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Remote control issues

T

Terry in Ottawa

Contributing Member
My 14' aluminum fishing boat has a 1996 Johnson 25hp, J25TEEDA. At some point before I bought it, it was fitted with a side console and remote controls. A single lever controls the throttle and the gear selector.

Sometimes when I turn the key to start the motor, nothing happens. If I jostle the single lever control a bit, it starts. My shop says it's just slop in the cables and jostling the lever is effective, cheap and won't hurt anything. They felt a "neutral indicator switch" wasn't falling into a natural position.

Sometime when trolling along slowly, I shift into neutral intending to drift along or stay in one place. It doesn't always find neutral right away and I have to resort to jostling the lever as in the problem above with not starting.

Are these problems related and is there anything I can do to improve the situation?

It's certainly not a critical problem and doesn't keep me from fishing. But when the fish aren't biting I wonder about these things.
 
First thing, make sure the cables are adjusted at the motor end. Always adjust the cables to fit the motor, never adjust the motor to fit the cables
 
You say "it was fitted with a side console"... WAS ? I'll assume that it still "is." :)

After you adjust the cables as fdgator suggests................

If indeed what you have is the regular side mounted control box... inside that box is the neutral safety switch which is no doubt slightly out of adjustment. Loosen the two screws holding its plastic cover and slide it towards the cam that actuates it. That'll do it. If you have a different type control, describe it.
 
Hi Joe, your assumption is right, it is still fitted with the side console.

I'm at home now, but on the weekend I'll take some pictures and if I'm brave I may even peek inside that side mounted control box that you're talking about.

I admit that I thought the neutral safety switch was mounted on the engine and not in the control box. Does that mean tiller controlled engines wouldn't have a neutral safety switch?
 
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