Installing a kill switch

[DJarvis]

Good morning, just need a little help in installing a kill switch for my RIB. If someone could assist me in understanding how I need to wire the switch. Thank you.

[paintman]

Little more info please.

Are you talking about a kill switch to kill the outboard or something to isolate all the electrics?

If for the engine what engine have you got & what's the issue with it's factory kill switch?

[DJarvis]

Originally Posted by paintman

Little more info please.

Are you talking about a kill switch to kill the outboard or something to isolate all the electrics?

If for the engine what engine have you got & what's the issue with it's factory kill switch?

To kill the outboard. It is a 75hp Mercury 2 Stroke. The throttle on the console does not have a kill switch on.

Where would i find the factory kill switch?

Sorry new to power boating, been a sailor all my life till now.

[Salty Pete]

There is a different kill switch for 4 stroke and 2 stroke.
The 4 stroke in a normally closed switch N/C
And, a 4 stroke switch is a normally open switch N/O.

Make sure you select the correct switch.

Connect the N/O switch between the power going to the spark plug and the body of the engine (earth)
When the wedge is pulled out of the switch, it shorts out the current to earth and stops the engine.

[paintman]

Is there a kill switch on the outboard itself?

May be best if you post pics of the console showing the throttle control?

I presume it allows you to throttle & select gears?

Does it have a turn key for remote starting?

Is there a two position flick type switch on the throttle with a plastic guard over it? - common for Mercury controls which use a loop not a wedge on the killcord.
If it does have the flick switch then - assuming it's connected - that's your kill switch & you need one of this type: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Q...-/161202095407

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Salty Pete

There is a different kill switch for 4 stroke and 2 stroke.
The 4 stroke in a normally closed switch N/C
And, a 4 stroke switch is a normally open switch N/O.

?....

[Salty Pete]

Ahem, ShinyShoe that of course was a deliberate error to see if you guys were awake.

The 4 stroke has a normally closed switch
and a 2 stroke has a normally open switch.

[Salty Pete]

Hi paintman, that link is for a Kill Switch Lanyard.

On Ebay there is a switch from Jeanstreetshipyard it has a N/O and a N/C connector in it.

I tried tp copy and paste the link but it didn't want to work.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Salty Pete

Ahem, ShinyShoe that of course was a deliberate error to see if you guys were awake.

The 4 stroke has a normally closed switch
and a 2 stroke has a normally open switch.

But is that even correct?

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by DJarvis

To kill the outboard. It is a 75hp Mercury 2 Stroke. The throttle on the console does not have a kill switch on.

Where would i find the factory kill switch?

Sorry new to power boating, been a sailor all my life till now.

Post a picture of your throttle, it likely has the flick switch type kill switch unless its a very old one or someone fitted a none standard helm control.

[Salty Pete]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

But is that even correct?

Hi ShinyShoes

Yep. I am referring to a normally open contact as being open when the wedge is in.

A 2 stroke outboard or any 2 stroke engine is stopped by earthing the ignition and it doesn't matter what brand it is.

On a 2 stroke there is generally a stop button. This stop button earths the ignition.

To install a kill switch you wire it in, parallel to the contacts on the stop button.

When the kill switch is operated, the contact in the kill switch closes and bypasses the stop button and earths the ignition.

If however you have a key switch, this makes it a bit more complicated because you would need a continuity meter to determine what contacts close when the switch is turned off.

I had a 2 stroke outboard and bought the wrong killswitch ie a 4 stroke one. Hence the reason I have some knowledge of killswitch installations.

[paintman]

Originally Posted by Salty Pete

Hi paintman, that link is for a Kill Switch Lanyard.
.

We haven't yet established what control the OP has.
If it's a Mercury/Quicksilver one then he may have overlooked the switch not realising what it is.
They're a bit odd & don't look like the kill button/wedge operated ones usually seen.
The lanyard linked is the correct one for that type of kill switch as they don't use a wedge.
Hopefully they'll post a pic & we can go from there.

ETA Mine has that type & is a two stroke.

[Salty Pete]

This is the circuit that I got from Googling 1975 Mercury.
It does not include a Kill Switch. On the right hand top of the circuit is the switch. It doesn't say what type of switch it is but it goes to earth (ground) it is the stop switch.

Attach the two connectors of the N/O Kill Switch to the connectors of that switch. Easy, job done.

[Davie]

Originally Posted by Salty Pete

Attachment 135592

This is the circuit that I got from Googling 1975 Mercury.
It does not include a Kill Switch. On the right hand top of the circuit is the switch. It doesn't say what type of switch it is but it goes to earth (ground) it is the stop switch.

Attach the two connectors of the N/O Kill Switch to the connectors of that switch. Easy, job done.

Of all the Mercury wiring diagrams you could have googled you managed to find one for a belt driven distributer 1975 dinosaur...

[Salty Pete]

This is getting like the Monty Python sketch where you pay for an argument.

[Davie]

We need a pic but 99% chance it will be a command 2000 controller as that’s what came in the box with engine. If so there is a kill switch under the ignition switch under that plastic wedge but op just has not found it yet. As for this 2stroke 4 stroke switches being different, since the switch box was fitted right back to the old 4 cylinder engines they all ground the black/ yellow wire to stop engine.

[paintman]

Not the best - all I could find - but this youtube shows the location of the kill switch on the 2000 unit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFBG...ature=emb_logo

Under the key you can see a plastic boxy thing with a slot in its top.

Look in from the rear & you will see a two position toggle/flick type switch.
This is the kill switch.
Up is for run, down is for off.

To turn off as that one is pictured use your key through the slot to push it down.

To fit the lanyard hold it so the plastic loop is vertical with the cord at the bottom.
Put the loop over the switch & push the switch up into the run position.
The lanyard should now be hanging down held in place by the switch.
Operates by flicking the switch down when the lanyard is pulled.

An advantage is that if you go overboard with the lanyard it just needs someone in the boat to flick the switch back up to be able to start the engine. Doesn't need another lanyard in position.
BUT the downside is it could encourage laziness as it doesn't need the lanyard in position.

No doubt the OP will post a pic showing something completely different!

ETA Something slightly different - still a Mercury & the same type of kill switch arrangement. https://www.marineengine.com/parts/i...y/881170A6.jpg

[DJarvis]

You were spot on, it is exactly as you described. I now have a visible kill switch with the lanyard.


Thank you all for the help.

Originally Posted by paintman

Not the best - all I could find - but this youtube shows the location of the kill switch on the 2000 unit.

Under the key you can see a plastic boxy thing with a slot in its top.

Look in from the rear & you will see a two position toggle/flick type switch.
This is the kill switch.
Up is for run, down is for off.

To turn off as that one is pictured use your key through the slot to push it down.

To fit the lanyard hold it so the plastic loop is vertical with the cord at the bottom.
Put the loop over the switch & push the switch up into the run position.
The lanyard should now be hanging down held in place by the switch.
Operates by flicking the switch down when the lanyard is pulled.

An advantage is that if you go overboard with the lanyard it just needs someone in the boat to flick the switch back up to be able to start the engine. Doesn't need another lanyard in position.
BUT the downside is it could encourage laziness as it doesn't need the lanyard in position.

No doubt the OP will post a pic showing something completely different!

ETA Something slightly different - still a Mercury & the same type of kill switch arrangement. https://www.marineengine.com/parts/i...y/881170A6.jpg

[paintman]

Thank you for letting us know it's resolved