Guest Battery Off Switch Not working

[Jdelly]

Looking for help with a battery off switch problem...as per the attached pictures.. when I do not connect the red/black wire to the positive terminal on the battery the GUEST battery "off" switch works... when I connect the red/black wire the "off" switch does not work and I can still start the engine..
Any ideas as to how to fix would be helpful.
(P.S. I keep the boat for the summer 2 1/2 hrs from home.. The place I got got it winterized at home disconnected everything and said it should work they way I had it and could not help by phone and offered to look at in person.. but its already in the water and too far..so looking for any ideas here before I take it to the local marina which is currently swamped with work) Thank you.

[mmwjr]

Welcome aboard

So by removing the positive off just one battery off is off?

Is it just one battery that behaves this way?

Do you get power with this wire off and the switch on? Batt 1 or Batt 2 position?

What is the second red wire on the lower battery in the first picture?

[Jdelly]

1. The large main positive wire stays on the battery it's just removing the small red/black wire that makes off - off
2. Happens if I put the red/black wire on either batteries positive terminal
3. Yes when the red black wire is off.. I get power on batt 1 and batt 2 and both and off is off
4. That wire goes to the trim ..makes stern drive go up or down

[Jdelly]

Btw Thanks for reply Mike

[mmwjr]

You're welcome

Where do those red/black wires go? They don't look factory.

I cannot tell what there for from the pictures.

[mmwjr]

Really confused on how you can start the engine with the switch in the off position by wiring in the small red/black wire which cannot handle the high amps of a starter.

What stops working when the red/black is disconnected?

[donald]

When you took those pictures the Battery Switch is in the #1 position!!!!
Not Off!!!
Engine will start when switch is in #1 position!
Just my 2c!
Don

[bman440440]

red/brown should be to your float switch(engine bilge)... always wired directly to your battery... the red/black I presume is an power lead to the dash... how it got there I do not know(and possibly its supposed to go to your forward bilge float)... 1st do you keep your boat in the water? if so you MUST make sure your float switches (engine bilge and cabin bilge) have power from the battery and do NOT go threw the guest switch... once you find those power leads to the floats and make sure they are wired directly to the battery take all the other leads and connect to the "feed" post of the guest selector switch as well as make sure that the main power lead to the starter is connected to the feed lead as well... that should solve your problem and make sure that you are properly wired as well

[Jdelly]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

You're welcome

Where do those red/black wires go? They don't look factory.

I cannot tell what there for from the pictures.

They go straight up into a black wiring jacket bundled with a lot of other wires...have not traced the other end yet and can not find detailed info in boat literature

[Jdelly]

Also they are factory

[Jdelly]

Sorry I should clarify I put the in the key and turned it to the right and had power when the switch was in off...I did not try to start engine

I am not sure yet if anything stopped working

[Jdelly]

Lol! Thanks Don..ya never know it could be something simple right?...but I took the picture as I was trying different scenarios....before I sent the post I made sure that the off switch worked/no power to the dash....then when I attached back the red/black...i had power at the dashboard

[mmwjr]

On a different topic is that an exposed solder joint on the lower wire near the fuse holder? If so it needs to be corrected to prevent a short.

[Jdelly]

Originally Posted by bman440440

red/brown should be to your float switch(engine bilge)... always wired directly to your battery... the red/black I presume is an power lead to the dash... how it got there I do not know(and possibly its supposed to go to your forward bilge float)... 1st do you keep your boat in the water? if so you MUST make sure your float switches (engine bilge and cabin bilge) have power from the battery and do NOT go threw the guest switch... once you find those power leads to the floats and make sure they are wired directly to the battery take all the other leads and connect to the "feed" post of the guest selector switch as well as make sure that the main power lead to the starter is connected to the feed lead as well... that should solve your problem and make sure that you are properly wired as well

yes boat is water.. and agree that those pumps can not go thru the switch.

your other point is the only possible solution.. do I need hardware to do this?

[mmwjr]

As stated on set of wires is probably for the float switch of the bilge pump. Seems as though the other is connected to something at the helm. I would look at the helm wiring fir the red/black wire to see where it is connected.

[Jdelly]

I think its just a piece of tape.. I will check it out though.. thanks

[Jdelly]

will do thanks again for all the assistance!

[bman440440]

Originally Posted by Jdelly

yes boat is water.. and agree that those pumps can not go thru the switch.

your other point is the only possible solution.. do I need hardware to do this?

no new hardware needed... just make sure ALL of your float switches have power direct from battery and connect everything else to the "feed" of the selector switch including the heavy power lead that goes directly to the starter

[shrew]

In the picture, both batteries are sharing a common ground (Yellow). Each has a separate positive (Red), which should be going to the battery switch. What are those small wires with the black (dongle) attached?

To me, those small black wires look like they are cross connecting the positive sides of the battery. This would put them into a parallel configuration, essentially making them one large battery bank. It almost looks like you've essentially bypassed the battery switch and are completing the circuit to the starter solenoid inadvertently.

[arichard]

I have two guesses... The previous owner had an issue where the bilge pump killed the battery, so they essentially ran two power wires back to the batteries hoping if it happened again they would have a longer period to run the bilge? Doing this would cause the issue as the would both meet up at the bilge pump. Secondly, you have a positive wire on one battery positive terminal, and the other wire is a ground attached to the 2nd battery's positive terminal. (I doubt this one though as you have a fuse on both wires. Disconnect them and with a multi-meter, see if you have continuity.