Windmistress broke her ignition switch. My 86 Hunter has a 2 pole setup with a push button starter. The key can be removed in the on position. Most of the switches I've seen many 3 pole, off-on-start switches, but almost no 2 polers. Can I rewire a 3 pole switch to work as a 2 pole just by ignoring the start pole? Is there a reason for the 2 pole setup? Is there a way to look at the switch to determine if the key can be removed in the on position?
Ignition Switch
- Thread starter wufibugs
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That's what I was thinking, Ron. I was trying to figure out why Hunter went with the 2 pole and starter button rather than the 3 pole setup. Cars dropped this idea before I learned to drive. Why the designated starter button in 86?
Why retain the 'push button' start? Why not? Personally I love it and in my refit I kept it. I also removed the key switch.... Could not see the point as we already have battery isolators, kill switches and anyway, if someone wanted to motor the boat away they would first have to put some diesel in!wufibugs said:
Historically engines were always thumbed up, the key was only added later to improve security. If you look at most modern low volume sports cars and some top of the range production cars here in Europe you will often see a push button start.
Either way
This is not a problem to wire up either way. If using a three pole switch, just leave the push button wired up, and the starter terminal on the switch empty. Or, use the starter terminal on the switch, and eliminate the push button. I think it is just a matter of personal preferance. I recently changed mine, and went with the starter terminal on the switch, and for some strange reason, now think I preferred it the other way. FWIW, on many, if not most, of the Yanmar panels, the key can be removed in the on position, and many can be turned on with anything you can put into the slot.
This is not a problem to wire up either way. If using a three pole switch, just leave the push button wired up, and the starter terminal on the switch empty. Or, use the starter terminal on the switch, and eliminate the push button. I think it is just a matter of personal preferance. I recently changed mine, and went with the starter terminal on the switch, and for some strange reason, now think I preferred it the other way. FWIW, on many, if not most, of the Yanmar panels, the key can be removed in the on position, and many can be turned on with anything you can put into the slot.
A stupid question, I'm afraid. If I were to use the 3 pole and eliminate the starter button, where would to two wires liberated from the button go? I assume went to the starter solenoid and would be rerouted from the button to the start pole. I also assume the other came from the starting batt. Would that one be eliminated since the ignition switch already has a hot wire?
one would assum that sence the engins are also used in industrial applications...(witch came first btw) ..it was a creature of habit...and one would also assum that the 3 position switch came about via request from boat mfgs.......just my 2 cents....
regards
woody
In a boat, the engine is farther away from operator (not on the other side of a firewall) and it's is most likely louder being a diesel. This means that if the ingition switch doesn't snap back to the run position after being turned all the way to start, you probably won't know it until your starter is wrecked. Not an issue with a separate start button. Sometimes simple is good.
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