Bad Starter or Weak battery

[drapp]

Can weak batteries make it sound like a bad starter griding and not turning over. We had our boat running fine the last two days, but this morning, I tried to turn it over and nothing but grind sound. Being new, I did forget to turn the batteries control to the off position. Don't know if something may have been draining over the past two nights and this morning it was just drained too much.

 

[bamadave]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

Is the engine turning over and not starting, or is the engine not turning over? Providing the battery is good and the engine won't turn over, I would suggest pulling the spark plugs and then see if the engine will turn over. If it does spin then, pump all the water out. Sounds like a hydro-locked engine but maybe it's just a battery or starter.
Good Luck and welcome aboard!

 

[JustJason]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

the starter motor is turning.... if it wasn't you would not hear grinding, just a click.
Now you have to find out why it's grinding. Your best bet is to pull it and look at the bendix gear and the flywheel teeth the best you can.
It also wouldn't hurt to pull the plugs as bamadave say and see if you can spin it by hand.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

Charge the battery,clean all connections on the battery,starter and ground.
If it still has the problem have any auto parts store load test the battery.
If the battery checks out then have the starter bench tested.
Also pay close attention to the condition of the cables.They can corrode from the inside and create high resistance..

Agree with Jason too....the grinding may very well be the bendix is not kicking the starter gear out.

 

[drapp]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

Thanks for all the inputs... Again, the engine was running perfectly finee last night. We just put brand new spark plugs in on Sat, so I know it's not that. The prior owner who kept good maintenance and records (Lt. Col of Marines), and had plenty of other maintenance done from last year (alternator, belts, timing, dual battery hookups, etc) and the engine was purring.

However, when I first tried starting, I didn't realize how he started it with the "throttle only" mode of not engaging gears and had burned a lot of juice trying to start it, but nothing was really GRINDING during those failed attempts. I called him back and he described the throttle only and it fired up perfect.

So, not being a mechanic, or marine mechanic, we'll be taking the boat out... I am mechanically enclined for the most part. Is removing the starter relatively simple, or is it all involved that I have to cherry-pick the motor out too.

If it IS weak batteries, I have a charger, but not sure of the amp/volts to try charging, but googling that next.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

I think your starting procedure was killing the battery if it actually was cranking the engine in gear..
Always use the release to advance the throttle out of gear.

Depending on how long you have to charge the batteries the slower the charge the better.
If you are going out today then just fast charge them...20 amps or so for about an hour or two.Then once on the water the alt.will finish the charge.
An over night slow charge is best at about 2 to 4 amps

 

[bamadave]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

Just curious, when was the last engine/outdrive made that you can start in gear?

 

[JustJason]

Re: Bad Starter or Weak battery

My 69 Mercontrol has a neutral safety switch in it. So the OP's has it either wired incorrectly or has some aftermarket control with no NSS in it.