on/off switch

General Boats and Motors
1

I have a 2003 Johnson 140hp 4 stroke on a Key West 196 and a West Marine On/Off switch I want to install. Here is the final question at the end of this for those who may know the quick and correct answer…Do I run all the reds to the Common post and have a large red wire made to go from Battery post to the positive battery terminal? Any help appreciated.

There are 2 posts on the switch. Battery and Common

Currently the battery has a Red,Orange/Green, and a big Red on the Positive terminal
and Black, Green, and a big Black on the Negative terminal

The limited info with switch basically says there are a wide range of wiring configurations.

The chart that is with the instructions has a wire from the positive terminal to the Battery post on switch.

Then from the Common post on the switch it has a wire to the Positive Distribution Bus which has the Starter Engine off it and also runs to the Battery + on the Alternator.

It looks like to me that I hook the 3 wires (red, orange/green, and big red) from the current positive battery post to the On/Off switch. I’m trying to figure out which ones go to which posts (Battery or Common) on the On/Off switch.

Do I run all the reds to the Common post and have a large red wire made to go from Battery post to the positive battery terminal? Any help appreciated.
Thanks.
BKW

BKW

2

On a two post switch it doesnt matter. But just to be politically correct you would run the cable from the posative post of your battery to the common on the switch. Then Run a cable from the battery post of your switch to your buss bar. All your are doing is breaking and creating a connection b/t the battery and everthing it powers. Some things like the bilge pump you would probably not want to run through the switch just in case of emergency. You can even use the switch to break ground instead of power, however most people use them to break the power. Pretty much just like i told you above, anything you want powered by the switch needs to some how be connected to the battery post of your switch if you have the battery connected to the common post.

3

Thanks. I guess I’ll have to isolate the bilge somehow as I do think that’s important on the rare occasions I do leave it in the water.

All reds to Common Post on switch
One big red made to go from Battery post on switch to Positive Terminal

Sounds like I may be in business… thanks.

BKW