Kill switch

[Rtjoines]

Question, i have a 2000 johnson 70 hp motor on a crestliner pontoon boat which i cannot get any spark on at all. It didnt have a landyard connected to the key and the lady i bought it off of said i didnt need one for it to run. Is this true? It has the push to choke key switch on it.

[Joe Reeves]

In your post, you do not actually say whether that engine has a Kill Switch or not. You're actually just saying that a landyard is not connected.

If a Kill Switch exists... the landyard must absolutely be connected!

That 2000 engine would not have a choke... it would have a Fuel Primer Solenoid.

(Fuel Primer Solenoid Function)
(J. Reeves)

The RED lever...... The normal operating/running position is to have that red lever positioned over top of the solenoid and aimed at the other end of the solenoid, gently turned to its stop. This is the normal/automatic mode position. Pushing the key in opens the valve within the solenoid allowing fuel to pa$$ thru it in order to prime and start the engine. Looking upon this solenoid as a electric choke results in a better understanding of it.

Having that red lever turned in the opposite direction, facing away from the solenoid, allows fuel to flow thru it to the crankcase area. One would only turn the red lever to this position in a case where the battery might go dead and the engine had to be started via the rope pull method. Look upon putting the red lever in this position as moving a choke lever on a choke equipped engine to the full closed position. Either one would supply fuel to the crankcase/engine for starting purposes BUT if left in that position while running would flood the engine.

The later model primer solenoids are equipped with a schrader valve, used for attaching a pressurized can of fogging oil etc, available at your local dealership with complete instructions.

Pumping the fuel primer bulb up hard fills the carburetor float chambers of course, but that process also applies fuel pressure to the primer solenoid.

The two small hoses leading from the primer solenoid branch off via tees to each fuel manifold section that would feed fuel to the individual cylinders.

Pushing the key in activates the primer solenoid to allow fuel to flow thru it to the intake manifold pa$$ageways. Cranking the engine over causes the fuel pump to engage which in turn sends fuel pulses to the primer solenoid via the 3/8" fuel hose.

Some engines incorporates the "Fast Start" feature which automatically advances the spark electronically so no advance of the throttle is required for starting.
Engines that do not have the "Fast Start" feature will be required to have the throttle advanced slightly.

Starting procedure: pump fuel bulb up hard, crank engine and push the key in at the same time. When the engine fires/starts, release the key so that it falls back to the run position.

Bottom line..... Look upon the primer solenoid as an electric choke.

[Rtjoines]

Thanks for this information. The switch i was talking about does in fact have a way of connecting a landyard to it but in reading the service manual for this engine states that this landyard connection does not stop the function of the switch it just turns the switch to the off position when the landyard is disconnected. Thats the way im reading it anyway. Does this sound correct? I just dont know if the motor will start without it connected.

[Joe Reeves]

There is an accessory that one can attach to an ignition switch that will actually turn the switch to the OFF position when the lanyard is pulled.

The black/yellow wire attached to the ignition switch is the kill circuit wire......... when grounded = No Ignition...... Not grounded = Ignition exists.

Remove that black/yellow wire from the ignition switch temporarily. If you now have spark, replace the ignition switch.

[Rtjoines]

Ok thanks, ill try that.

[Rtjoines]

I finely got to test for spark again and have eliminated the kill switch curcuit like you advised and tested the stator as the service book said with a dva meter and hms test it passed. I think my trigger or power pack may be bad. The service book said to leave them connected when testing. How do i do that? I mean how can i leave them connected and still connect a meter to them.

[Joe Reeves]

I have no idea what your book means by that statement.

That engine has to turn over via the electric starter approximately 300 rpm in order for the stator to energize the powerpack capacitor. If you have a slow cranking engine, you'll have weak, intermittent, or no ignition depending on the rpms.

If you can trace/figure out which black/yellow wire that's connected to the powerpack (there's a few if I remember right) is the one that leads to the powerpack... disconnect it at the powerpack. Also disconnect it from the ignition switch as you did previously.

If you now have spark, that black/yellow wire is grounding out somewhere.

[Rtjoines]

Thanks for trying to help me with this. I have removed the kill circuit at the power pack still have same issue. After doing ohms test the stator is ok and when testing the timmer base i did put the red lead from the tester to the white timmer base wire and then the black meter lead to the others ( green blue and purple) i couldnot get a ohms reading at all. I guess that means the trigger is bad. Is that correct?