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Suzuki 90 Won't Start
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BrentB



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 4419
City/Region: Greenwood
State or Province: IN
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe I miss reading it

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

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RichardM



Joined: 28 Mar 2012
Posts: 96
City/Region: Akron
State or Province: OH
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Pangur Ban
Photos: Pangur Ban
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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smckean (Tosca)



Joined: 18 Jan 2014
Posts: 974
City/Region: Guemes Island (Anacortes)
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Tosca
Photos: Tosca
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
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.

No kidding! I have "played" with electricity in many capacities since I was a kid. Altho a broken wire inside an insulation sheath is always a possibility, I can't think of a single time I ever seriously considered that in a theory as to what's wrong. You don't get a harder problem to find than that!!!
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BrentB



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 4419
City/Region: Greenwood
State or Province: IN
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the update
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RichardM



Joined: 28 Mar 2012
Posts: 96
City/Region: Akron
State or Province: OH
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Pangur Ban
Photos: Pangur Ban
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20778
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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!

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Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL
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AK Angler



Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 327
City/Region: South Central
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 26 Venture
Vessel Name: Rod Holder
Photos: Rod Holder
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RichardM wrote:
FOUND IT! My electrician friend ... doesn't hesitate to follow colored wires from here to there, use test leads to pierce insulation and test for power, etc.



Be sure to repair all that pierced insulation, or you'll be replacing corroded wiring in the not-too-distant future.

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-Rod



89CD16A- The Navicula has been sold...
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BrentB



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 4419
City/Region: Greenwood
State or Province: IN
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good job better buy your buddy lunch

Was the bad spot noticeable on the outside?
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