Lost all the electric power.

Last weekend we spend Saturday and Sunday at Morrison Lake.
What an amazing time.
Anyway, while i was pulling my buddy skiing, the boat motor stumbled a couple times and then just stopped. I had no electric at all.
We got a tow back to the dock by a jet ski (that was funny watching him try to turn..LOL).
We messed around with it for a minute, but nothing happened. So we jumped into the other boat and finished out the day, (about one more trip out).
When we got back the trim and bilge was working, but when i hit the key everything was gone again (by the way, its not the 50 amp breaker). After sitting for a couple hours the bilge was working again, so i just left it alone as it was staying in the water all night for the first time, and i wanted to make sure the bilge was going to work.

After we got it home, I started looking at it and read the adults only section on starting.
I used a volt meter and found the batt to have 12.98 volts, then we checked it at the starter, 11.30 volts. So we cleaned the batt connections and she cranked for a sec then nothing. I rechecked the volts at the batt, 12.98 and at the starter, 3.01. I grabbed the jumper cables and ran one from the batt to the starter and she cranks like a champ.
Im not sure how old the cables are but they will be new before the next trip, and im adding jumper cables to my take along tool list.

Re: Lost all the electric power.

Sounds like internal resistance in the cable, probably at one of the terminal lugs, so your plan looks good the me!

Re: Lost all the electric power.

I had kinda the same problem. I was using the wing nuts to hold the cables down. What I didn't know was the threads didn't go all the way down the stud, so when I tightend the wingnuts, the cables were not tight at all. I installed the battery clamps and now the boat starts and the spark is great. Its amazing how simple a fix can be and how easy it is to miss somthing as simple as loose cables.

Re: Lost all the electric power.

Forget about getting jumper cables and get one of these jumper packs.
I carry one on my boat and it has helped alot of people.

Re: Lost all the electric power.

When you replace the cable, run your hand down the old one and feel for a bubbled spot.
It could have started rotting out in the middle if there was a small hole and it picked up water.

Re: Lost all the electric power.

Summer Fun said:

Forget about getting jumper cables and get one of these jumper packs.
I carry one on my boat and it has helped alot of people.

Click to expand...

+1....You can just hand to someone in trouble and not have to wonder if they hooked their end of the jumper cables up right (and cuss when they fry something electrical on YOUR boat by doing so).

"boost boxes" are easy to assist someone that needs a boost with....jumper cables are tougher (they ALWAYS are a foot short in my experience)!!!

Re: Lost all the electric power.

rbh said:

When you replace the cable, run your hand down the old one and feel for a bubbled spot.
It could have started rotting out in the middle if there was a small hole and it picked up water.

Click to expand...

I plan on cutting off all the casing just for fun to see what I have been dealing with. There is a spot where it had melted against the exhaust once and the PO taped it up. I'm guessing I may find the problem there.

Its funny, I had planned on replace both of them after the first trip, but it ran so well i forgot. Old age I guess.

Re: Lost all the electric power.

So I got the new cables and installed them. Hit the key and got click, click, click.
I grabbed a second battery and used jumpers to hook it up also, still got clicks but louder.
Now I will have to pull the starter and take it in to see if its shot.

All this hastle because I didnt replace the cables when I should have while doing the transom and had the engine out.