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1984 Johnson 25 constant voltage to solenoid

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tytyhomey

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My 84 Johnson 25 with remote start has constant voltage(12.65 DCV) to the solenoid (small terminal on power inlet side) even with thekey switch off. I checked wiring and the yellow w/red wire from the key switchto the neutral safety switch and then to the solenoid stays powered as long asthe neutral switch is made.
This is a new ignition switch (had the same problem with theold switch).
I have checked all wiring connections including grounds andthere is nothing loose.
Could this be a bad power pack since the powerpack is controlling the kill wiring? Shouldn't the kill wiring prevent yelloww/red wiring from powering up the solenoid?
 
You have the ignition switch wired wrong!

What colors are the wires from the wiring harness that are attached to the ignition switch... and what are the ignition switch terminals marked?
 
joereeves said:
You have the ignition switch wired wrong!

What colors are the wires from the wiring harness that are attached to the ignition switch... and what are the ignition switch terminals marked?
Click to expand...

The switch is wired correctly.

C terminal has a purple w/white wire.
S terminal has a yellow/w red stripe wire.
A terminal has 2 purple wires.
M terminal (raised) has 2 black w/yellow stripe wires.
B terminal has a red wire.
M terminal has a black wire.

I wired the switch per the manual (and matched against the old switch).
 
the kill switch wiring has nothing to do with the starter solenoid circuit..in fact the motor will still turn over when the key is turned with everything operating normally..the kill circuit just grounds the switch box out to kill the ignition...
 
papyson said:
remove the wire from the b terminal on the ignition switch and see if you still have the problem...
Click to expand...

I removed the red wire from the B terminal on the ignition switch. I still have 12.65 volts on the yellow w/ red wire all the way back to the solenoid (the wire is disconnected from the solenoid, just hanging loose).
 
tytyhomey said:
Could this be a short between the battery wire and the starter wire somewhere in the wiring harness?
Click to expand...

Disconnect the choke wire (purple/white) from the ignition switch. If the voltage is still present at the choke solenoid, then yes, a short exists somewhere.
 
I'm guessing there is leakage from one wire to an adjacent one at the big plug at the powerhead. (Water, crud, corrosion?)
 
just one quick question....is this a working boat and motor that the problem just popped up on or is it a rig you are just putting together or what?any recent wiring alternations or additions?....replaced any electrical parts?
 
It was a working boat that has not been used in 5-6 years. I installed a new battery, but when I hooked up the battery terminals, the starter immediately kicked in (without the ignition key).

I installed a new solenoid and ignition switch (and yes, the parts are installed and wired correctly), but still had constant voltage to the starter wire
 
remove the wire from the ''s'' terminal on the switch and see if the wire at the starter still has voltage....
 
papyson said:
remove the wire from the ''s'' terminal on the switch and see if the wire at the starter still has voltage....
Click to expand...

I removed the starter wire from the key switch "S" terminal and, yes, I did still have 12.65 volts at the starter solenoid. I am checking for corrosion/short at the male to female plug where the engine harness/boat harness meet.
 
tytyhomey said:
I removed the red wire from the B terminal on the ignition switch. I still have 12.65 volts on the yellow w/ red wire all the way back to the solenoid (the wire is disconnected from the solenoid, just hanging loose).
Click to expand...

If I read you correctly, with the RED (12v voltage source) wire removed from the "B" terminal of the ignition switch, you still have a 12 volt reading at the "S" terminal of the ignition switch even though that "S" terminal wire is disconnected at the starter solenoid?

Now, if you remove that yellow/red wire from the "S" terminal at the ignition switch.... is the voltage present at the "S" terminal of the ignition switch... OR... is it at the yellow/red wire even though both ends of the wire are not connected to anything?

If the voltage is still present at the wire... I would suspect that someone has accidently either driven a nail or a screw thru the wiring harness at some point, causing a short (it happens).
 
It was the boat side wiring harness. I disconnected all the wiring, then started peeling apart the boat side harness insulation from the engine end. I found melted insulation and heat-fused wiring. I found so much that I stripped insulation off the harness in the transom and still found a melted mess. I then pulled the entire boat side harness out of the boat hull. The harness was melted about two-thirds of the way from the engine to the controls.

I am now looking for a replacement boat side and engine side wiring harness. I guess I really can't complain. I bought this rig (Bass Tracker boat with Johnson 25 engine) new in 1984 and this is the first significant problem in thirty years.

Thanks for all the help from joereeves, fdrgator, kimcrwbr1, and especially papyson.

I'll let ya'll know how the rewiring goes.
 
Last edited:
tytyhomey said:
I found melted insulation and heat-fused wiring. I found so much that I stripped insulation off the harness in the transom and still found a melted mess. I then pulled the entire boat side harness out of the boat hull. The harness was melted about two-thirds of the way from the engine to the controls.
Click to expand...

WOW!... You're fortunate that there wasn't a major fire when you were out on the water somewhere between the last time all was well and 1984. Apparently the wiring harness was as it should have been for some time before this meltdown took place.

Should you discover what happened that caused this mess, drop us off a note.
 
even money joe was right on the nail or screw or physical damage to the harness...or at some point there was a wiring error and no fuse to blow..
 
tytyhomey said:
It was the boat side wiring harness. I disconnected all the wiring, then started peeling apart the boat side harness insulation from the engine end. I found melted insulation and heat-fused wiring. I found so much that I stripped insulation off the harness in the transom and still found a melted mess. I then pulled the entire boat side harness out of the boat hull. The harness was melted about two-thirds of the way from the engine to the controls.

I am now looking for a replacement boat side and engine side wiring harness. I guess I really can't complain. I bought this rig (Bass Tracker boat with Johnson 25 engine) new in 1984 and this is the first significant problem in thirty years.

Thanks for all the help from joereeves, fdrgator, kimcrwbr1, and especially papyson.

I'll let ya'll know how the rewiring goes.
Click to expand...

I replaced the boat side wiring harness. I fully expected to also have to replace some engine electronics, but once I wired everything back up and tested my connections, I primed up the fuel system, turned the key, and the old SeaHorse fired right up!

I don't know what caused the damage. I didn't find any screw or nail penetration, but in all honesty, the cable insulation had so much damage from the short that I couldn't tell.

Thanks again for all the help and advice.

n
 
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