Starter Solenoid Wiring

[Bob Wight]

While working on my 1982 Evinrude 25hp project, I’m trying to figure out some wiring issues the previous owner created by rigging up a homemade wiring harness to apparently control startup and shutdown of the engine from a remote station, which I won’t be using when the restoration job is complete.

The motor has a push-button start switch on the front of the lower pan next to the manual choke knob.  One lead for that switch connects to the battery hot terminal on the starter solenoid and the other connects to one of the small terminals on the solenoid – that routing should work.   The motor also has a neutral safety switch, with one lead connecting to the battery hot terminal and the other lead connecting to the 2nd small terminal on the solenoid.

However, there is no engine ground connection on the solenoid.   It seems to me the one lead from the starter switch and the one lead from the neutral safety switch should both connect to the same small terminal on the solenoid and the other small terminal on the solenoid should connect to ground. I found a wiring diagram for the 25hp motor with a factory wiring harness connecting the motor to a remote control box with starter switch.   That diagram (and many others I’ve seen) shows one of the small solenoid terminals connecting to ground.

I tried activating the starter with the push-button start switch and got nothing.   I thought maybe the switch was just corroded up or bad but it tested good for continuity with a test meter when pushing the button.

See attached pic of how I found this motor wired when I got it.   Can someone verify my notion that one small terminal of the solenoid should connect to ground?

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1957 Evinrude 3022
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20
1982 Evinrude 25hp

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[JACQUES]

there are different systems where  in one situation the solenoid inner  magnet coil  is permanetly grounded to the frame  (wired or bolted) .  The solenoid is  then activated with  B+  from the key  “S”  or any source of your choice (push button ?)

other systems provide the inner coil’s  ground path on condition the neutral switch  is closed (neutral)  so a specific wire  must be wired in series  via the switch  device then over to ground.  (see diagram below)  The solenoid is then activated with B+ from the key S position post ONLY IN NEUTRAL

first thing to check is the solenoid operation by powering B+ on the control post  with B- (grd) on the other post. If it works the starter should engage.

B+ on the control post on the solenoid  is the  energizing post.     Hook the other  “small” post to frame ground via the  designated neutral safety device (s) (some may be engine  side mounted or on the throtlle handle “box”  or both .  Some  engines have a duplicate neutral swith both in series to prevent starter activation while in gear !!

consult various examples on this site  even if your 1982 is not listed

https://maxrules.com/JOwireindex.php

 

 

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[labrador-guy]

Bob if you have a two small terminal solenoid one of those wires go to ground the other one goes to the starter button.  On the original wiring one of those small wires should go to the neutral switch.  So when the motor is in neutral it starts or makes a ground.  When in gear no ground.  A one terminal switch the solenoid  body needs to be grounded.  Hope this makes some sense!

dale

[Bob Wight]

Jacques – the solenoid I have is an isolated ground type, it is not grounded through a bracket or wire connected to the solenoid body or base. So one of the small solenoid terminals would have to go to ground.

The neutral safety switch is mounted on the side of the block above the gear shift actuator cam, and is wired separately from the engine mounted starter switch as shown in my picture.   I had previously found the attached wiring diagram from Maxrules and although it is for a remote controlled motor, it’s the closest thing I found to my situation and it shows one of the small terminals wired to ground.

Dale – the wiring harness for the neutral safety switch shown in my picture appears to be an original harness, i.e. not something the previous owner rigged up.  And the circuiting for that harness matches what is shown in the attached wiring diagram.   I think both the starter switch wire and neutral safety switch wire should go to the same small terminal on the solenoid and the other solenoid small terminal goes to ground.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1957 Evinrude 3022
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20
1982 Evinrude 25hp

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[Tubs]

A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

[Steve Martin]

If the other side of the neutral safety switch connects to ground, do not connect the starter switch wire and the neutral safety switch wire to the same terminal or you will create smoke and melt wires.

[Bob Wight]

Here’s a pic I took before I started tearing the motor down, just to help me remember the various wiring connections.  As shown in my pic in the first post, the red wire on the neutral safety circuit connects to the hot terminal on the starter solenoid and the white wire connects to one of the small terminals on the starter solenoid.

As shown in the pic attached here,  the red wire in that harness connects to terminal T1 on the terminal block and the white wire connects to the neutral safety switch above the shift actuator cam.   This neutral switch wire harness and routing looks to be factory original but who know what the previous owner or his mechanic did.   This routing seems to follow the wiring diagram I posted from the Maxrules website in my previous response.

There is no remote key switch for this motor; there is an engine mounted push button start switch only.    The diagram that Tubs posted seems to be the way it would work but that’s not how this motor was wired up.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1957 Evinrude 3022
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20
1982 Evinrude 25hp

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[Don]

Well, there is confusion here because two different systems seem to have been combined.  On remote electric models, the solenoid output of the key switch is routed through a neutral safety switch inside the control box.  In this case, the neutral safety switch carries positive voltage.

On the tiller electric models, the neutral safety switch is located on the shift linkage and is grounded when the shift lever is in neutral.  So, in this case, the neutral safety switch connects the small negative terminal of the solenoid to ground.

So, according to what you have described, you have two positive inputs to the solenoid winding with no ground.  So, you need to disconnect the neutral safety switch lead from the hot side of the solenoid and connect it to ground.

Needless to say, this engine has some home made wiring, so I don’t know exactly how it is wired, only what you describe.  Be careful, I am thinking the starter solenoid circuit is not fused, so a fire hazard exists if the wiring is messed up.

CORRECTION:  Just looked at the last picture you posted.    That little harness with the white/red leads does two separate things.  The little red lead connects to the alternator output and should be connected to the hot side of the solenoid.

The little white lead is connected to the neutral safety switch, which is grounded when the shift lever is in neutral.  This little white neutral safety switch lead should be connected to the other small terminal on the solenoid.

Again, that little harness has two separate leads that to two separate jobs.

[JACQUES]

electromagnets like solenoids have 2  roles    transfer big  amps with ovious wiring with B+  IN to B+ OUTt to starter  no confusion

Driving the ” magnet” needs  B+  and a ground via  various methods  involving or not involving safety devices to prevent start up out of neutral or during engine operation (running) .  Neutral interupts can be engine side (in gear)  or up front in the shifter  or both !  leaving the  ” ground” side  easy to track down with a VOM  looking for   bad connections, broken wires  missing wires, defective switches.

lots of utubes to help

 

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂

[Bob Wight]

Don – so quoting the CORRECTION note from your post:

“CORRECTION: Just looked at the last picture you posted. That little harness with the white/red leads does two separate things. The little red lead connects to the alternator output and should be connected to the hot side of the solenoid.

The little white lead is connected to the neutral safety switch, which is grounded when the shift lever is in neutral. This little white neutral safety switch lead should be connected to the other small terminal on the solenoid.”

What you have described here is exactly how this motor was wired up when I found it, so maybe it’s correct.   The day I first got the motor, I tried starting the motor with the push-button starter switch and got nothing so maybe either the starter switch or the neutral safety switch is bad or maybe the starter was just stuck.   Since tearing the motor down, I’ve found the starter does turn over but it’s really in bad shape, so I will likely replace the starter, solenoid and push-button starter switch.

Thanks to all for your input.   More feedback always welcome!

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1955 Johnson QD-16
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1957 Evinrude 3022
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20
1982 Evinrude 25hp

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."

[Author]

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