How heavy a wire do I need?

[jayhanig]

I've got an intermittent problem with my Mercruiser 3.0 not wanting to crank when I turn the key. (I've read the sticky). To cut to the chase, I hear a click at the engine but I have to keep cycling the key a few times until it decides it wants to turn over. Once it does start cranking, it cranks strongly. The starter is only a couple of years old.

The sticky suggested, among other things, that I might get by out on the water by just jumping the terminals A and B. I'm usually by myself, so it might be helpful if I fashioned a jumper cable with alligator clips. Good idea? Bad idea? How heavy does the wire need to be? I figure it only needs to be about 6 inches long to be easy to manipulate with my bear paws.

I have vague memories of doing something similar in my car years ago using a screwdriver, accompanied by big sparks. With the car ignition turned to ON, the starter would turn over as long as I had the screwdriver touching both terminals. That makes me wonder what would happen with this brainstorm of mine on the boat. I could tie a 6 foot string on the wire so I could just pull the wire loose from my helm position once the engine starts. Not very elegant but it beats swimming back to the marina. Your thoughts?

Thanks in advance, gentlemen.

 

[ziggy]

imho, get a remote start switch.
the wires aren't to heavy. don't know what they are though.
i keep my remote start switch in my tools i carry on board.
mostly i use my remote start switch to set my dwell. i can't turn the key and adj. the points at the same time. i can use the remote start switch and adj. my points at the same time. works perfect for me, for this task.

of course, it'd be best to find out why your having a problem and fix it. but as a back up a remote start switch imho would be the way to go.

fwiw, the one i got looks like on the top row, 4th and 6th from the left. it's a momentary on switch. let go of the trigger and it discompletes the circut.

 

[Bt Doctur]

why dont you just replace the slave solenoid to start with. it gives a soft click.
short piece of wire, trolling wire, needle nose pliers, a quarter, nickle, or penny also work. with the throttle released so you can move the cable at the carb
short the slave with the key on.

 

[Scott Danforth]

have you checked all the battery connections? it sounds like either a bad connection or a bad pilot solenoid

 

[stonyloam]

If it turns over when you jumper the starter solenoid, then as the Dr. Says, replace the slave solenoid and you will not have to worry about it.

 

[Bondo]

I've got an intermittent problem with my Mercruiser 3.0 not wanting to crank when I turn the key. (I've read the sticky). To cut to the chase, I hear a click at the engine but I have to keep cycling the key a few times until it decides it wants to turn over. Once it does start cranking, it cranks strongly. The starter is only a couple of years old.

The sticky suggested, among other things, that I might get by out on the water by just jumping the terminals A and B. I'm usually by myself, so it might be helpful if I fashioned a jumper cable with alligator clips. Good idea? Bad idea? How heavy does the wire need to be? I figure it only needs to be about 6 inches long to be easy to manipulate with my bear paws.

I have vague memories of doing something similar in my car years ago using a screwdriver, accompanied by big sparks. With the car ignition turned to ON, the starter would turn over as long as I had the screwdriver touching both terminals. That makes me wonder what would happen with this brainstorm of mine on the boat. I could tie a 6 foot string on the wire so I could just pull the wire loose from my helm position once the engine starts. Not very elegant but it beats swimming back to the marina. Your thoughts?

Thanks in advance, gentlemen.

Ayuh,..... I donno, but I bet it would be Funny to watch,.....

Why not just remove, sand, 'n clean the wirin;' connections to Shiny metal Clean, 'n Diagnose the real problem then Fix it,....

Start at the battery terminals, 'n don't forget to do Both wires, at Both ends,...

 

[fishrdan]

I'm in the "replace the slave solenoid" camp. (I've had the exact problem you're explaining with 2 different solenoids...)

If you have a second person with you, reach down and feel the starter solenoid when "it's clicking but not starting" to see if the starter's solenoid is kicking in,,,, I bet it isn't. If you can reach both solenoids, touch them both to see if they are both clicking/ticking, most likely, just the slave solenoid is clicking.

 

[NHGuy]

Hi Jay, 2 weeks ago I went to the lake after work in my commuter car. Took my clothes, a toothbrush etc. But since I had been thinking about pulling the boat for the season I had left my boat keys in the truck.
Thankfully I had been fixing some electric stuff in the car so I had my electrical kit with me.
Next day turned out clear and the lake was nice so I hot wired my boat. I used alligator clips with the plastic insulators. Went from the helm breaker to the purple for my "On" connection, then I put one onto the starter wire (Red/Yellow I think) and used it in the lighter socket to crank my starter.
I had a nice ride with my sister, visited some friends and didn't miss out for once.

But I agree with the others, there's got to be a problem somewhere that you can address. That's far smarter than chancing a burned wire or component if something goes wrong.

 

[DaveG55]

I agree with most, repair the problem properly and quit worrying about. But, if you insist on creatively engineering your boat, then for goodness sake make a remote start switch. Do you really want to create a bunch of big sparks in a mostly enclosed boat bilge? Can we say BOOM!!

 

[jayhanig]

have you checked all the battery connections? it sounds like either a bad connection or a bad pilot solenoid

I have checked the connections. They all appear to be clean and they felt tight.

 

[jayhanig]

I agree with most, repair the problem properly and quit worrying about. But, if you insist on creatively engineering your boat, then for goodness sake make a remote start switch. Do you really want to create a bunch of big sparks in a mostly enclosed boat bilge? Can we say BOOM!!

Going boom today isn't real high on my list of things to do. That's why I asked... others had suggested shorting across the terminals and my memory of doing it in a car was kind of sparky. Going to change the solenoid Monday and hopefully be done with this.

 

[stonyloam]

Yeah, boom not good!! Let us know how it works out.

 

[Bondo]

I have checked the connections. They all appear to be clean and they felt tight.

Ayuh,.... So you've cleaned, 'n check None of 'em,.....

 

[jayhanig]

Ayuh,.... So you've cleaned, 'n check None of 'em,.....

I replaced the solenoid with the newer version. The problem seems to be resolved.

 

[HT32BSX115]

I replaced the solenoid with the newer version. The problem seems to be resolved.

Yup.. You've replaced the defective solenoid with one that is NOT defective.

others had suggested shorting across the terminals and my memory of doing it in a car was kind of sparky.

For everyone else, THIS MEANS BOOM!! DON'T EVER DO THIS in an inboard (gasoline) engine compartment!!

Cheers,


Rick

 

[jayhanig]

For everyone else, THIS MEANS BOOM!! DON'T EVER DO THIS in an inboard (gasoline) engine compartment!!

Where could I even have gotten such a bone headed idea? Oh yeah... the sticky at the top of the topic list.