Solenoid/Starter mystery wire

It might help to see what that black wire is going to on the other side. There shouldn't be a ground wire going to the solenoid at all. The bare metal back of the solenoid should ground it to the bracket or the block.

If that wire is truly a ground, I'm thinking it might have gone to one of the mounting bolts.

I have concluded that the black wire does indeed go to the mounting bolt for the coil pack and also to the mounting bolt for the computer.

So it probably has no business on a solenoid terminal...

Your EFI delivery is really controlled by the wires numbered 26 and 41 thru the 12.5 amp breaker when the engine is running.

The I terminal is receiving no power from the solenoid internal circuitry unless the key is in the START position.

When you release the key to the RUN position there is still power at the I terminal but it's from the connection at the 12.5 amp breaker that you can see in the diagram

So if you lost power like you did originally, I'd figure it was your 12.5 amp breaker being tripped and it sounds like you put power back to the I terminal or the breaker with a jumper and bypassed the breaker.too

Since the boat ran good, I'd think maybe a bad breaker. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's tripped or reset, but with a multimeter you could figure out if there's continuity through the breaker.

It's a goofy use of the I terminal, but I figure during starting it gives full voltage to the electronics and when you release the key after the engine is started, the big current draw from the starter is gone and the path through the I terminal isn't needed.

Just the same principle as the I terminal being used to bypass the ballast resistor on some engines with a resistor.

So in other words, check out your 12.5 amp breaker and don't throw the old solenoid away 'cause it's probably good

If you didn't bypass the breaker, I'd follow that 41 wire back to the junction with the 28 wire and then to the 8 plug connector and check the connector cleanliness.

Here's an old thread with a picture of a cut apart solenoid and a lot of I terminal discussion

old thread

The dash breakers decline over time but they are either working or not.

MACS81SN wrote: I've looked at picture a half dozen times and unless it's an optical illusion in the picture, looks to me like the battery cable is on the wrong terminal on solenoid.   Schematic shows large cable from battery on one large terminal with small 12-14ga. wire coming off of it and another large cable from starter on other large terminal.

Mark,
The picture is correct for a starter with the actual solenoid on the starter itself. The title of this thread should be "starter relay" as that, in this case, is the function with both the battery cable and then the cable to the starter on the same large post.

Swellbound

If I was you, I'd feel pretty proud that you saved your vacation with a little troubleshooting and creativity

Jonny Quest wrote: Swellbound I'm in South Jordan. Ive got a sister boat...1994 SNOB HO engine.   If you need a hand, give me a shout. I'm pretty good with a wrench. 281-732-4233

And JQ has had some experience with that "I terminal" as well during his ProTec removal

Jonny Quest wrote: BTW, the "I" terminal is still going strong. [IMG]

Ken,

Thanks for the explation.   I've seen this setup in vehicles I've worked on but not in a boat.
Learn a little something here everyday.

The 502 in our ski has one of those small starters, spins that beast right over.

For Swellbound

Have you actually run this yet since the new solenoid?

I see where you turned it over and assumed it would start, but nothing else.

Call me skeptical, but I think you have the original problem still and will need your jumper setup.