Running an Outboard without Charger!

[Zagato]

A year old Marina 5HP came with the boat I recently bought. The broker said you can ruin the internal coil if you run it without hooking up the charging lead to the battery. I couldn't find anything in the manual about this despite him saying the warning is in there. The charging lead does not seem to have been used/fitted on the engine as it is still coiled up cleanly in it's bag.

Does he mean if you have the charging lead connected to the engine it should be connected to a battery?

 

[Rigger Mortice]

If it is just a basic coil (which is most likely) then the broker is talking out of his hat.

 

[rob2]

Wrong end!

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Wrong end!

I was being polite so I edited my first draft :encouragement:

 

[fergie_mac66]

dont let the end of the cable drop inthe water if connected to engine

 

[VicS]

A year old Marina 5HP came with the boat I recently bought. The broker said you can ruin the internal coil if you run it without hooking up the charging lead to the battery. I couldn't find anything in the manual about this despite him saying the warning is in there. The charging lead does not seem to have been used/fitted on the engine as it is still coiled up cleanly in it's bag.

Does he mean if you have the charging lead connected to the engine it should be connected to a battery?

You will do no harm if you run your outboard without the charging circuit connected to a battery !!

If it is connected and you disconnect it while the engine is running you might damage the rectifier.


If a lead was fitted and you did not want to use it the end should be insulated so as not to short it out .... or you might damage the rectifier and or the coil.

If you decide to use it be sure to connect it to the battery with the polarity correct or you will fry the rectifier in an instant.

 

[Zagato]

Thanks VicS :encouragement:

 

[Giblets]

I have no trouble running my Tohatsu 6HP saildrive with charging circuit disconnected when flushing the engine at home. Wires ends are both insulated so no danger of shorting. The broker is a knob and shouldn't be in the job!.

 

[jdc]

Hardly surprising it's gutless!

(sorry, not a useful contribution, but was amused by the juxtaposition...)