Engine not cranking at all

[RonF]

Volvo/Penta 4.3L GL s/n 4012017962
Just bought boat and installed brand new battery. When I turn key on I get a loud beep from engine compartment. Will not crank at all. All accessories work, blower, bilge, lights, radio, trim, etc. I have looked in engine compartment. There is one white 2 prong plug that is not connected to anything. It has 2 purple wires(on one prong) and a black wire on the other. Is this my problem? Or where should I start to diagnose? Thanks in advance for your repsonse.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

welcome aboard

check this out:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167035

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

I am going to assume when you say the engine isn't cranking at all, that means the starter is not turning the engine, is that correct?
If so, when you turn the key to start, can you hear the fuel pump start running and continue running until you let the key off to the run position?

I'm afraid the link dubs posted isn't going to help much without the pictures. Sure will be glad when the IT's get it fixed.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Thanks for the welcome and quick response. Good to be here.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Correct Don. Starter does nothing - not even a click in start position. Fuel pump is running, although it was hard to hear over the loud beeping.

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

If you disconned the Tan/black striped wire from the oil pressure switch, that beeping should go away while you do your troubleshooting. Makes it a lot quieter.
Do you know where the starter slave relay is? It may be right next to the fuel pump relay if I remember correctly.
Since the fuel pump runs, that tells me you have power from the key switch to the relays.
A quick check to see if the relay is bad or not, remove both the fuel pump and start relays, and swap them. The starter will now turn, but the fuel pump won't work.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Thanks a bunch Don. Unfortunately I won't be able to try that until next weekend as my boat is being stored at my weekend place. But you have definitely gotten me on the right track. Hopefully I can report back then saying I had a bad starter relay. Again, thank you so much!

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Be sure to check the terminals for corrosion

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

I will - both ends! One last thing. Do you know anything about the plug I described earlier in thread with the 2 purple and one black wire?

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

I have no clue, can you post a picture? You need to use something like photobucket.com, as the forums picture section is down.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Ok Don. I was finally able to do a little more troubleshooting on my boat. First, I want to tell you that i just bought(for cheap) the boat. The guy did tell me he hooked the battery cables up backwards last summer and has had problems since. He installed a new radio and had to have the vdo instrument cluster sent out to have fixed. I have a reciept from CDI Electronics saying they had to rebuild basically the circuit board for the cluster. Anyway, that all might be useless info but wanted to make sure I gave you all the info I had on the boat. Yesterday I made sure battery cables were tight on both ends and not corroded. I also tested battery and it was reading 12.7 volts. I then switched the relays like you said. Still no crank or click from starter. What should I do next? I will also get a picture of that plug I was talking about earlier and post a link. Thanks so much Don. I really appreciate it!

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Look around the ignition switch wiring, there should be a 20A fuse in the red/purple wire going to the ign. sw.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Ok. Don't have blown fuse but i messed with ground wires under there also. I am now getting a click from starter but still no crank

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

There isn't a ground wire under the dash that has anything to do with the engine cranking over with the key switch. You obviously have some weird wiring/electrical problems going on from the crossed battery cables, or the radio installation, or the inst. cluster installation.
This is probably beyond someone with little or no electrical experience or troubleshooting skills but lets give it a shot.
Are you experienced using a DVM ?

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Yes, but by no means an expert

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Make yourself a long test lead. Hook one end to the batteries NEG terminal, hook the other end of the jumper to your meters black test lead. This is what you need for the next few tests.

1. Touch the red lead of the meter to the battery plus terminal, what is the reading.
2. Touch the red lead of the meter to the red purple wire on the ignition switch key off, what is the reading.
3. With the red lead of the meter still on the red purple wire, turn the ignition switch to the run position. what is the reading.
4. With the red lead of the meter still on the red purple wire, turn the ignition switch to the start position. what is the reading while in start position?
5. Move the red test lead to the yellow/red wire connection on the the ignition switch. Turn the key to start. what is the reading while in the start position?

Answers those and we should have an idea where to go from there.

 

[RonF]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

1. 12.51
2. 12.45
3. 12.32
4. 6.8
5. 6.5

Ok. Def have some sort of electrical isssue. When i got to number 5 and turned switch to start position the engine cranked and actually started. Shut off real quick. Then started smelling a burning rubber kinda smell. Touched battery cables and they were getting hot. Disconnected postive terminal real quick. Smell went away and cables are cooling. ?????

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine not cranking at all

Using the image below, you have a corroded, loose or somehow bad connection in the power to the switch connections. Just follow the circled number 2, 7,5,6. and check all the connections. Including the ones on the starter and the main harness connection.