Is it a problem with Electronic module?

[Yves Bouchard]

The Boat:Year model: 2000
∙ Brand model: Tigé
∙ Model: 2100V Limited (carburator)
∙ Serial model: T1XL341219000

The Symptom: You turn the key and nothing is happening, everything is dead. Sometimes all the lights in gauges light up but still no fire.

Try again, it might start or not. Try again and it starts.
Troubleshooting: New ignition switch; new coil, new main wire harness, new battery (recharges well).

Please anyone, help me by giving me clues or similar experiences and how it was solved.

Regards,
Yves Bouchard (Montreal, Canada)

[scootc]

Wiggle your throttle. Sometimes the switch doesn't quite make contact in neutral.

[zad0030]

Hows your starter? Does it click when it doesnt start? Does it try to turn over at all? Have you had excessive water in the bilge in the past year or so?

[R&T Babich]

Our first boat ('75 Cobalt) had a problem with the neutral safety switch that scootc mentioned. Sometimes I would have to move the throttle into drive and back to neutral a couple of times to get it to start. Then it would work fine for days. Mounted on all throttle linkages is a micro-switch to prevent the engine from being started in gear. You could jumper around it for testing or in an emergency. Just look for 2 wires coming from the throttle linkage. Note: there may be 2 other wires in that area from a trim switch (TAPS).

When the ignition switch is turned to RUN do all the gauges/radio/lights/etc. work? If they do then you know you have good power to the ignition switch. When the switch is turned farther to START usually all the accessories are killed to give full power to the starter solenoid mounted on the starter. The solenoid mounted on the started needs lots of current to pull in the drive gear. Sometimes there is a secondary relay the ignition switch will trigger to provide a high current feed to the starter solenoid. This is because the ignition switch is far away from the starter. You could test by connecting a remote starter test switch from the battery to the starter solenoid and see if it turns the engine over every time.

[spharis]

Do you have the little button on the throttle that needs to be pulled out?

[mainiak1]

The only way to tell is to measure voltage at the starter. The starter slave solenoid is probably the problem. You can test like R&T says or get a digital volt meter and check before and after slave solenoid. They are pretty common to go bad and can be frustrating with with intermittent problems.

Good luck and let us know.

[R&T Babich]

mainiak1 - your comments about testing the voltages made me think how would I do that on our boat. I've been under the dash adding some new gauges and there is a module that is about 4" x 6" that seems to contain a number of relays - bilge pump, blower, lights, etc. There's a hefty 12v wire into the module and an IGNITION output that is curious. The starter slave solenoid, if there is one, may be in that module or back in the engine. You could test the voltages, but replacing a single bad relay in that module wouldn't be simple. Adding an external relay would work. Sure would be nice to have repair manuals/wiring diagrams for our boats.

[mainiak1]

R&T- That starter relay is not under the dash. I have a 1998 Mercruiser, if I remember right. If you follow the big red wire from the starter back it should lead you to that slave solenoid. Mine was round around 2 1/2 inches tall. I think it was on the opposite side of the engine it might of been uner a cover. Don't be fooled by the outside appearance of it mine looked brand new. When I busted it apart just to look inside it was all corroded. Let me know what you find.

[mainiak1]

I just wanted to add if your guages aren't coming on that is not the slave solenoid. Could be bad ground or neutral safety switch.

[dogbert]

There are two fuses that power the dash and are attached inline right by the ignition switch. One of them is for power to the instruments and I'm not sure about the other one, but my dealer told me that if either one of them goes out, you'll have all sorts of problems.

[laserfish]

You also have a 90 amp fuse by the starter, I have blown that one before and had the same problems