MacGregorSailors.com

Before you waste time lookin around in the boat and buying multimeters etc, why not take a minute and check both of your engine"s ignition fuses which all manufacter's install as part of the motors electrical ingnition system, there will be to big ones usually 50-100 amps under your engine cowl somewhere usually top front of engine where your motors two battery cables terminate. One will be for your tilt trim the other for ignition. your second logical fault will be inside your ignition key switch and wire harness will have a short to grnd somewhere.

There is a fuse inside the cowling (see below)

However, your symptoms sound more typical of a corroded or lose battery terminal. Check both and make sure they are clean and solid.

Here's a page from the DF user manual (click to enlarge)


--Russ

Theres usually a fuse or two on the motor but lift the cover off and check for power.
Yeah beat me to it RussMT.

Thanks for all the suggestions and now I have a real live digital analyzer for next time. But would you believe my first instinct was right! There are fuses and relays in the Suzuki 60 and one is for the tilt mechanism, another for the start and so on. They were not blown they were never fully seated properly (this is why I had an intermittent problem at first). So - a good shove with my thumb and everything works just fine.

BTW - leaving all year round in Mexico is great. At Lake Chapala we are nestled in the Sierra Madre mountains on a lake that is about 77 kilometers long and about 35 kilometers across. I live at La Reserva (Interlago) in the west end of Ajijic. There is a huge community of Americans, Canadians and Europeans living here and yes ther is Walmart, Sams, Costcos, Home Depot, .......

Again thanks for the ideas, I'm heading out this afternoon for a sail on the lake with about 5 - 7 knots of wind on a gorgeous day.

Hasta Luego, Dave

PS - too bad I can't post a picture

Keep trying to post a photo with photobucket.com. With four postings, you must be close to being able to show your photo's.

Awesome news! So great when it's simple.

Now I'll have to check mine to make sure they are seated tightly.

Enjoy your sail.

--Russ

Great to hear it was so simple Even tho You did not need that meter on this fix....When You start doing more mods that might need electricity....it will come in handy. I did a Google Earth on that lake....looks like a nice lake and not too far from the coast Fair winds. Ron. Dauntless.

De nada amigo