Re: I love my new boat!??? ummmm... help!
Yes, that oar helped me out the other day!
The key had miraculously started working! We were using a wire on the solenoid to start the engine and actually did this in conjunction with turning the key (would turn the key to start just before someone else touched the wires to the solenoid, then released the key from start to the on position as soon as engine turned over). After doing this a few times, we tried the key and it worked! I think we just taught it how it should work and, like a good boat, it learned
Sometimes, still, the starter would continue to kick even though the engine was running until we removed the cable from the battery. Every 3 or 4 times it would start up without the starter continuing, and I was ok with just trying a few times.
The other day we had a bad day as it was really being difficult to start without the starter continuing to try to crank the engine. there was smoke coming from the battery cable sometimes and everything was getting very hot back there and the wingnut was starting to get harder and harder to screw on and off.
One final time, as the starter was kicking, I was trying to unscrew the wingnut from the battery and it was really sticking and smoke was coming from inside the plastic on the cable coming from it and as I was wrenching the wrench, it all just cracked out of the battery (the screw the wingnut and the wires are attached to, and the bolt inside the plastic casing of the battery)!
So, we paddled home and I decided enough is enough and it's time to do some work and get her working right. (Engine is MerCruiser I/O MCM 120 or 140hp serial #6892045) I got a new battery, a new starter (ARCO 30460), and a new solenoid (Quicksilver 89-96158T) (i will also get a new cable that goes to the battery!) and am going to install this stuff on Monday. My game plan is: 1) label wires 2) take pictures 3) remove wires 4) remove starter 5) install new starter 6) replace wires according to labels/pictures 7) repeat on solenoid.
Is there anything I should know besides those steps? I assume it shouldn't be too hard, but I'm not sure if I should replace any of the wiring at the same time? Is that necessary or if it works, should it continue to work?
Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated as I'm sure nearly everyone who reads this has done more work on a boat than I have
Thank you all for your help! This forum is a huge asset to people like me and thank you for making it that way!
- Eric
