up. Is this the result of some corrosion? What would make it die 10 mins in every time.
 
If it dies exactly every 10 minutes that may be a factor/clue to consider. If it dies approximately every ten minutes then not so much.

What I have noted about corrosion as well as loose /poor connections is that they do have a "cadence" to them oftentimes.

Current flowing through resistance creates a given amount of heat. Added heat in a circuit may increase resistance to the point that current will no longer flow and....somewhat like clockwork....off she goes.

This is precisely the way bi-metal, self resetting circuit breakers used to work. Wait a few seconds until the metal contact strips cool and, viola, the power is back.

I say "used to work", because they've been replaced with poly switches and other solid state devices in modern electronics. But the concept is useful to illustrate what MIGHT be taking place with your wiring.

I capitalized "MIGHT" to emphasize that, just because I'm presenting it as a possibility surely doesn't make it so. You don't want to get tunnel vision about any given theory while trying to figure this out. Keeping an open mind about what you see, hear and feel is important.
 
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I hardwired the harness and connected the battery, turned the key and got two beeps. Two beeps like normal and it started right up. I could have sworn I fixed it. Started texting my brother about how great this was going to be. And before I could even send the text before the boat died. I am heart broken. I could have sworn that it was fixed. I am starting to think it could be the ignition switch. Is that worth looking into? The harness into the control all look fine and dry. I have some guys able to work on other motors. But no one will come look at my Honda.
 
Sure, it could be the ignition switch. Do you have power to your main relay when it won't start? Is the fuel pump running as it should?

If you're not comfortable running some tests using a multimeter and maybe a timing light and an injector "noid" light, as well as a wiring schematic then yes, you'll probably need someone to help you sort this out.

You need to find what is missing, fuel or spark or both, when it won't run.

I thought a big clue was when you said you hard wired around the 12V pin and it ran. It does seem like you do have some corrosion issues with the harness but just guessing can get expensive and even more frustrating than it already is.

I know it's a pain but you may need to convince one of those tech guys to give you some help.

Sorry I don't have a silver bullet for you.
 
The motor is missing spark. Even after it dies I am able to turn it over even though I am not getting the two beeps or the fuel pump. So I’ll go out there this morning and turn the key and get two beeps and the fuel pump and it will start. Four mins later it’ll die and I won’t have any beeps but it still turns over.
After the hard wire of the harness I was sure it did it just because of the pre start 2 beeps. Is it possible to try to find just a ignition key for the side mount control? Or is Honda stuff just hard and very pricey? Is there something in the switch that could be heating up and keeping the motor from running but still able to turn over? If not there’s no point into digging into that. But is so exposed I can only imagine to look there next.
Thanks for the help guys. I know this electrical stuff sucks. Wish I had the cash to just upgrade my motor. Is there a outboard sale page on this site?
 
Started up and died again. Just a green light on the controls after it dies and I turn the key off then on again to see if I can hear it beep.
 
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