Ghost? My '02 4-tec turned itself on, beeped for 24 hours until it killed the battery

[Werkswell]

I was away, my neighbor is pissed, luckily the starter did not engage, but what caused it? I traced the kill switch harness to its connector and as soon as I unplugged the cable the symptom went away so I ask: is there a module that could be defective or is it simply that my cable is shorted?
Bob

 

[Kozerxp]

Sounds like to post went bad

 

[Werkswell]

It does, I wonder if the post is sold separately from the harness ($508 !)...or shall I carve it apart and take a look?

 

[jpeck]

Did you hear it beeping? or just thought that was what drained the battery.

 

[Werkswell]

Yes, as soon as I reconnect the newly recharged battery it acts like the "kill" plug is installed. It must be a problem inside the post. They list it as a separate part/cable but I think I'll cut it open first and look for corrosion or shorted wires. First problem I have ever had with this '03, and it has endured 165 hard ocean hours on it with only annual maintenance!

 

[Werkswell]

Thank you everyone! Yes, it was the lanyard post/switch. While probing the the wire ends (ohms test) the problem disappeared momentarily; then I realized that by squeezing the back of the post around the wires' epoxy seal I could get the problem to come to come and go: bingo!
I soldered in a new switch and the 'ski starts and stops as it should. The weekend is saved!

 

[Kozerxp]

Glad to hear your up and running again enjoy