Honda BF150 starter cable wiring help please

[Balthazar]

Hi gents,

Just got a Honda BF150 with less than 100 hours on it, removed from a diving rib and packed by the dealer. I put it on the bracket and cannot fire it up. The positive + goes on the starter bolt, the minus - goes on the body bolt, as per workshop manual. But no reaction at all, tried 3 different batteries, nothing happens.

The side tilt/trim button does not react, when connecting the wiring harnes, the same thing, no buzzer, no lights, gages are dead, when turning the key on, nothing. Just drive me crazy

Can please anyone help me? Thanks in advance

[Balthazar]

I have checked the flat coloured fuses 3x10a, 2x15a and 2x30a. All ok, the only thing I did not check are the 4 square kind of fuses, probably can check for continuity.

[wellhouse]

have you connected the harness to the throttle/gear lever as well as the instruments correctly, you can check you are getting power at the switch then work from there? Are you definitely in neutral, kill cord connected?

[Balthazar]

Thanks for the pics, I will check the rigging again.

Whoever, I have tried with the wiring harness and the key on, nothing happened.

I understand that even without all the gear connected 100% at least the trim/tilt buttons on the starboard side of the engine must work. This was the case of my older BF75, you remove everything and trim/tilt works, just connect the battery. Unless they changed the whole system, on the wiring diagram the trim/tilt connects direct from the battery via fuse.

[wellhouse]

did you check the big 100amp fuse at the bottom and is it definitely earthed in the right place on the engine, can't quite make it out on the pics?

[simonl]

So you have you main +ve feed from the battery to the starter motor. Somewhere, somehow, that positive has to get to the rest of the engine - I can't see that from the photos. Sure you're not missing a cable? A biggish one... I don't know Hondas

If you try measuring for 12V from ground to each side of the big fuses, if you get nothing then this is almost certainly the case.

[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by wellhouse

did you check the big 100amp fuse at the bottom and is it definitely earthed in the right place on the engine, can't quite make it out on the pics?

Sure mate, just got a multimeter and tested on continuity all the fuses, the 10a, 15a, 30a and the big 100a.

I have the battery voltage 13.2v on the starter bolt (incoming feed), on each end of the big 100a fuse. I guess there is an incoming juice.

Regarding the earth cable, this is per manual, it was half undone so I guess that was done by the dealer when removing the engine.

I have tried on every single bolt on the engine, pushing the trim/tilt button in the same time, but no reaction at all.

As possible issue is the problem with the square relays/fuses, I have no clue about how to test them.

[wellhouse]

when you are testing the voltage are you using the earth bolt that the battery is connected to? (the bolt head not the cable) If you are, is there voltage showing on the fuses? if there is, check to see if there is voltage on the incoming feed to the key switch. Checking the relays requires some electrical knowledge but for the moment we want to rule out the simple things. At the moment my gut feel is that either there is an open circuit somewhere (because the loom is not connected properly) or because one of the positive or earth leads is missing/not connected) If you follow the positive from the starter motor from memory next stop is alternator/fuse box and test voltage at each stage (make sure you use earth bolt head for earth).

[breezeblock]

last tango might be able to help you with a wiring diagram he's got the big book of Honda ask him nicely

[wellhouse]

I have a wiring diagram but it is in a format i can't copy. Fuse num. 3 (10amp) controls the ignition switch, trim tilt, gauges but at the moment trying to find out what he has power to in order to know where to start troubleshooting. That side of the ignition also receives a feed from fuse 7 (30amp) and the PGM main relay so trying to rule some of these out. Also trying to ascertain whether there are any model differences on his 150. Got to be careful we don't go on a wild goose chase because the main relay is also fused on some circuits and one of those might be causing the issue although the neutral switch is common to both circuits but not the trim/tilt. It could be in a format i can email though? 694 pages so pretty comprehensive!

[wellhouse]

don't get bogged down with fuse numbers and the like for the moment, there have been many changes in numbers, position and size of fuses over the years on the 150's and yours will almost definitely be slightly different but the basics are the same. (Big fuse is on the alternator charging circuit.)

[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by wellhouse

there have been many changes in numbers, position and size of fuses over the years on the 150's

That's for sure! The manual I have shows 3 starting cables and not 2 as I have connected. There is a + going onto starter, a - going onto the block bolt and a misterious cable that is supposed to be fitted to 1 pin connector. Plus there are 3 cables shown on the rubber rigging gland. My engine is 2014 and there is nothing like this, everything is perfectly the same except the electrics. The fuse board is different and the cpu is different. So I did not find the connector for a third cable

The only thing I can think of is that on the fuse board the middle bolt with yellow mark was lose, along the starter bolt and the ground bolts. There is possibly the missing piece of puzzle, a + or a - to connect?

[Balthazar]

Called the dealer and was told that indeed, there are 2 power cables that need to be connected to the engine.

The second + must be connected to the fuses/relay box, under the yellow mark (between cables going to each end of the 100a fuse), that will power all the relays, including trim/tilt, starter, etc.

Thanks for your assistance guy, appreciate you tried to figure out the thinks for me

Will post the pics of the final connections, may help someone in the future.

[Chris Caton]

I might be missing something, nowt new there, I can see your battery connections, fuel line, steering cable, throttle/shift cables etc. but I can't see the main wiring loom in your photos?

[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

I might be missing something, nowt new there, I can see your battery connections, fuel line, steering cable, throttle/shift cables etc. but I can't see the main wiring loom in your photos?

Indeed, Chris, the wiring harness was not fitted at this time, I just wanted to check the trim/tilt buttons to see that everything is ok.

Yesterday I have fitted everything and properly connected all the rigging, but still no reaction at all, cause of this second missing + cable to the relay's box.

By the way, I wrote to Honda marine asking for the latest workshop manual, hopefully they will send it to me. The actual manual I have is outdated, all the electrics seems to be different. I had already a BF20 sent by them, may be I will be lucky for the second time

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Balthazar

Indeed, Chris, the wiring harness was not fitted at this time, I just wanted to check the trim/tilt buttons to see that everything is ok.

Yesterday I have fitted everything and properly connected all the rigging, but still no reaction at all, cause of this second missing + cable to the relay's box.

By the way, I wrote to Honda marine asking for the latest workshop manual, hopefully they will send it to me. The actual manual I have is outdated, all the electrics seems to be different. I had already a BF20 sent by them, may be I will be lucky for the second time

I've just checked the wiring diagram in the back of the owners manual for the 150, mine is a few years old but guess it will be very similar, it shows the main positive & negative battery cables between the battery and starter motor/block plus a second white cable, which has an inline fuse in the cable, from the battery positive to the fuse block, it does show it connected to the battery but it might be worth looking to see if is in the wiring loom at the engine, could be at the battery connection to the starter motor!

[Chris Caton]

this might help .....

[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

this might help .....

Thanks Chris, I think my engine is different, there is no 90a fuse but 100a, but this is a good idea to download the latest owner manual.

As I spoke to the dealer's engineer this morning, he just said that there must be a cable about half-thick as the battery one, running to the bolt under yellow mark on the fuses box and connected directly to the battery +. This makes a second positive cable. The guy said it powers up the relays so all the sensors, buttons and commands will be working now. I guess this power is then goes through the fuses to each individual component.

P.S. just called the engineer again, he said its a direct connection without in-line fuse.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Balthazar

Thanks Chris, I think my engine is different, there is no 90a fuse but 100a, but this is a good idea to download the latest owner manual.

As I spoke to the dealer's engineer this morning, he just said that there must be a cable about half-thick as the battery one, running to the bolt under yellow mark on the fuses box and connected directly to the battery +. This makes a second positive cable. The guy said it powers up the relays so all the sensors, buttons and commands will be working now. I guess this power is then goes through the fuses to each individual component.

P.S. just called the engineer again, he said its a direct connection without in-line fuse.

I'll have a look at mine next time I'm at the boat, I'll take some photos and post them for you