Ignition key or fuel stop lever, which first?

[John Lowery]

Can anyone tell me if I have damaged to any electrical components when I attempted to turn the engine off with the key, then realized you are supposed to shut down by pulling the red handle fuel stop lever and THEN turn off the key when the engine is not running.

Thank you.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Nope, you're OK. The key simply energizes the power to the control panel, including the engine hour meter and other gauges. As you've found out, assuming you have a diesel engine, the engine will run even if the key is off.

 

[John Lowery]

Thanks Stu. Yes its a Diesel. I thought I read somewhere NOT to turn the key off first, but after the 'incident'....I couldn't find what I thought I read.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

What you likely read was the possibility of shorting the alternator diodes by breaking the circuit but the way in which most contemporary elec circuits are wired, it can't happen. If you did blow the diodes, you'd easily know it indicated by an alternator failure.

 

[Stu Jackson]

...by breaking the circuit but the way in which most contemporary elec circuits are wired, it can't happen...

What Don's referring to is breaking the alternator OUTPUT. Turning off your key switch would not do that. The AO is either run to your 1-2-B switch or directly to your house bank, so the key switch doesn't enter into that issue.