My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

[scipper77]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

I stopped by my local advance auto and the starter solenoid was only $15.99 and I can return it if it's not the right one (or nothing is wrong with the one I have). There is one bolt holding the old solenoid on that I just can't seem to get at to remove. It's one of the two main bolts. The one on the side of the block. I can get a small box wrench over the head of the bolt but the wrench hits the body of the solenoid before the bolt turns.

Any advice?? Can I loosen up the starter and shift it to get better leverage?

Any help would be appreciated!!

I feel like I am soooo close to having my starting problem fixed. It's that murphy, he waited until I was on my last bolt and wham... here I am with another post.

 

[Don S]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

You MUST remove the starter to replace the solenoid. And you need to stay out of the Automotive stores for marine electrical parts.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

I tried no one can't say i didn't try.

Put back the wires on the starter hope you didn't leave the battery connected while your fiddling with the starter.

Leave the starter alone please and do the test i posted it twice with the jumper wire.

And post the result.

And no you need marine stuff on the boat, how am i gonna sleep knowing you blew yourself up when a spark off the unprotected starter solenoid ignited the gas fumes in your boat.

 

[scipper77]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

I'll return the solenoid in the morning!

 

[scipper77]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

captalen,

I both understand and agree with the wire test that you have very patiently suggested to me several times. The issue that I am having is that the starting problem "went away". I think what really happened is that it got warmer out and that is helping my engine to start better when cold. So running 12 V directly to the coil is the first thing I will do if the problem (when the problem) returns.

What I do know for sure is that I am only getting 5 volts to the coil. Weather this is the root of the problem or not I think I should change out the solenoid to remedy this voltage.

How hard is it to pull the starter?

 

[chiefalen]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

The wire to the coil i believe comes off the slav at the same time it sends juice to the starter. Via a different wire. Also at that precise moment it cuts juice to everything else in the boat.

Heres a example same, as a car bye the way, when you have the radio on and you start the boat the radio shuts down for a moment, if it is wired correctly.

The starter demands a huge amount of juice, and at the same precise moment the coil is calling for juice to give spark to the spark plugs.

When you run the jumper wire it gives good juice to the coil.

The solenoid on the starter may not be bad at all.

It's the other solenoid mounted high on the starboard side that had the pos cable going into it, might be bad.

You did clean the connections on the coil?

Follow the pos wire backwards from the coil, it end in the harness?

There should be a master plug.

Big plug pull it apart the connections clean in that plug?

If green and corroded shoot electrical cleaner forgot whats it called and clean it good.

A little sand paper or pipe cleaner like a pipe a person would smoke.

Than shoot a little corrosion pro in the holes and reconnect the plug.

How mush juice at the coil now.

The neg on the coil is clean?

Clean ground is the first thing people forget that it takes a ground also to make a circuit.

 

[scipper77]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

Just wanted to try and give closure to this thread.

Yesterday I Tuned up the boat with the dwell meter and timing light I purchased over the winter. The dwell was at 30? with the spec being 34?-38?. It is now at 37?. Next I checked the timing which was advanced so far that it was off of the gauge. Before I adjusted the timing I had to bring the idle speed into spec. The tach on the dash said idle was at 1500 RPM but my dwell meter had an rpm setting that said I was at 1100 RPM. I brought the idle down to around 680 RPM. The manual says it should be between 650 and 700. I adjusted idle before timing to make sure there was no mechanical advance issues. Finally I brought the timing down to 12? advance from what most have been around 20?.

I haven't had the boat on the water since this tune up but I am excited to see what effect bringing dwell and timing (and idle speed) into spec will have on performance. This boat would top out at about 45 mph before, I wonder if there is even a chance of hitting 50?

Also I think I might have to adjust the idle again as the manual says that the idle should be adjusted on the water and I did it on the muffs.

Do you guys think that the dwell and timing adjustments will make a big difference??

 

[danond]

Re: My boat won't restart even when engine is still cold

I wouldn't think you'll see a 5mph difference. It's not like things were way off. Idle speed only affects shifting performance. It might be easier to shift in and out of gear, dwell was only off by 4 degrees. That might give you a bit better performance at WOT.

It also doesn't sound like you've addressed your no-start issue. You may want to keep working on that one!

Good luck on the water!