Merc Classic 50 45 hp tiller steer - Help with starter or switch?

[Selmer]

I bought this motor used on a Lund last year - starts and runs like a top. When I got it out of storage this spring, everything was working fine, started up right away. I've had it out several times this spring and the only anomaly I noticed is that I got a high pitched alarm that I only ever heard before when starting the motor, then when I let off the key it would go away, kind of like the buzzer on a car ignition. This spring I had to carefully nudge the key back toward "off" to make the high pitch go away.

Now - current problem. I took it for a short weekend to NE SD. Everything worked fine, still had to nudge key backward toward "off" to eliminate the high pitch. Then, as I was coming to the launch for the final time I had to stop and try one more spot near the launch. When I went to fire it up again, nothing. No alarm. No starter engagement. The only thing the key would do is choke the motor when I pushed on it, but from what I can see that is a mechanical connection rather than an electric one. I took the covers off the motor and got out the emergency starter rope, placed the key in "run" position and it fired up like a top and ran in fine. I can still start and run the motor fine with the starter rope, but I obviously want to fix this. Where do I start? I'm a pretty decent wrench monkey, but have very little experience with diagnosing outboard motor issues. If I can figure out what is going on, I'm sure I can repair it, but I need some help. What do you think?

My first thought was that the starter motor had "stuck" brushes. Tapped it with the dead blow hammer, spun the motor with the nut on top of the starter - it spins free, but still wouldn't fire with the key. My next thought is the safety switch on the transmission, but before this event when I had the motor in gear and tried to start it I would still have the buzzer from the ignition switch. So my last thought is that my ignition switch is shot, but I don't know how to test that.

Thanks for the help!

Selmer

[Selmer]

Oh - a couple of other thoughts. I don't get a "click" of any sort out of the starter motor. Is there a solenoid between the ignition and the starter that could have gone bad? The gear isn't popping up from the starter to engage, but I'm not sure if the starter on an outboard is wired and functions the same as on a car. The battery is good - brand new Interstate deep cycle that I bought less than a month ago, voltage readout on the sonar is good and the power tilt/trim has plenty of power to run the motor up and down - it's not the battery.

[delcecchi]

Could be a fuse or bad battery. As I recall, these motors don't need a battery to actually run, if you rope start them.

The nudging to turn off the beeper however does sound like a switch going bad.

Is this a tiller motor? or remote? I would be tempted to stick a new switch in it on general principles before spending a lot of time, unless the switches are really expensive or a lot of work.

[Selmer]

It's a tiller steer, key switch is on the wall of the stern compartment where my gas tank fits in. I'm looking for the same ignition switch, but not finding one online, just haven't looked in the right place yet. Because of the way it was acting up when I took it out of storage the switch is suspect for sure. I'm going to pull it after I take my daughters to school and see if there is any corrosion I can clean up or any obvious signs of the switch going bad.

[jentz]

Starter is the same as a car.Find the solenoid and test the in side from the batt for 12V them the outside to the starter should have 12V.If thats fine you may have a starter problem.If the solenoid dont have 12V on the in side its beforethat,that would mean checking the switch same way 12V in 12V out.

[Selmer]

Well, no obvious signs of corrosion or busted wires on the switch. I'm learning that Mercury must sell lots of its parts as OEM only deals - the switch is obviously intended to come out as one package and plug into the wiring harness connected to the rest of the starter and motor setup - which is good, because I hate wiring stuff in. Now I just have to find a switch to try out and see if that is the problem...

[Selmer]

I talked to a small engine mech friend and he told me to check the ohms on the positive side of the starter with the battery disconnected, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I'm not great with wiring - mechanical, sure, wiring, not so much. In the process of disconnecting the battery I discovered that my positive cable had major corrosion - end loop snapped off in my hand very easily. I'm headed to get a new loop connection now and I'll hook it up and check things out again. I'm very suspicious of the switch - it has a lot of resistance in turning and is "mushy" - not snapping between positions positively like I expect and am used to.

[delcecchi]

If the cable had that kind of corrosion, the switch internals might also.

[Selmer]

So...where can I order the switch with wiring harness attached for this motor? I've looked on the web and the options are mind-boggling... I may give iboats.com a call tomorrow.

[Surface Tension]

No problem finding a Merc ignition switch but you'll have to connect (preferably solder and shrink tube) the pitails. Butt connectors would work.

Replace the lug on cable and you might thats your problem.

[Selmer]

Replaced cable end - didn't fix it. I'm working now, but will try a few test light suggestions to eliminate what's going on. I need to check the transmission safety switch as well as try jumping around the starter solenoid to try to diagnose this...otherwise I found a dealer in a town I have to go to on Thursday that has my ignition that we can just plug in and find out if his works.

[Selmer]

Thanks to everyone who has helped with this. My first thought about the key switch being out is simply wrong. I hooked up the test light, I have power into and out of the switch. I tracked the hot wire out of the key switch to find out where it goes cold. I have located it - it's a very small switch on the port side of the engine mounted to the "wall" in front of the carburetors. Here are some photos - can anyone tell me what this is? When I turn the key and push the small button in on the side of this switch my starter kicks in like jackrabbit and turns over the motor, so I assume this switch is the problem. And it doesn't matter which position the transmission is in - it turns over when I push this button in. Thanks for the help!

Switch pictures

It mounts on the inside of this wall where you see the two empty holes on the upper left side of the wall.

[Selmer]

Okay, now I'm in business. This is the neutral safety switch - the cable that trips it is busted off. Do I replace the cable or bypass the switch, thus permitting it to start in gear? Opinions welcome. Bypassing it would take me about 30 seconds, replacing the cable looks like a PITA, but is it then unsafe to operate?

[delcecchi]

It is only unsafe if you don't remember to put it in neutral so the boat doesn't zoom away, throwing you out or crashing into something.

I certainly wouldn't be afraid to do it on a temporary basis. Will it be just you using the boat and motor? How good is your memory?

[Selmer]

Turns out the cable end wasn't busted - just popped out of the hole in the shift lever it needed to be in. All hooked up and back in business!!!

[Selmer]

I would be the only one operating the motor - I frequently have visitors as well as my wife and two daughters (9&11) fishing with me. It was a very easy fix - I learned a LOT about my motor in the process - I also learned that I really need to own a service manual for my motor. I can fix 90% of the problems that arise with cars and small engines, I just haven't ever had to work on a marine engine before. And when it comes to electrical? I can chase it down with a test light, but beyond that I'm not real good.

[Selmer]

Part of the reason I was a bit confused is that the neutral safety switch is not included in this wiring diagram for my motor that I found online. http://www.maxrules.com/oldmercs/Wiring/1966ona/60.jpg

[delcecchi]

see pm

[Surface Tension]

The NSS, I'm feel foolish for not thinking of it.

Good that you found the bad battery connection because that would cause a lot of heat.