2000 Ranger R61 w/ 90 hp Yamaha

[Ltzout]

Quick question to you guys about an ignition issue I'm having before I go tearing this boat apart. Hopefully one of you have experienced this before as well.

Used the boat the other day and it ran fine until I returned to the dock and the boat wouldn't shut off. Turned the key several times but nothing happened. Boat kept on running. So I thought real quick, just pull the "kill switch" clip and that will shut it down. Nope!! That didn't work either. I finally just unplugged the gas line and she sputtered to a halt. Once on the trailer I noticed that the tilt button on the shifter handle was not working either but both other tilt switches (bow and the one on the motor) worked just fine. Needless to say I have not experienced any issues before this with the key switch / ignition. I did tear into the gear / throttle control area where the key switch is located and did not noticed any wires detached.

Please let me know if it's the key switch / ignition or maybe a fuse I don't know about.
Thanks, Burt

[Bud Kennedy]

Just curious if you tried pulling the kill switch to shut it off.  Your description is pointing towards the ignition switch its self.  If it does not shut down when pulling the kill switch this could be a bad switch indication.

[Ltzout]

Yes, I did.

"So I thought real quick, just pull the "kill switch" clip and that will shut it down. Nope!! That didn't work either."

[Bud Kennedy]

Ill, bet your ignition switch is bad.  Don't know if you can check it with a meter or not.  Dangerous situation for sure.

[Ltzout]

Yea, that's what I'm thinking too. I did try to check for voltage but everything is incased in plastic. I just don't want to tear the damn thing out only to find there was a inline fuse. There are a lot of wires (6-7 of them) coming out of that little switch.

Thanks for your response.

If any of you other guys know please chime in.

[bassmaster893]

Id check power key on and off, and power at the kill switch, ive never seen that type of thing happen before. If its got power key off at the ignition switch and kill switch on and off, id think your having a short, but all of these boats are different in how their system of wires runs.

[Ltzout]

First off I want to thank you guys for helping me brain-storm on this. I got if figured out. It was the main electric plug inside the cowling of the motor. It had worked it's self loose. Plugged it back together and everything works. Go figure.

What kept throwing me was the tilt button not working on the shift lever. It raises and lowers the outdrive whether the key is the on or off position because it is on a constant "hot" connection. So I started chasing power at the battery, then moved to the starter solenoid, and then to the power lines coming from there. Which all had power. Once I located the power wire at the key/ignition switch, I had no power there. Went back to the engine to check the main plug and that's when I noticed it was separated. Well the genius that I am, I plugged it back together and presto power at all stops!!!!     

[Bud Kennedy]

Well OK Then.  Glad you traced it out.  Now Go Get EM

[bassmaster893]

Glad you got it figured out!