ALarms Until BOTH Engines Started?

[pascavone]

chapter 10 of the book says:

turn the key to run, no horn, then jump post "A" postitive battery to "B" good ground.

if no horn, then jump "C" positive to "D" to a good ground.

The horn sounds because it is wired to the tachometer, no RPM signal is an alarm, start engine then RPM and no alarm.

if the swtich is good next siwtch to check is your Engine neutral safety switch on the drive control or then lanyard switch could just be rusty, and need a shot of WD-40.

those switches will control the engine starting and could be shorted to the 2nd engine.

the book has step by step testing of each switch by jumping them out or using a multi meter.

Example is my masserator, both switchs stuck solid, hung them down soak them with WD-40 and the crap started to fly..... still don;t need it but its a conversation peice.

[Captainjeff296]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this question! Okay... I will try to answer everyone's questions. When go to start the engines I insert BOTH keys in the slots but do not turn them unil I am ready to start. It doesn't matter WHICH engine I start with (Port or Starboard) I turn the key to ACC Alarm... I START the engine... Alarm... It NEVER shuts up. If I turn the key to OFF on the running SINGLE engine... It shuts down as advertised... Alarm stops when I turn the key off. This works with either PORT or STBD Engines.

Okay.. Here is where it gets goofy!

I start EITHER engine... ALARMS CONSTANT... I start the second engine... Immediate peace and running engines!

I shut down the port engine by the key... NO SHUT DOWN. (All instruments go dead... no charge, no engine indication on the guages... but port and stbd engine keeps running.
I leave the port engine key OFF... and turn STBD engine to OFF... BOTH ENGINES shut down.

I cannot for the life of me figure out what's going on? This began without any changes of any kind to the ignition or wiring. So, some component must have failed or something rattled loose I would assume?

Again, than you all for taking time to assist me with this!

[ss3964spd]

"Here is where it starts to get goofy"? It's already goofy! Something is feeding 12V to the other side Jeff.

First off the ACC (Accessory) is not actually ACC, but ON or RUN. The ignition switches have 3 positions; Off, On/Run, and Start. When the key is moved to On/Run the ignition system for that engine is energized as is the Alarm system. The alarm system is now waiting for input from sensors. With the key in the On/Run position the gauges for that engine are also supplied with 12V and that 12V feed is seperate from the 12V feed to the ignition system. The Start position does nothing more than engage the starter for that engine. When the key is switched to Off it kills the 12V feed (opens the circuit) to both the gauges and the ignition for that engine.

For the most part the electrical systems for both engines are completely independent. However, based on the symptoms you've provided, there is obviously at least one component that is shared by both.

Questions: Is there one or two emergency kill switches at the helm? When you turn either key, one at a time, to On/Run do ALL the guages light up or just the ones for that particular engine? Are there two seperate alarm buzzers under the helm or just one?

You're going to need to track down what is common electrically between the two, specifically the ignition systems. My first guess, based on how you describe what the alarms are doing (but without the benefit of a wiring diagram) is that the alarm system uses a single module for both engines.

Dan

[Captainjeff296]

Thanks Dan! You are right... I am sure SOMETHING is sharing power from SOME component. (I just can't seem to find it!)

To answer your questions I have TWO kill switches and they BOTH kill their respective engines as advertised.

Both guages work independently to their respective engines. So to that end, both of those systems work independently as they are supposed to.

There are TWO alarms the sound comes from two different places under the dash board, so they are separate as well.

As I said, I can START and STOP the engines separately if I only start ONE engine... Just the darned ALARM won't shut up until I start another engine.

Hope this helps! Thanks again!

[ss3964spd]

Jeff,

Question: With both engines running and keys in the Run position will the port engine kill switch shut down the port engine?

Even though you have two seperate alarm buzzers there might still be only one alarm control module that takes feeds from both engines. Given that you can start either engine and the alarm continues to sound until you start the other engine it seems to me the alarm system is suspect.

You state there are two alarm buzzers. If you start the starboard engine the alarm sounds until the port engine is started. Or, if you start the port engine first the alarm sounds until you start the starboard engine.

Another question then: If you start, say, the port engine, does the alarm for that engine keep sounding or is it the other one? Same question if you start the starboard engine first - which buzzer is sounding? Or is it always the same one?

Dan

[Captainjeff296]

Dan,

Both Emergency Kill Switches work as advertised with BOTH engines running. (I thought of the same thing!)

I am definitely suspecting the alarm generation system... I just don't know what it looks like or where it is located?

The alarms persist no matter WHAT sequence I start them in... Port first or Starboard first. the alarm will not stop intil BOTH engines are started.

The respective alarm systems stay on until the other engine is started. The alarms sides never change.

Thanks again!

Jeff