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Author Topic:   OMC Wiring Color Codes

davidestel posted 11-13-2005 05:34 AM ET (US)
Hi, Davide from Italy here.
I'm trying to fit a 225 V6 Evinrude dated 1988 on my boat, after 3 weeks finally everything done but now I want to install all the indicators RPM/Temp/Volt/Trim and so on; How can I find the correct cable on the connector (there are a lot of cables: black, gray, purple, red/yellow, etc.)? At the moment I know only the gound (black) Could somebody help me?
jimh posted 11-13-2005 09:05 AM ET (US)
You may be able to deduce what wire is for what function from this color code chart (see link below). Or, obtain a factory service manual with the wiring diagrams.
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html#OMC
kingfish posted 11-13-2005 09:09 AM ET (US)
Goood morning Davide-
Try this link to Boston Whaler and outboard motor wiring color codes that our moderator, Jim Hebert, has published in a different area of this website: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html
You will probably find your answers there, and you will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of typical wiring color standards in general.
Please come back here and tell us if that helped, or if you still have questions.
Good luck-
John
kingfish posted 11-13-2005 09:10 AM ET (US)
Sorry Jim-
I was typing while you were posting and didn't know you had already answered Davide's question.
John
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-13-2005 10:42 AM ET (US)
David may be along ways from a manual in Italy. From my
1997 service manual:
Black: Ground throughout.
Purple: Instrument lights throughout.
Trim-tilt switch:
Red w/ white supplies power.
Green w/ white: Up or down (don't see which right off)
Blue w/ white: Up or down
Trim guage:
White w/ tan: signal
Black: Ground
Purple: Instrument lights.
Alarm beeper ("horn"):
Tan w/blue: Signal
Purple: Instrument Lights.
It's unclear what the return path is.

Conventional Tach:
Grey: tach signal.
Black: Ground
Purple: Instrument lights.
Ignition switch: 7 pin connector.
No details in the manual.
SystemCheck TachL 8 pin connector.
No details in the manual.
If you are using OMC gauges it should just plug in.
But they changed the gauges in '95, so you need an
adapter harness to use pre-95 gauges with post-95 harness
or vice-versa. If you need these, the p/ns are in my
manual somewhere, let me know and I'll find them.

Chuck
davidestel posted 11-13-2005 11:39 AM ET (US)
Thanks to everybody, connections done. Now I suppouse that the gauges don't work properly.
Trim: moves only for the last 1/4 of the scale from full down.
Tach: when the engine run the indicator is at about 200/250 RPM. Is that normal? I don't thìnk this.
Maybe the gauges must be replaced or calibrated?
Tom W Clark posted 11-13-2005 12:50 PM ET (US)
Davide,
You probably need to adjust the sender for the trim gauge.
You also probably need to set the dial on the back of the tach to the correct pulse setting for that motor.
WhalerAce posted 11-17-2005 12:45 PM ET (US)
Chuck,
On the power trim:
UP is Blue (think the blue sky)
DOWN is Green (think the green sea)
WhalerAce posted 11-17-2005 12:45 PM ET (US)
Chuck,
On the power trim:
UP is Blue (think the blue sky)
DOWN is Green (think the green sea)
WhalerAce posted 11-17-2005 12:47 PM ET (US)
Sorry, hit the enter button to create CR/LF, did not realize I was already in the name/pw field.
And I think that purple just means SWITCHED +12vdc
Ace out!
banff22 posted 11-17-2005 08:48 PM ET (US)
In my 1990 Evinrude/Johnson service manual for 120 thru 140, 185 thru 225, 300 Models, I have a number of fold out colour wiring diagrams. Are these not what davidestel is looking for?
I scanned them all about a year into my computer for someone else. I could email them. They're fairly large files so I need to know your not on dial up.
Peter
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-17-2005 10:28 PM ET (US)
You're right, purple is +12 with ignition on.
Lights are blue.
If you take those scans, and convert them to an indexed
color format such as BMP or PNG with a small number of
colors, they will compress REALLY well.

Chuck
Joe Kriz posted 11-17-2005 10:38 PM ET (US)
I am certainly not going to argue with Chuck or his manual, but let's take a look at the tach he shows above...
------
Conventional Tach:
Grey: tach signal.
Black: Ground
Purple: Instrument lights.
------
From the above, where does the tach get its electrical power...???
The gray wire which is signal, or pulse for the tach, is not power from the battery.
As soon as you turn the key ON, the tach moves slightly to show there is power. The tach does not work until the engine is started and then the gray wire for signal kicks in. Without power from the purple wire, the tach would still do nothing.
I have always known OMC to use Purple as "Power when Key Switch ON"...
All of my OMC instrument instructions state that purple is ignition on, power.
The BLUE wire has always been used for lights in every OMC instrument I have ever seen.
davidestel posted 11-19-2005 03:01 AM ET (US)
Let's go,
the engine runs,
the instruments light is ok;
Instruments Lights:
Black= common ground
Purple= common +12 V
Trim gauge:
Black and white= groung
White= signal from trim
Purple= +12 V
I mean that purple is ever +12V!!
jimh posted 11-19-2005 11:45 AM ET (US)
OMC often misidentifies the color of the VIOLET wire as PURPLE in their literature. In the jargon of electronics, wire insulation is colored violet, not purple. Purple is the color of certain candy mints and children's toys.
The use of a BLUE wire for +12-volt power associated with lighting is very common. This is not particularly a feature of the ENGINE but more related to the BOAT. The engine seldom contains any illumination wiring.
In the color code reference I mentioned above, you will find that the BLUE conductor is listed as being associated with various lighting or illumination functions.
jimh posted 11-19-2005 11:47 AM ET (US)
From what I can tell, just about all the advice given above in this discussion regarding interpretation of wire color codes is consistent with the listing I mentioned earlier. I again refer you to it as I think it is quite comprehensive:
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html

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Author	Topic: OMC Wiring Color Codes
davidestel	posted 11-13-2005 05:34 AM ET (US) Hi, Davide from Italy here. I'm trying to fit a 225 V6 Evinrude dated 1988 on my boat, after 3 weeks finally everything done but now I want to install all the indicators RPM/Temp/Volt/Trim and so on; How can I find the correct cable on the connector (there are a lot of cables: black, gray, purple, red/yellow, etc.)? At the moment I know only the gound (black) Could somebody help me?
jimh	posted 11-13-2005 09:05 AM ET (US) You may be able to deduce what wire is for what function from this color code chart (see link below). Or, obtain a factory service manual with the wiring diagrams. http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html#OMC
kingfish	posted 11-13-2005 09:09 AM ET (US) Goood morning Davide- Try this link to Boston Whaler and outboard motor wiring color codes that our moderator, Jim Hebert, has published in a different area of this website: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html You will probably find your answers there, and you will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of typical wiring color standards in general. Please come back here and tell us if that helped, or if you still have questions. Good luck- John
kingfish	posted 11-13-2005 09:10 AM ET (US) Sorry Jim- I was typing while you were posting and didn't know you had already answered Davide's question. John
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-13-2005 10:42 AM ET (US) David may be along ways from a manual in Italy. From my 1997 service manual: Black: Ground throughout. Purple: Instrument lights throughout. Trim-tilt switch: Red w/ white supplies power. Green w/ white: Up or down (don't see which right off) Blue w/ white: Up or down Trim guage: White w/ tan: signal Black: Ground Purple: Instrument lights. Alarm beeper ("horn"): Tan w/blue: Signal Purple: Instrument Lights. It's unclear what the return path is. Conventional Tach: Grey: tach signal. Black: Ground Purple: Instrument lights. Ignition switch: 7 pin connector. No details in the manual. SystemCheck TachL 8 pin connector. No details in the manual. If you are using OMC gauges it should just plug in. But they changed the gauges in '95, so you need an adapter harness to use pre-95 gauges with post-95 harness or vice-versa. If you need these, the p/ns are in my manual somewhere, let me know and I'll find them. Chuck
davidestel	posted 11-13-2005 11:39 AM ET (US) Thanks to everybody, connections done. Now I suppouse that the gauges don't work properly. Trim: moves only for the last 1/4 of the scale from full down. Tach: when the engine run the indicator is at about 200/250 RPM. Is that normal? I don't thìnk this. Maybe the gauges must be replaced or calibrated?
Tom W Clark	posted 11-13-2005 12:50 PM ET (US) Davide, You probably need to adjust the sender for the trim gauge. You also probably need to set the dial on the back of the tach to the correct pulse setting for that motor.
WhalerAce	posted 11-17-2005 12:45 PM ET (US) Chuck, On the power trim: UP is Blue (think the blue sky) DOWN is Green (think the green sea)
WhalerAce	posted 11-17-2005 12:45 PM ET (US) Chuck, On the power trim: UP is Blue (think the blue sky) DOWN is Green (think the green sea)
WhalerAce	posted 11-17-2005 12:47 PM ET (US) Sorry, hit the enter button to create CR/LF, did not realize I was already in the name/pw field. And I think that purple just means SWITCHED +12vdc Ace out!
banff22	posted 11-17-2005 08:48 PM ET (US) In my 1990 Evinrude/Johnson service manual for 120 thru 140, 185 thru 225, 300 Models, I have a number of fold out colour wiring diagrams. Are these not what davidestel is looking for? I scanned them all about a year into my computer for someone else. I could email them. They're fairly large files so I need to know your not on dial up. Peter
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-17-2005 10:28 PM ET (US) You're right, purple is +12 with ignition on. Lights are blue. If you take those scans, and convert them to an indexed color format such as BMP or PNG with a small number of colors, they will compress REALLY well. Chuck
Joe Kriz	posted 11-17-2005 10:38 PM ET (US) I am certainly not going to argue with Chuck or his manual, but let's take a look at the tach he shows above... ------ Conventional Tach: Grey: tach signal. Black: Ground Purple: Instrument lights. ------ From the above, where does the tach get its electrical power...??? The gray wire which is signal, or pulse for the tach, is not power from the battery. As soon as you turn the key ON, the tach moves slightly to show there is power. The tach does not work until the engine is started and then the gray wire for signal kicks in. Without power from the purple wire, the tach would still do nothing. I have always known OMC to use Purple as "Power when Key Switch ON"... All of my OMC instrument instructions state that purple is ignition on, power. The BLUE wire has always been used for lights in every OMC instrument I have ever seen.
davidestel	posted 11-19-2005 03:01 AM ET (US) Let's go, the engine runs, the instruments light is ok; Instruments Lights: Black= common ground Purple= common +12 V Trim gauge: Black and white= groung White= signal from trim Purple= +12 V I mean that purple is ever +12V!!
jimh	posted 11-19-2005 11:45 AM ET (US) OMC often misidentifies the color of the VIOLET wire as PURPLE in their literature. In the jargon of electronics, wire insulation is colored violet, not purple. Purple is the color of certain candy mints and children's toys. The use of a BLUE wire for +12-volt power associated with lighting is very common. This is not particularly a feature of the ENGINE but more related to the BOAT. The engine seldom contains any illumination wiring. In the color code reference I mentioned above, you will find that the BLUE conductor is listed as being associated with various lighting or illumination functions.
jimh	posted 11-19-2005 11:47 AM ET (US) From what I can tell, just about all the advice given above in this discussion regarding interpretation of wire color codes is consistent with the listing I mentioned earlier. I again refer you to it as I think it is quite comprehensive: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html