What does this thing do??

[ontheplane]

On the back (or front in terms of direction of travel) of my friends Yamaha 15hp it has (from right to left as you look at it) the fuel inlet, the choke, the engine stop button and then a screw threaded cap which opens to reveal two electrical contacts.

I had assumed this was a 12v charging circuit for use when the engine is fitted up to a battery (although it's a manual start) - but putting a voltmeter across it there is not a voltage there.

Can anyone tell me what it is for please??

See photos (sorry they are a bit large - forgot to reduce them before uploading).
Never posted pics here before either so this may go totally wrong!
<center>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1032.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1032.jpg" border="0" alt="Cap over outlet" ></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1033.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1033.jpg" border="0" alt="Outlet" ></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1034.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1034.jpg" border="0" alt="Outlet (far left of pic)" ></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1035.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1035.jpg" border="0" alt="Wire to outlet" ></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1036.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1036.jpg" border="0" alt="Wire from outlet" ></a>
<a href="http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/?action=view&current=IMG_1037.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/grantmidsummernight/th_IMG_1037.jpg" border="0" alt="Wire meets all the other wiring" ></a>
</center>

Thank you muchly

 

[ontheplane]

Help! - don't think those links are gonna work!

 

[ontheplane]

Try this

 

[ontheplane]

Phew - worked!

 

[Tugw]

Connection for a kill-cord?

 

[mainshiptom]

12 volt output to riun nav lights?

 

[ontheplane]

Could be a kill chord I spose - how would I check that??

Not a 12v output - or if it is, something is not connected up.

 

[mainshiptom]

If its a kill cord the engine would not start without the kill cord plugged in?

 

[epervier]

12 volt output to riun nav lights?

I agree with you Tom, 12v outlet for, lights, charging a battery, powering up a fishfinder, it looks like a small Yammy,if it were a kill cord they are normally a horseshoe shaped piece of plastic that pushes into a sprung loaded button switch.
Hey, but I could be wrong.

 

[ontheplane]

So assuming there is no 12v across the terminals, what is not connected up then ??

I have looked for a loose connection or anything not wired up but can't see anything.

 

[Cliveshep]

12 volt dc supply for battery charging or lights etc. If no voltage have you got it the right way round (meter I mean). If yes and no voltage then the charging coils are kaput or you have a duff conneciton inside the casing somewhere.

You can take out the stop button and wire a kill cord switch to it if you want, same circuit and same size hole in front lower cover casing.

 

[jfm]

Yup, definitely a 12v supply, esp judging by where the wires lead to. Nothing to do with killcord. It's possible that it is 12v AC, no rectifier, if it is a basic upgrade intended just to run nav lights. Indeed there is no visible rectifier in the pics, though it could be around the port side of the engine out of shot. If it is a 12v AC supply, the volmeter wont see a reading unless it's set to AC. Or it could be a busted coil, connection or rectifier that is causing there to be no voltage. And sorry if telling OP to suck eggs, but the engine has to be running fast for there to be any voltage - it'll be nil volts when motor stopped (I'm sure you knew that, sorry, just checking!)

 

[ontheplane]

Yup, definitely a 12v supply, esp judging by where the wires lead to. Nothing to do with killcord. It's possible that it is 12v AC, no rectifier, if it is a basic upgrade intended just to run nav lights. Indeed there is no visible rectifier in the pics, though it could be around the port side of the engine out of shot. If it is a 12v AC supply, the volmeter wont see a reading unless it's set to AC. Or it could be a busted coil, connection or rectifier that is causing there to be no voltage. And sorry if telling OP to suck eggs, but the engine has to be running fast for there to be any voltage - it'll be nil volts when motor stopped (I'm sure you knew that, sorry, just checking!)

Aha, ok, I've only checked it at tickover and with the Voltmeter set to DC, although I had expected to see something.

Will re-check at higher revs and with voltmeter on AC and will come back at ya - is there an off-the-shelf rectifyer I could plug in, as having an emergency charger on board his boat might be useful one day!