Suzuki 90 Won't Start

BrentB · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:06 am Post subject:

Maybe I miss reading it

Did you check the safety neutral switch in the throttle binnacle for voltage? and also for adjustment?

RichardM · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:55 pm Post subject:

FOUND IT! My electrician friend and fellow C-Dory owner Bob came over this morning and spent about two hours following wires around. Bob doesn't hesitate to follow colored wires from here to there, use test leads to pierce insulation and test for power, etc.

The problem was a broken wire in the wiring below the motor remote control at the helm. From the neutral sensor switch inside the shift unit there are two brown wires running to the motor. At the helm end, from the neutral switch going down, these wires originate as a pair about 16 inches long -- then there's a pair of spade terminals allowing them to be disconnected (maybe you'd want to do that if replacing the shift mechanism, for example). Those 16 inches of brown wires are further enclosed in a black plastic sheath.

One of those wires had a break in the middle of its length. Nothing was obvious on the outside of the insulation, though on very close inspection you can see that both brown wires had been pinched at that point, maybe when the shift mechanism was screwed down to the fiberglass base by the helm seat. One wire had lost all continuity. The other one, when the insulation was removed, had a couple of broken strands and a clear bend at the same point. The fact that this happened suddenly suggests that the wire had been breaking one strand at a time, and finally broke completely while the boat was being trailered the last time.

Bob says he can count on one hand the times he's seen a broken wire in the middle of its run in any electrical system. After replacing the 16 inch "pigtail" with new wire, the motor starts and runs perfectly.

Thanks again for your advice and encouragement. This was a hard one.

smckean (Tosca) · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:50 pm Post subject:

BrentB · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the update

RichardM · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:00 pm Post subject:

Brent and Bob, you were both close. It was in the binnacle control and in the neutral switch circuit there, and it was a "factory crimp type" problem. And yes, it was one of those that could drive you to drink....

Anyhow it is running again and ready to go into the water for only the 4th or 5th time in my ownership. Now I need to find a way to mount the new kicker, a 6 hp Tohatsu, to the boat so it doesn't interfere with the Suzuki and still misses the trim tabs. On the transom directly, when set so it clears the trim tabs, it interferes with the Suzuki. I'm looking at TyBoo's motor mount design which can be bent from a piece of stainless and is a fixed mount (the lifting mounts force you to lean way over the transom to lower or raise the motor).

A simple fixed commercial mount sells for about $75 also. An important issue is whether the motor will tilt out of the water without hitting the transom or hydraulic steering mechanism. Think I'll need to build a wooden mockup to find out.

Thanks again for the online advice, experiences from others and fact checking. It's worth a lot to own a boat with an owners' group like this one.

thataway · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:08 pm Post subject:

Glad you found out the problem. That old volt meter in the hand, always seems to find where the issues are, and the brains in the head of the helper knows where to go!

I guess I am not to surprised that a screw from the installation is the cause of the problem. My Tom Cat was about the same era as your boat, and I had several electric issues due to less than 100% attention at the factory...

Good thing now is that you will never (we hope) have that problem again!

AK Angler · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:10 pm Post subject:

BrentB · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 10:29 pm Post subject:

Good job better buy your buddy lunch

Was the bad spot noticeable on the outside?