Posted by MG56 on 05/24/16 - 8:06 AM
#5
dan757 wrote:
Hey everybody,
I have a 1990 Johnson 140 with what appears to be a bad kill switch. The engine turns over but no spark. I have been searching the net for a replacement but all I can find is 2 wire switches. Mine has a single black wire and 2 black with yellow striped wires. 1st question is can anybody point me in the right direction on the replacement part? 2nd question, does anybody know how to bypass this just for troubleshooting(I would never get underway while it's bypassed)? 3rd question, if I am only able to get a 2 wire switch, how do I hook it up, coming from 3 wires down to 2?
Thanks in advance,
Dan
You only need the 2 wire switch, the ground wire is redundant. To see if that is the problem just disconnect the 2 black w/ yellow wires and tape them off.
These 2 wires go to 2 contacts on your ignition switch, and by connecting them you ground the switchbox and shut the motor off, same as if you turned your key to off. You should also have another black w/ yellow wire under the coil to prevent starting with the engine tilted up. I mention that in case disconnecting these wires doesn't solve your problem. You would want to check and see if any of these wires are unintentionally grounded anywhere along their runs.
The other thing you want to check first in a no spark situation is the neutral safety switch.
As for using the boat without the kill switch functional, I rarely use mine.