Yanmar Starting Issue – Ignition Switch Problem

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Homer Shannon

.......... And, I hope that someday, down the line, someone will read this post and say, “Aw, Christ! It’s just the bloody fuse!”

Haha, that is (and always has been), the hidden truth about electrical / electronic repairs. One can spend countless thankless hours looking for the fault but until the faulty section or component is isolated, it can't be fixed.

The rectification can regularly be completed in minutes and often for little cost - as your experience demonstrates.

I always said I got paid for knowing how to look and where to look for a defect rather than for replacing the faulty item.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Wotname

... I always said I got paid for knowing how to look and where to look for a defect rather than for replacing the faulty item.

Indeed.

The story goes:
Henry Ford once balked at paying $10,000 to General Electric for work done troubleshooting a generator, and asked for an itemized bill.
The engineer who performed the work, Charles Steinmetz, sent this:
"Making chalk mark on generator, $1.
Knowing where to make mark, $9,999."

Ford paid the bill.

[Davo1404]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Steve's right. Between the harness wire size, the harness trailer plug connectors and the distances involved, Steve's recommendation makes sense.


Why? 'Cuz tons of Yanmar owners have done it. And they repeatedly bring it up on sbo.com on a regular basis. I think there may be more small Yanmar owners there, since this forum has a much wider vasriety of engines.


https://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...yanmar%20relay

Yes after many years of the clicking problem when pressing the starter button. Changed the button, starting battery & checked all the connections, still had the problem. Got a marine electrician to check it out & there was only 11 v at the starter motor when depressing the button. Totally fixed by installing a relay. I have already posted this fix elsewhere & was shot down by another poster saying that it should still start with 11volts. Totally wrong!!

[Davo1404]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I don't know if this will help. I have a Yanmar 3YM30. I freaked one day when it wouldn't start. There was no reason for this. I started messing around with the starter button and found that when I pressed in the middle it wouldn't start, when I put the pressure on the left side of button it started every time.

Been there done that. It's not the starter button it's the wiring loom being under sized. I replaced the button & it didn't fix it. Finally solved by fitting a relay close to the starter motor.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by taylormobile

I had the same problem with our 1989 Yanmar. In fact the PO had installed a backup ignition switch near the engine. After much research I found that the Yanmar wiring harness is undersized. I ran a new wire which helped but I still had inconsistent results. The best solution that I found is to add a start relay in the engine area to shorten the path of the high amperage circuit. I was told that all newer Yanmar harnesses have this relay. I added the relay 4 years ago and the problem has never reoccurred. However, at the same time 4 years ago I also installed a new start solenoid. So I actually had 2 variables with the fix.

Steve
1989 Catalina 42

Our 1989 Catalina 42 had the same problem. We cured it with a relay near the starter. No more problems. The Catalina 42 owners group had a schematic on how to do it, because so many people had the same problem.

But, a lot of people just put the extra starter button by the engine, too. We thought about doing that. Two ways of fixing the same problem.