Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

Hey guys i need any help possible at this point. Im new at boats and lost.....I bought a 1987 18' Ebbtide. When I bought it I found out it needed a shift cable through the transom. So i replace that and bought a carb rebuild kit also. Got those two things on and the the boat wouldnt crank....so a buddy of mine gave me a starter for it that he had out of another boat. after playing with the ignition switch for a minute it cranked one time and the volt meter read 12 volts...but didnt start. then it wouldnt start again.... I replaced the ignition switch thinkin that might be it but now it wont crank and it doesnt show any voltas.... i have tested my battery and that is good. starter cranks if you jump it with a screw driver. im lost at this point.... been lookin for in line fuses or anything but nothing any help appreciated

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

chriskb099 said:

Hey guys i need any help possible at this point. Im new at boats and lost.....I bought a 1987 18' Ebbtide. When I bought it I found out it needed a shift cable through the transom. So i replace that and bought a carb rebuild kit also. Got those two things on and the the boat wouldnt crank....so a buddy of mine gave me a starter for it that he had out of another boat. after playing with the ignition switch for a minute it cranked one time and the volt meter read 12 volts...but didnt start. then it wouldnt start again.... I replaced the ignition switch thinkin that might be it but now it wont crank and it doesnt show any voltas.... i have tested my battery and that is good. starter cranks if you jump it with a screw driver. im lost at this point.... been lookin for in line fuses or anything but nothing any help appreciated

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Does your boat have a kill switch? Wouldn't be the first time someone took a boat in for "no start" and it was a the safety switch.

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

If it's not the neutral safety switch or the kill switch then it sounds like a connector. I've found most automotive and boat electrical troubles to be in corroded or loose connectors, from the battery, to the cables, to the harnesses, to the parts themselves. Lots of times parts are replaced before the connections are sound. Big loss.

Engine usually has a harness that is connected to boat harness that might be connected to an instrument harness. The engine/boat harness connector is likely hidden up under the gunwale to try to keep it dry. It might also be covered in some sort of boot, looking like a swollen cable. I had trouble right there with a Bayliner.

A test light can tell the story and contact cleaner can do wonders. Remember that grounding is every bit as important as the circuits themselves and that the weirder the symptoms appear the more likely that grounding is the problem. Start with the test light at the battery terminals then at the cables and then go from there. Amazingly the cables can be attached to the battery but not in "contact" with it! So can everything else...

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

Knowing the year,make and model of the engine and drive would help..

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

sorry it is a 1987 OMC 4.3 with a OMC Cobra outdrive

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

after i posted this thread I went outside and ran a wire straight from the batter to the positive terminal on my ignition swith and it showed voltage on the gauge. I then hooked it up top the batter to the stater terminal on the switch as well. and the starter would turn so im thinkin somewhere in between the starter and the ignition switch i have a short, blown fuse, or melted wire. Where? I havent a clue.....not real good with electrical.. thanks alot for your help so far.....any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

There is a solenoid on the back of the engine on top, it mounts to the shift lever bracket with two small bolts one of which should have a ground wire, there is a purple wire that goes to the I terminal you should get 12V to it with the key on, I would look there first, if you have the voltage then check for 12V at the yellow wire on the solenoid with key in start position, you may just have a bad slave solenoid, or corroded connections.

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

chriskb099 said:

after i posted this thread I went outside and ran a wire straight from the batter to the positive terminal on my ignition swith and it showed voltage on the gauge. I then hooked it up top the batter to the stater terminal on the switch as well. and the starter would turn so im thinkin somewhere in between the starter and the ignition switch i have a short, blown fuse, or melted wire. Where? I havent a clue.....not real good with electrical.. thanks alot for your help so far.....any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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Time to start tracing wires from the switch back to battery. you will find the bad connection.

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

There are two 50 amp fuses on the top of the engine. They are inside rubber boots about as big around as your thumb.They should have a wire clip that holds them together.That would be my starting point.

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

thanks for all the help ghuys.... I changed one of the 50 amp fuses and it fired right up .... runs great. No noises at all

Re: Boat wont start.......PLEASE HELP

Make absolutely sure you carry spares. When you least expect it...