I have a 2004 Rinker 290 with twin 5.0 MPI Mercrusiers. I started having an issue with being able to start my port engine last year. I would turn the key once=click, twice=click, three times and the engine would start to crank a few times a bit slowly, then fully crank over and start. At the end of last year my other engine started to do the same thing, but NOT as bad. The port engine got so bad by the end of last year that I may have had to turn the key 30 times before it would catch and start.
Today I have been trouble shooting the issue. I have cleaned almost all of the connections with a wire brush and sandpaper. The only thing I did not do was the wires into the starter, I cant get to them to big of a guy. I did however manage to take a volt reading going into the solenoid, a bit over 13V going to it. When I turn the key to start it the volt reading goes a bit haywire and drops down to 3V.
I have 2 battery switches, one for each engine, that I can turn to on, off or emergency start. Each engine has its own battery, batteries are new and fully charged. When I turn the dial to emergency start, the port engine starts no problem, but when it is in the on position, it will not start, just a click.
I assume that I can rule out that it is the starter since when I turn the dial to emergency start there is no issue. Is it possible the dial is going bad? I am lost here because if it was the dial, would there be 13+V going to the solenoid?
I cleaned the terminals, batteries and the ground that connects to the block. Any ideas what to try next? What does turning the dial to emergency start do, I assume t combines the power of both batteries, correct? Is it possible that it is the starter even though it fires up and works when the battery dial is turned to emergency start? Let me know any ideas that you may have.
Last thing, any idea why when I drained my gear lube out one was very fresh, still green, the other was black, both were changed out the same time last year. I had an issue with the lower unit that had the black oil early last year, the drain plug was frozen and had to be drilled out, the hole was widen accidentally to 3/8. I found a replacement plug an installed it. I fully flushed the lower unit out as some of the metal shavings got in there from when it was drilled out. I flushed it out VERY WELL. If water was getting in there, I never saw it and there was no water when I drained it today, it has sat for the winter. Any ideas, let me know.
Today I have been trouble shooting the issue. I have cleaned almost all of the connections with a wire brush and sandpaper. The only thing I did not do was the wires into the starter, I cant get to them to big of a guy. I did however manage to take a volt reading going into the solenoid, a bit over 13V going to it. When I turn the key to start it the volt reading goes a bit haywire and drops down to 3V.
I have 2 battery switches, one for each engine, that I can turn to on, off or emergency start. Each engine has its own battery, batteries are new and fully charged. When I turn the dial to emergency start, the port engine starts no problem, but when it is in the on position, it will not start, just a click.
I assume that I can rule out that it is the starter since when I turn the dial to emergency start there is no issue. Is it possible the dial is going bad? I am lost here because if it was the dial, would there be 13+V going to the solenoid?
I cleaned the terminals, batteries and the ground that connects to the block. Any ideas what to try next? What does turning the dial to emergency start do, I assume t combines the power of both batteries, correct? Is it possible that it is the starter even though it fires up and works when the battery dial is turned to emergency start? Let me know any ideas that you may have.
Last thing, any idea why when I drained my gear lube out one was very fresh, still green, the other was black, both were changed out the same time last year. I had an issue with the lower unit that had the black oil early last year, the drain plug was frozen and had to be drilled out, the hole was widen accidentally to 3/8. I found a replacement plug an installed it. I fully flushed the lower unit out as some of the metal shavings got in there from when it was drilled out. I flushed it out VERY WELL. If water was getting in there, I never saw it and there was no water when I drained it today, it has sat for the winter. Any ideas, let me know.