Kill Switch - Lanyard question...

[dsteele1]

I've been having intermittent problems with the kill switch lanyard pushing the switch open (off): go to start the engine and nothing... Smartcraft will not even come on. It seems the lanyard plastic loop that fits around the kill switch is just a hair too large and pushes the switch down slightly making an intermittent connection. :smt021

Anyone else have this problem? I've since pulled the lanyard off completely and had no problems. :smt038 I'll shave down the diameter to get it to work properly...

Question: If I were to pull the lanyard while driving in forward or reverse (like if I were to be ejected from the boat), wouldn't that kill the engine while in gear... a big no-no with a BIII drive???? :wow: My mechanic said "Never turn off the engine while in gear! To get the drive into neutral by pulling the throttle will destroy the sterndrive shift cable requiring a sterndrive pull to replace it." How do you get it into neutral without screwing the shift cable up. :huh:

 

[Go Aweigh2452]

I've been having intermittent problems with the kill switch lanyard pushing the switch open (off): go to start the engine and nothing... Smartcraft will not even come on. It seems the lanyard plastic loop that fits around the kill switch is just a hair too large and pushes the switch down slightly making an intermittent connection. :smt021

Anyone else have this problem? I've since pulled the lanyard off completely and had no problems. :smt038 I'll shave down the diameter to get it to work properly...

Question: If I were to pull the lanyard while driving in forward or reverse (like if I were to be ejected from the boat), wouldn't that kill the engine while in gear... a big no-no with a BIII drive???? :wow: My mechanic said "Never turn off the engine while in gear! To get the drive into neutral by pulling the throttle will destroy the sterndrive shift cable requiring a sterndrive pull to replace it." How do you get it into neutral without screwing the shift cable up. :huh:

Ideally, you are not suppose to kill the engine while the boat is in gear. BUT... this is an emergency... if you fall overboard, it would be nice to not have the boat take off w/o you.

having said that, I have never used the lanyard... Been boating over 40 years. When outside the cockpit, the boat is in neutral.

They also have remote lanyards so you can walk around without being tied to the helm...

 

[thunderbird1]

While out pulling my daughter on a tube one weekend, I somehow managed to snag the lanyard and kill the engine. Yes, the boat engine does stop while in gear, and yes the boat and occupants decelerate rapidly. Not as fast as the time we powered into a sand bar, however. We got lots of water over the swim platform too when the wake caught up with the boat. My daughter was the most upset about the incident, however, aggressively displaying the speed up sign as her tube gently coasted toward the stalled boat.

I was able to pull the throttle back into neutral (with minor pressure). After fixing the kill switch, the engine started and all was well.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

I had a bravo III for near 10 years..last boat.
If you only do it occasionally you are OK.
This may stress the shift cable until you restart the motor.
If you are not going for a restart leave the shifter where it is.

 

[Nehalennia]

........If you are not going for a restart leave the shifter where it is.

Not sure I understand this?

 

[top*prop]

since you have smarcraft gagues i take it you have a late model boat. the bIII's now have diferent shift springs in the drive which makes it a lot easier to return to neutral when shut of in gear...... when the bravos came out the springs in them were very tight and you could cause damaage to the shift cable or the shift jaws that hold the cable. though you still dont want to shut it off in gear you are less likely to cause damage if you do.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Not sure I understand this?

If your motor stops for any reason ( Lanyard pulled, hitting something or grounding ect..) Don't return the shifter to neutral until you are ready to restart the motor.
The stress on the cable is when the shifter is moved when the engine isn't running.