Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

[Chuck-arral]

2005 236 SSI, Bought the boat last year everything worked and ran great love the boat looking forward to this year.

Last Oct had the winterization done and went back to pick it up. The dealar already had the cover on it so I just stored it for the winter and forgot to check the bat switch.
Went last Sat to pull it out and we I discovered the kind dealer left switch in the #1 position, so both bat were dead. I hooked the 10A bat charger to the AUX bat terms and opened the hatch to gain access to batteries and engine compartment.
No prob I will just charge them with my 10A bat charger for several hours. (With all the boat/bat wires still hooked to #1&2) Battery Position off I charged #1 on Sunday for several hours (with bat switch in off pos) no problem now she fires off on #1 like a champ engine runs smooth & trim works good everything seems to be going smooth.

While #1 was charging (I had a bright idea) disconnected #2 completely from the boat/battery wires (trying to be extra careful) and hooked my small trickle charger (what I use for ATV's & lawn mower) to #2 using two seperate extension cords on two seperate 110 circuts both less than 25'. One for #1 w/ 10a bat charger and One for #2 battery w/ trickle charger. When #1 finished on Sunday evening I realized #2 was still not charged so I disconected the trickle charger and hooked up the main 10A bat charger to #2 which still has the battery/boat wires disconnected from the battery, so just the 10a is hooked to #2. At that point I moved the bat switch to #1 and checked the engine on #1 it fired perfect and trim worked. I closed the engine hatch with battery charger in the engine comparment hooked to #2 and the extention cord going down inside the hatch to the bat charger. Everything seemed fine so I closed the hatch with the bat switch in pos #1 with the dashboard switch (battery #2 is disconnected from the boat/bat wires) put the cover on it and went in for the night. Came out at 3am and disconnected the extenstion cored to battery chager (8-hrs of charging) from wall and went back in. Next day with more showers looming and a wet cover I laid the extention cord on top of boat and put it back in dry storage assuming #2 would now be charged and everything would be fine. Remember #1 is hooked up & #2 has only the battery charger attached - Battery switch is off - extention cord hooked to charger - charger is in the engine comparment - engine hatch closed.

Today (Saturday) I pull out the boat flip the bat switch to #1 to check the motor before going to lake it fires off perfect and trim works. Push the switch to rasie the engine hatch to remove battery charger and extention cord and nothing happens. No electrical power to anything I can not open the hatch, but the motor fires perfect and the trim works.

What did I do? How do I open the hatch?

I tried fliping bat switch to #2 but I know the bat is disconnect - no good
I tried flipping bat switch to both - no good
I tried flipping bat switch to #1 -no good
I tried hooking jumper cables from car to AUX terms - no good
I can not get the hatch to move and no power to electrical systems like horn, blower, radio?
I tried romoving the bolts from the hinges on the back but I know there is piston inside holding it down and the hatch will not move it seems to be locked in the down position. Is going thru a port hole and manually pulling the pin from the pistion, and mannually removing the hatch the only option?

Is this happing because #2 is disconnected?

What do I do to get the hatch open?

I can not understand why the hatch went down with #2 disconected but wont go back up? What have I done? Did I blow a fues or something? If I blew a fues which is the best to check (under stiring wheel)?

The electrical system should work on #1 bat so I do not understand what the problems is?

Please help?

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

I can not get the hatch to move and no power to electrical systems like horn, blower, radio?
I tried romoving the bolts from the hinges on the back but I know there is piston inside holding it down and the hatch will not move it seems to be locked in the down position. Is going thru a port hole and manually pulling the pin from the pistion, and mannually removing the hatch the only option?

Is this happing because #2 is disconnected?

More than likely. The boats house electrical system is probably run from the #2 battery where #1 serves as the cranking battery. It is possible that you tripped the main breaker to the panel. See if it simply needs to be reset. Check all breakers. Battery position in "all/both" should have overridden this, though. That's what makes me think it may be a breaker being tripped.

What do I do to get the hatch open?

Depends on the layout of the boat. With the hinges disconnected, is it possible to pry up the one side of the hatch (without cracking the gelcoat) just enought to get your arm in there to pull the pin with a pair of needlenose pliers? We had to do this with my brothers Rinker.

I can not understand why the hatch went down with #2 disconected but wont go back up? What have I done? Did I blow a fues or something? If I blew a fues which is the best to check (under stiring wheel)?

The hatch went down under the power of gravity. All that does is release the hydraulic pressure from the ram. As stated earlier, check ALL your fuses and breakers. Under the steering wheel and in the cabin breaker panel.

The electrical system should work on #1 bat so I do not understand what the problems is?

House and cranking system are split. If all else fails, contact the dealer. They may know of a way to get it open. Another option is to see if there is access through the aft berth, thru a bulkhead, into the engine room. I doubt it though, they are pretty good about separating the area of gasoline and carbon monoxide from sleeping quarters.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

Found this on line. If it's like your boat then you can see the access to the pin from under the center section of your seats.


View attachment 94829View attachment 94830

 

[QC]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

I am familiar with the boat and that ^^^^^ is probably what he has. My guess is that the ram is stuck down. If it is like mine, they are a piece of junk and get stuck when fully lowered. It is a spiral type gear affair thing and fully down it is like a torqued down screw. Sometimes rocking the switch back and forth will free it. If it is hydraulic, then I think a fuse which could be the case either way.

I don't believe either battery is used or wired for different service, both go through the switch equally is my best guess, so no reason it won't go unless it is stuck or a blown fuse etc. Mine will unstick with a jolt. Sometimes better on "both", sometimes better when running. Sometimes the charger will get it going on top of the batteries. Sometimes nothing works and I kick things.

The attachment at the top is probably a screw and nut. I replaced mine with a clevis pin type deal for obvious reasons I say junk it and add gas struts.

 

[Chuck-arral]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

Thanks for all the helpful hints and those are all thngs I expected to hear and planned to check for, but the story goes on.

Frustrrated last night I just gave up and went in with the intent to start fresh this morning. Early this morning I go out flip the battery switch to #1 turn the ingnition (fires right up/shut it right off), and I noticed an ACC light switch Illuminated on the dash board (yesterday I got no lights), so I hit the engine hatch and it came right up, but with the screws out of the hinges I had real mess, but it was working. Battery #2 is still disconnected, so #1 did power it like I thought is should. I fiddled around and got it all put back together and everthing is working, but I did not do anything this morning that I did not do 10-times yesterday afternoon.

Took it to the lake today and everything ran great.

I am really perplexed about why the electrical system would not work yesterday and it worked this morning.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thats boating, but should I expect this to happen again in the future?

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

With all of the fiddling around with the electrical system and switches, it's possible you shorted out a resetting breaker...but that's a long shot.

 

[QC]

Re: Something is Wrong / Engine Hatch wont open / Need help

Thats boating, but should I expect this to happen again in the future?

Yes, so learn how to disconnect that ram at the top through the round hatch.