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Honda 225

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Bob.s

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I have just bought a used 225 Honda outboard and there are 3 battery cables one positive and two negative. What do I need to connect to raise and lower engine? Thanks.
 
chawk_man said:
Do you have one battery or two? Do you have a battery selector switch?
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I have one battery just now and also have a selector which is not hooked up yet. The engine is in the up position and I want to lower it. I tried hooking it up yesterday, but now realize that the ignition switch should probably have be in the on position for the tilt motor to work. I thought I had read that it did not need to be on, but I think it must have said the engine does not have to be running to tilt the engine. I would appreciate it if you would explain the hook up for a single and also two batteries when using the switch. I have quite a bit of work to do on the boat, so it will not go in the water this year. Thanks for your time and responding to my post. Bob.
 
I have one battery just now and also have a selector which is not hooked up yet. The engine is in the up position and I want to lower it. I tried hooking it up yesterday, but now realize that the ignition switch should probably have be in the on position for the tilt motor to work. I thought I had read that it did not need to be on, but I think it must have said the engine does not have to be running to tilt the engine. I would appreciate it if you would explain the hook up for a single and also two batteries when using the switch. I have quite a bit of work to do on the boat, so it will not go in the water this year. Thanks for your time and responding to my post. Bob.
 
I don't have easy access to my BF 225 at the moment, but if I recall correctly, the main positive wire from the battery (or "start" position on your selector switch) initially goes to the starter (big lug) and from there to the 150 amp fuse box. I'm don't recall where the negative battery wire attaches to the block, but it should be obvious.

The second ground cable is often used to go to a terminal buss somewhere near the battery box. From that buss, negative wires are run to the forward console, the bilge pump, and any other electrical you have in and around the transom such as electric trim tabs or wash down pump. The reason to wire it this way is to keep from stacking connectors on the battery posts. You should also run a positive off of your selector switch to a similar buss for the same reason. Depending on what electronics you have, those wires going forward off those busses should be at least 10 AWG, but 8 AWG is better. Many folks will also wire in a master circuit breaker between the selector switch and the positive buss rated for the kind of load you are carrying on all electronics. If you have a windlass, it's usually prudent to run separate 8 AWG wires from each buss forwarded to a separate circuit breaker and windless switch, which are usually combined into one device.
 
BTW - the key switch does not need to be in the ON position for the tilt/trim to work, if the engine is wired correctly.

As for wiring up your selector switch, if it's new, instructions will be in or on the container. There are numerous diagrams and instructions on the Internet for hooking them up correctly for whatever setup you have. Just do a search. Start with the website of the switch's manufacturer.
 
chawk_man said:
BTW - the key switch does not need to be in the ON position for the tilt/trim to work, if the engine is wired correctly.

As for wiring up your selector switch, if it's new, instructions will be in or on the container. There are numerous diagrams and instructions on the Internet for hooking them up correctly for whatever setup you have. Just do a search. Start with the website of the switch's manufacturer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info chawk_man. I read your replies, took took my time and everything made sense. It all work now. Thanks again for your time and effort.
 
If the three battery cables are coming from your engine. Do not assume that you have two ground wires. The standard battery cable has three separate cables in it. There is a large ground cable, a large positive cable and a smaller positive cable that, on new motors, is attached to the same ring terminal, going to the battery. In your case, someone may have had a problem with the ring terminal and gave each their own ring terminal.

That smaller cable goes to the fuse distribution box.

You should be able to trim your motor without having your key on. You need nothing connected to the motor other than the battery cables for the switch on the side of the motor to operate.....if everything is working properly.

Mike
 
Mike - need clarification on your post. On my engine, the main positive cable from the battery goes to the starter. Coming out of that cable at the lug on the starter is another smaller positive cable that goes to the 150 amp fuse (I think - at lease somewhere in the fusing system). Are you saying that on the newer engines that wire from the starter lug to the fuse now comes straight from the battery?
 
I think we may be saying the same thing....but different.

Out of the box.....all of the 225 (old and new) have a battery cable that actually has three cables in the mold. The cable is somewhat flat. There are two larger cables and a smaller cable. In the parts picture, you can see the three branching out as you discussed. #3 http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Honda/Outboard Engine/2005/BF225A5 LA/STARTER CABLE/parts.html

The smaller cable and the large positive cable share a ring terminal at the end, where it connects to the battery.

The smaller cable is there to provide constant (no drop during starting) power to the ECM and other components.

In reality, where some of these motors are rigged on various boats, if the rigger has to have longer battery cables, sometimes they remove the original Honda cables and just use two battery cables. It is electrically correct, but some do it anyway.

As I said....it may be possible that the ring terminal on the positive end of the original cable corroded and was changed. They may have then put ring terminals of each of the three wires in the cable.

I just wanted to be sure that the third small cable was not mistaken for a negative cable.

Also....the small wire to the fuse panel provides the power to the trim and tilt switch to activate the trim/tilt relays. They in turn provide the power to operate the trim directly from the battery cable post on the starter.

Mike
 
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So glad I found this forum. I have learned so much from you guys in the short time I have been a member. I actually did not get mine working but thought I had the solution and did not want to take up anymore time on the forum. I have not been working on the boat for the past few days, but will check out what you have told me and see if my 225 is wired as suggested. I think I may have blown a fuse as I thought that I had two negative connectors as both were black and hooked them up together to the battery negative. I should have known the longer one was meant to be connected elsewhere. On the other hand, as was suggested, the gear and throttle controls in the cabin may be in the reverse position, which It was also suggested, does not allow the switch to operate. If I don't get it resolved I will take some pictures if they can be posted, failing that I will get a mobile mechanic to look at it. One again thanks to all for your help.
 
Hi again, curiosity got the better of me and the rain stopped so I went out and checked the boat. My engine has 4 power cables coming out from it apart from the throttle, guages and warning light cables. The 4 cables are wrapped together. There is a large flatter cable and a smaller round cable attached to the same red ring terminal. The other much longer large flattish cable has a black ring terminal and there is a smaller round cable, just a bit longer than the red ring cables, with a smaller black ring terminal. What would you suggest is the right way to hook them up. I think the engine is in neutral as the throttle cables are not hooked up yet, and I assume it was switched off in neutral, so that should not be the problem.
On another subject, there is a screw you can turn to allow you to tilt the engine without power. With the engine in the 3/4 up position, if I turn the screw as required, will the engine suddenly want to drop? I would have it blocked up at the time just in case. I am unable to use the locking system because it is not in the fully up position. Is it physically possible for one person to lift the engine up and down by hand? Can I attach pictures to a post? Thanks again. Bob.
 
Better take some pictures. Generally, you can just copy and paste to your post for simple pictures.

I would not go hooking things up unless you know for sure what the wires are. The only way to tell for sure is to follow each cable to see where they are attached to the engine.

If it has more cables than I discussed in a previous post, it is possible that the boat that it was on before had a battery isolator, and the extra wires connect the alternator output directly to the isolator. Then more than one battery can be charged at the same time. Again....this is not a standard wiring.
So....do your tracing....and take pictures.

If you are going to take a lot of pictures, it is best to upload them to a cloud depository like Google Photos, Drop Box, etc. Then you can just share the link to the folder of pictures.

Better block up the lower unit if you are going to open the trim bypass. One person, unless you are 23 and on steroids, can not raise it by hand.

The good news....to determine if the engine is in gear or neutral, simply grab the prop shaft and turn it. It you can turn it both ways....you are in neutral. If you can not....you are in gear.

Once you check all the fuses...you probably blew a 10 amp fuse.....there is a way to try to trim it before you figure out the cables. If you have a jump box (for emergency starting), carefully attach the positive lead to the big terminal on the starter (starter solinoid). That should also be the point where the normal battery cable is attached. Then connect the negative cable to a good ground on the motor.

If the trim system is working and the trim switch on the motor is good, you should be able to trim the motor up and down. Just be careful that you do not allow the positive lead to contact the block as the engine is moving.

Mike
 
Hi there Mike. All is well. I took the cables out of the wrapping tape and traced each cable back to the engine. As you said, it was obvious what was positive and what was negative. As it turned out 3 of the 4 cables were positive and 1 negative. I hooked it up that way any everything is working great. There were no blown fuses which seemed strange considering I had connected a positive to the battery negative. Maybe the fact that I did not try to start the engine and only tried the tilt switch. I am now going to try to run the engine, if I have any problems I will let you know. My next big job is to install an 1/4" backing plate on the inside of the transom with gussets bolted back to the stringers to take the load of the pod and the engine off the transom. I don't think the boat was designed to carry that weight of engine hanging on the end of a 28 inch pod. Originally it was an inboard/outboard. Thanks again. Bob.


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