Outboard Engine Kill Cord

I have a 4 stroke Yamaha engine, so the kill switch is different.

This free to register boat forum is a great place for questions like this. Good group. They've helped me on a few issues.

It's no CR4, but good for boat questions.

If the points are connected to ground, then a kill switch at this location to ground is OK. The kill switch should short out the points. Now, you could have an electronic ignition module that requires no power. Same deal, ground the primary of the coil. Check the switch itself. A few days ago, I retrofitted a lawn mower with electronic ignition. I need to add a kill switch, because my throttle cable doesn't have the displacement. Kill could also be ON/Off and not momentary.

Cheers for that, I'll be checking it out

The reason I suggested it, is that usually the kill switch is also a safety feature. They are designed so that if your hand comes off the tiller, (like if you hit a rock, log, or get thrown from the boat), it will cut the engine. I would hook it up the way it was intended.

Good luck.

Seems like the earth to your tiller has failed. Run a wire back to anything on the engine lump, or anything directly connected to it.

Earth it back to the engine block is that?

It should do the biz - it's what I'd do - got to assume that the biggest lump of metal is an earth. But it may be worth checking with the site Kramarat linked (in case boat folk are weird ).

_{["it has been 6 months since I had it off" -you should be so lucky!!!]}