Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Scar13

Cadet
Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
8
So sunday I put the boat in the water turn the key and it beeps as usual and I turn it all the way and it cranks... Now I accidently turned it again and then it just went out right there.. Now I turn it and I get no beep and the gauges do not come on.. <br /><br />Checked the fuses, hit the reset switch, Battery is good checked it. <br /><br />Now what else could be wrong.. I dont believe its the altenator because it would still beep just not crank.. <br /><br />Any ideas?
 

sculbert

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
160
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

I would suggest you check the voltage at your selonoid around the starter. You have a main power source issue it sounds like. Have you tried testing other things like your horn when your switch is on. Lights? If none of them work it will be an issue at the selonoid or a link at the battery.
 

navigator336

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 27, 2003
Messages
270
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

I've never had this happen to me, but it kind of sounds like you killed the ignition switch with the second turn to "start" when it was already on. You can use a multimeter to checkout the switch. Turn it to the run position and check the resistance across the "B" and "I" terminals. It should be 0 ohms. Also check the B and S terminal resistance when the key is turned to start - it should read 0 ohms.
 

Scar13

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Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
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Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Yeah we tested it last night we believe it is the switch! I will be changing that out tonight and let everyoen know if that was it or not.<br /><br /> Thanks for the help guys!
 

Scar13

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Jun 13, 2004
Messages
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Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Well Not the ignition switch I inhooked the wires fromt eh old put them on the new and still nothing..<br /><br /> Maybe the starter solenoid?
 

Scar13

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Jun 13, 2004
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Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Can someone tell me where there solenoid would be on a 2000 bayliner capri?
 

hoot

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Sep 8, 2002
Messages
434
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

scar, i had a similar problem last summer. boat would do nothing. searched for fuses. thought i had found all of them. found a fuse way up under my dash that was in line with the igniton switch wiring. fuse was 25 years old. see if you can follow the wires from the switch. as for the solenoid, if it is a gm type engine, there is one on top of the starter, attached to it. and there might be a 'slave' solenoid somewhere in the back that supplies power to the start solenoid.
 

Scar13

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Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
8
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Thanks hoot!<br /><br /> Ill run through the wires again and see what I can find!
 

sculbert

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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May 22, 2004
Messages
160
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Question do your lights work? Or is it just the starting that isn't working? <br /><br />You can find your solenoid by following the big red wire from your starter to the solenoid. You can also find it by following your red positive wire form the battery. It goes to it also. you should use a test light or voltmeter and check for volttages there. You hasve a wire that comes back from the ignigtion switch that activates the starter when it sends 12 volts the solenoid.
 

outboardguy

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jan 16, 2004
Messages
262
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Does your power trim still work? Most merc's have the power trim hooked up directly to the battery. That would eliminate dead battery. Now go down to the starter and follow the big red wire. It will hook up to the solenoid and have a little white box hanging off to the side with other wires hooked up to it. The white box is a 90 amp fuse,test for power on both sides of it. If bad replace and go boating.
 

Skipster1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
Messages
173
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Could also be a bad ground wire/connection. That is a deceptive problem.... the wire looks fine but the ground connection isn't.<br />Bad ground connections are quite common and can cause problems similar to what you have encountered.<br /> It is ALWAYS worth a try to put another ground wire on to see if that solves the problem.
 

Scar13

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Jun 13, 2004
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Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Just did some more troubleshooting and this is what I have so far:<br /><br />Found the starter relay, and a screwdriver will make the engine turn over.<br /><br />Traced the two wires from the key switch to the relay.<br /><br />One of the wires at the switch has 12 volts. manually connect the 2 wires, and the voltage drops to 2.4v, and theengine doesnt crank.<br /><br />I'm stumped.
 

hoot

Chief Petty Officer
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Sep 8, 2002
Messages
434
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

what about lights, horn, fan, other electrical items? looks like you need to use the a vom and do a lot of troubleshooting, both in the V setting and the ohms setting. sometimes a fuse might look ok, but it isn't. use continuity test on fuses and breakers. since you have no current anywhere, i suspect a 'fuseable link burnout' type of thing or main circuit breaker.
 

Scar13

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Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
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Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Yes Horn Fan and Trim all work, I replaced all the fuses inculding the 20A goign to the trim..<br /><br /><br /> We have Current on evrything excpet when we connect the ignition switch wires then it drops to 2.4v..
 

navigator336

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 27, 2003
Messages
270
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Sounds to me like a bad solenoid. When you turn the key to "start" the starter switch sends 12 volts to the starter solenoid. This energizes the coil in the solenoid which moves a contact (jumper) against the two terminals you jumped with the screwdriver which in turn allows current to flow to the starter. Since you can turn the engine by jumping the solenoid, your battery and ground are fine. Since you have working accessories, your 12 volt feed to the dash is fine. Since you have 12 volts at the key and a new ignition switch, followed by a big voltage drop when you turn it, the internal contact resistance on the solenoid has probably gone sky high. One last thing you can try before replacing the solenoid is to beat on it with a big screwdriver handle before turning the key and while turning the key. Sometimes this will temorarily improve the contact.
 

Scar13

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Jun 13, 2004
Messages
8
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

As another point the gauges dotn work..<br /><br /> Since the gauges are tied to the inginition switch I wonder if its the solenoid?<br /><br /> Does the Starter solenoid when turnign the key only one turn connect through the starter solenoid? it takes a half turn for the starter solenoid to kick in and I get nothing at a 1/4 turn. Which I normally get that LOUD beep and the gauges come one.
 

damie

Seaman
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Messages
69
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

try running a permanent feed direct from the battery positive to the thick red feed wire on the ignition switch.
 

navigator336

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 27, 2003
Messages
270
Re: Boat wont beep or do anything from the key?

Scar, I'm slightly confused from your last post, but I think I understand. The ignition switch has 3 positions: off, ignition, start. What you describe as a quarter turn (it should be more like an eighth turn) is ignition. This position energizes the coil, your alternator, your gauges and the "beep" with 12 volts. The beep is a safety device to alert you that the engine temp and/or oil pressure is low (oil pressure is zero until the engine is turning over). The half turn (should be more like a quarter turn or less) energizes the starter solenoid with 12 volts and closes the contacts so high amperature can flow to the starter. Since you have a volt meter, turn the key to ignition (first position), place the red lead on the ignition switch screw terminal labeled "I" and the black lead on a common ground (or if unsure of the ground,run a wire all the way to the battery negative terminal and touch the black lead to that. You should have at least 12 volts. Post back what you find and we'll take it from there.
 
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