jtupman wrote:
thanks Boat Tech. funny thing is the 90 amp fuse checked good when i removed it and shot for continuity through it. while i had it out i hooked the orange wire straight to the solenoid and i got power. i put the fuse back in and got nothing. ended up replacing the fuse and it worked but now starting it and the trim are intermittent. could the ignition switch be causing the intermittent starting and trim problem or a ground going bad?
Well first you will want to check out both batteries cables to make sure they are all hooked up and are clean and very tight, Then make sure the cables are clean and tight on the engine side, Also making sure they are not burned up on the inside by feeling the cables.
The other thing these boats are known for is having a bad intermittent connection with the main wire harness going between the engine and the dash. Look for a black round cannon plug connector with wires sticking out of the plug, It will plug into the engine near the rear of the engine in most cases.
Turn the key on or start the engine and Wiggle the wire harness around to see if the gauges move around of if the engine dies.
If it does then you will need to unplug the wire harness and try to finagle it around till you get every thing in working order, Sometimes putting a hose clamp around the plug with just the right amount of twisting the wires around and some light pressure of the hose clamp will get it to work right, You just got to be patient and play with it for a bit.
For a starting point the best diagnostics for an intermittent wire problem is to be patient and carefully wiggle, Push in and gently pull on every wire you can find both on the engine side and up to the helm area with key on and engine on if needed. Good luck with it.