Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Is there a shift interrupt switch in BF200s?

P

pogie

New member
Hi. I have a 2006 bf200 thats developed a stralling issue in the past two weeks that sounds an awful lot like a a sticking shift interrupt switch. That is, engine starts and runs fine, will idle for hours, no issues at all while in gear, but maybe one time in five will shudder and stall when shifting from in-gear to neutral. After it stalls it starts right up.

Everything I've read makes this sound like a sticking shift interupt switch. Only problem is that I've been through all the diagrams for my engine and can't locate one. So I don't know for sure if these engines have one, if so, where they are located, and even if Honda actually calls them a "switch interupt."

To be clear, I'm not talking aboiut the neutral safety switch that prevents the engine from starting when in gear. The switch interupt, as I understand it, shuts down the port side cyclinders momentarily during shifting to make shifting into neutral easier.

Does anyone know?
 
I've never heard of a "shift interrupt" on these engines. Not that there may not be one, but I don't think so.

I suspect that you may have a problem with the neutral safety switch.
 
Thanks for the guidance. It confirms what I was starting to suspect. Next step, I'll start with the IAC (on the Honda's, "EAC") screen. Sounds like the cleaning procedure is to just spray the heck out of it with carb cleaner. It sounds less like the neutral saftety switch, which I would thin is not part of the equation once the engine is running, but who knows? It's not expensive to replace if it comes to that.
 
Neutral switch purely prevents in gear starting as you originally surmised. The IAC needs to be removed and cleaned with throttle body cleaner or gas and blown out with compressed air.
 
Lang6766, as you suggested, the screen on the EAC valve was badly crusted. I gave it a deep clean with carb cleaner and blown air. Following that I ran the engine for two full days of fishing. No stalling and the idle was so quiet at times I had to look to verify the engine was on. I was about to declare victory
 
Please ignore partial post above ^^^^
---------------------------------------------

Iang6766, as you suggested, the screen on the EAC valve was badly crusted. I gave it a deep clean with carb cleaner and blown air. Following that I ran the engine for two full days of fishing, during which I shifted from drive to neutral at least two dozen times. No stalling. In fact the neutral idle was so quiet that at times I had to look at the tach to verify the engine was running. I was about to declare victory. And ten navigating into my slip last night I shifted to neutral and ... stall.

So there's still something there. Cleaning the EAC screen clearly improved the situation quite a bit. Maybe it was/is a combination of the plugged EAC and something else, like a plug misfire? (Although why a plug would only affect shift to neutral I can't say.) It does not seem like a fuel delivery issue ... I've changed both fuel filters plus the engine runs great besides in all modes.

At any rate, I'll run it today and see how it goes. Eight weeks left of fishing here in Boston...I can live with the occasional stall, although it means staying clear of spots where a sudden stall could get you into trouble. ;-)
 
I don't know how well your motor is maintained, there are a few things that can cause this such as valve clearance, thermostat stuck open causing a rich running condition, or possibly high fuel pressure as a result of a blocked fuel return filter at the top of the fuel rail under the regulator. I really thorough service often fixes most issues like this one.
 
Understood, thanks! I maintain the engine myself and do a decent job with the routine stuff, but it has not been professionally serviced in 5-6 year. So maybe it's time. In the meantime I'll keep at this particular issue...it doesn't seem to be getting any worse so with luck I'll either figure it out in the next six weeks or make it through the rest of the season. Since the stall only occurs when I downshift, and then only ocasionally, and at no time does the engine ever struggle, I keep thinking it's something directly related to the act of shifting itself.
 
Back
Top