Kill Switch

[jgdavis123]

The kill switch mechanism on my outboard hasn't worked since the day I bought the boat and I would like to get it working before the fall. If I hook up the kill switch, the motor turns on. If I don't have a kill switch at all, the motor turns on. Any ideas of what to look for in order to fix it?

The motor is a 1998 Mercury 40hp tiller steer manual start.

Any help is appreciated.

-Jon

[Tater]

That sounds all kinds of fucked up...try a new kill switch.

[Palmetto Bug]

You can test the continuity of the switch with an ohm meter. It's either a normally open or normally closed switch so you should see it change when you pull the lanyard. If it's normally open (circuit is complete when lanyard is disconnected), you can see if your engine will shut down by grounding the wires going to the switch on the engine block. If it's normally closed, your engine should shut down when you unplug the wires from the switch.

Don't ignore it. Get it fixed and get in the habit of wearing it.

[dixiedeerslaya]

you sure you are working the kill switch right? on my mercury i can run it all day long without a kill switch in.... but its fully functional..... little red switch will manually go up or down to turn it on or off... you can put it in the up position without a kill switch and it will run fine... when you put the lanyard end in the hole you really just put it on top of the little switch and if you jerk it out it will push the switch down, shutting down the motor....

i dont even know if they are the same on the 98 models as my 05 model but i was just askin the obvious first before whoopin out ohm meters and wire cutters...

[jgdavis123]

Mine will not kill the motor when you pull out the kill switch.

Tried that already. Thanks though.

[dixiedeerslaya]

will it stop the motor when you flip the little switch down manually?

[jgdavis123]

Nope. Tried that too.

[dixiedeerslaya]

ten fo... o well.

i like it when easy answers fix stuff....

there have been alot of people on here that thought they had carb problems, when all it was was a tightened vent on the gas cap....

good luck!

[BigBrother]

Start simple/inexpensive and work your way up.

Check the connections first.

Your switch is likely burnt/corroded.

Replace it.

[pokin'fun]

did you buy it new? if not someone may have disconnected it if it went bad. trace the wires back to the power pack.

[BugBuster]

Definitely get it fixed, I speak from experience having used mine before.

[TJ_11]

The switch is like 30 to 35 dollars. I would just swap a new one in. Like big brother said, i would say it went bad or corroded.

[orangefeet]

Kill switches are a got to have with tillers and cold water. I slowed down one time going into a creek, took my kill switch cord off my hand, took my float coat off, too releive myself, hit a stump about that time, gripped the tiller for control, motor turns abruptly away from me, motor goes wide open in circle, I go out the side, reach for something to hold on too and grab my gun off gun rack, I take gun over side with me and hold on for dear life with my left hand on the side of the 14' high tide with Johnson .

I was able to grab and jerk the cord somehow after going in circles a couple of times and learned a valuable lessen, bring extra clothes and shut off motor to take a piss.