Running Honda 8 when off the boat

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Jaguar 25

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My Honda 8 outboard is operated via remote controls with the kill switch on the remotes rather than the outboard. The engineer who serviced the engine earlier this year told me that it was not possible to run the engine without the remotes unless by a Honda dealer with the necessary equipmemnt that he didn't have. So, I removed the remotes and he was then able to run the engine after he had serviced it - new impellor, new thermostat, etc.

I now have the engine at home and feel there must be an easier way to run it off the boat. Surely all it needs is to mimic the action of the kill switch within the electrical connections but I have no idea how to do this. Can anyone advise on this as I will feel better if come next April I can run the engine before reinstalling it on the boat?
 
It does seem a bit surprising, but anything is possible with modern engines. A quick google doesn't find any mention of remote kits for a BF8 (assuming this is what you have) - can you provide a bit more information?

What are the connections from engine to remote like? Never mind the steering, but what else is there?

Pete
 
Why not obtaining cheap multi-meter, find what wires do things with remotes off engine, see what pair wires respond to kill switch in connection plug, what is ignition pair and like that. Then buy remote plug fit engine and make up small remote electric for house? If cannot buy plug then find what wires, find wires inside engine and make extra connection to them and put your own plug on to use in home?
 
If the problem is just stopping it and you can’t activate the kill switch manually...she will certainly stop if you take the air filter off and block the intake with your hand. Failing that, pull the fuel line off.
 
steve66 said:
To stop the engine find the bullet end female the kill cord is connected to...put a nail into it and earth it against the engine to stop
Click to expand...

He doesn't want to stop the engine, he wants to run it.

And unless the mechanic is a numpty (which is possible, of course) the "remotes" are presumably more sophisticated than just a couple of switches and a Morse cable. Otherwise the mechanic could run the engine without them by shorting a couple of wires together.

CAN on an 8hp outboard seems a bit unlikely, though I have encountered a 330cc single-cylinder genset controlled by CAN signals so it is possible. Hence asking the OP for more detail about these remote controls, but since he hasn't provided any information (not even the outboard model number) there's not a lot we can do.

Pete
 
prv said:
It does seem a bit surprising, but anything is possible with modern engines. A quick google doesn't find any mention of remote kits for a BF8 (assuming this is what you have) - can you provide a bit more information?

What are the connections from engine to remote like? Never mind the steering, but what else is there?

Pete
Click to expand...

Here are the engine details:
Year of manuafacture 2011
Model number: Basically a BF8, full model number is HZBF8LRE (indicating long shaft, remotes and electric (start presumably).
The connection harness between the remotes and the outboard comprise 6 leads connecting via a multi-pin plug and 4 leads connecting via a separate multi-pin plug. The heavy leads from the battery also terminate in the outboard, as would be expected.

So, the 10 electrical leads may indicate that there are 5 circuits but returns seem to be routed through the earthed support frame so maybe 10 circuits. The wiring diagram shows 6 connections between the remote control box and the outboard (plus another 2 for optional voltmeter and tachometer, which are not included). However, harness may be made up to include the additional non-utilised circuits for ease of stock holding.

The circuits shown on the wiring diagram are:
ignition (3 leads, although one of these finishes close to but not at the ignition swich box)),
indicator light (2 leads),
buzzer (1 lead),

then two not used options of:
tachometer (1 lead),
voltmeter (1 lead)

Any thoughts?
 
bigboatman40 said:
Why not obtaining cheap multi-meter, find what wires do things with remotes off engine, see what pair wires respond to kill switch in connection plug, what is ignition pair and like that. Then buy remote plug fit engine and make up small remote electric for house? If cannot buy plug then find what wires, find wires inside engine and make extra connection to them and put your own plug on to use in home?
Click to expand...

Not sure how I would establish the different circuiuts using a multi-meter (which I have) when the outboard is in my shed.

May be possible to do it using the wiring diagram but I have not tried this yet.
 
Jaguar 25 said:
Not sure how I would establish the different circuiuts using a multi-meter (which I have) when the outboard is in my shed.

May be possible to do it using the wiring diagram but I have not tried this yet.
Click to expand...

The pair of wires you are looking for for a kill switch connection or improvisation will be colour coded black and black/red. (The plain black wire being the common ground connection)

I assume you can manually start the engine .
 
Jaguar 25 said:
So, are you suggesting shorting these two wires together will allow the engine to start using the
pull cord of the recoil mechanism?
Click to expand...

No. I'd expect shorting them together will stop the engine. But Hondas may be different to most others. Check you existing switch to see which way it works and do tell us exactly what model you have then we can be sure to look at the right manual and wiring diagram

EDIT That seems to be correct. Grounding the red/black wire will stop the engine
 
Last edited:
My god...this forum is half full of smart arse, non assisting and condescending so and so’s.
Maybe we should take a leaf
Out out neighbour/trans Atlantic forum, IBoats.
 
VicS said:
No. I'd expect shorting them together will stop the engine. But Hondas may be different to most others. Check you existing switch to see which way it works and do tell us exactly what model you have then we can be sure to look at the right manual and wiring diagram

EDIT That seems to be correct. Grounding the red/black wire will stop the engine
Click to expand...

In the normal operational mode I would have thought that removing the kill cord from the kill switch cuts the connection to the ignition switch and so stops the engine. Model details were supplied in Post 7. As previously stated, I want to be able to run the engine away from the boat, stopping can be done a number of ways.

It may be easier to just remove the remotes and bring them to the outboard as I did last year!
 
Jaguar 25 said:
In the normal operational mode I would have thought that removing the kill cord from the kill switch cuts the connection to the ignition switch and so stops the engine. Model details were supplied in Post 7. As previously stated, I want to be able to run the engine away from the boat, stopping can be done a number of ways.

It may be easier to just remove the remotes and bring them to the outboard as I did last year!
Click to expand...

No the engine is stopped by connecting the red / black wire and the black wire together . In effect grounding the red/black and shorting part of the ignition circuit.


Sorry I completely missed post #7. I will take a look at the wiring diagram later.
 
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