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Electrical fire in mariner 90 hp, some gray box melted down!?

Z

zusch

New member
I went to start the engine after using all the day before and it was clicking using the key. I borrowed a friends battery and jumped directly to my battery. It started and about 5 minuets later the the volt gauge on the dash was maxed out and the RPM gauge was bouncing around and stopped at 5.0 its never been that high. I slowed, shored and turned off the engine the tac stayed at 5.0. I went to start and got nothing. I loosen and removed the positive cable and it was sparking. I cleaned the terminals and the cable end and reset the cable on the post it started. Its started right up,we pulled away from shore and withing 3 minuets the engine died and there was yellowish smoke coming from the engine. It smelled of an electrical fire. It kept smoking until I took a very hot positive cable off the battery. Once the cover was removed the source was obvious. There is a gray, was gray now melted and black, with multiple wires coming from it. It is attached right above the spark plug wire connectors. The numbers on the side are 830179-2 2276. This piece and all the wires coming from it are toast. The wires lead into individual connections that look fine and the wires past that connection seem okay.

What part is that? By replacing that should everything be okay? What caused this to happen?
 
That is your voltage regulator that has gone "flooey".

It could be the sole source of the problem or it could be the result of the problem.

These do "go", but your stator may have gone "wild" on you as well, producing too much power to charge your battery/run accessories and "cooked" the voltage regulator.

If that's the case and you simply replace the voltage regulator, the new one will fry in short order.

You may want to have a shop look at this. Depending on the exact regulator your motor has (the original you currently have has been superseded and is no longer available) - the current replacements list in the 200 dollar range. Another stator, if that's the "real" issue goes for about $350.

So not something you want to simply "swap and try".

At least that is my advice in this particular case...
 
That would be the voltage regulator. It also drives the tach. Replace it and any cooked wires, the rest should be ok.

DO NOT USE A MAINTAINENCE FREE, AGM OR DRY CELL BATTERY WITH THIS TYPE REGULATOR/RECTIFIER!!!
 
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