www.iFourWinns.com

OK, So my Four Winns 4.3L SX-M has generally 'run like a top' over the past 10 years. But last weekend was frustrating:

When I had the boat de-winterized 2 weeks ago, the mechanic had trouble starting the motor. He'd turn the key,and zippo, nada, not even a solenoid click. Known (brand new) battery, instrument panel comes up, tilt-motor works fine. The mechanic proceeds to debug the problem with a little 'hot light' under the dash: the key is working fine. He then proceeds to do the following:

1. He takes off the cover that holds the automatic fuses and wire-distribution(note: this is on the left-rear portion of the motor, nearest where the battery is stored), and pulls the wire-connector apart (this is a square connector that holds four wire connections -- I can get pictures if need be), and commences to check the wiring coming from the ignition switch (on the instrument panel).
2. This seems to satisfy him that the key-switch is OK, and he puts the square wire connector back in.
3. He then tries the key again, and PRESTO, the motor starts.
4. He turns off the motor, and restarts it 3 or 4 times to make sure this is not a fluke.
5. He puts the two bolts holding the fuse-cover assembly back together, and sends me on my merry way with an explanation of "ya probly had a bit of corrosion there, and re-seating the connection fixed it for ya".


So we go out on Saturday (because its really nice, and the water was calling to us), and launch at our favorite ramp. The boat starts right up, no problem whatsoever. We motor down to a little restaurant on the lake and enjoy some lunch (this is perhaps 4 or 5 miles from launch point). The boat runs smoothly as a kitten. We sit back and enjoy our lunch for about 2 hrs. When we come back, the problems start:

1. The motor will NOT turn over. We go through all the suspects: battery good, instruments up, tilt works fine, motor in neutral. Nada, zippo, not even a solenoid click.
2. Aha, I think, this is EXACTLY what I saw at the mechanic's place when we were de-winterizing.
3. Unfortunately, I do not have any suitable-sized sockets with me, and I cannot remove the fuse-cover. We wind up getting towed back to our trailer (major bummer to an otherwise sparkling day).
4. Finally back in my driveway, I take off the fuse-cover -- again EXACTLY as I witnessed the mechanic do. I pull the little square connector with the four wire connections. I poke around with my little volt-meter (to almost no avail, since I do not have a wiring diagram, and do not know what it is I'm supposed to see when I turn the key).
5. Shrugging in my best approximation of my boat mechanic, I put the connector back in, and VOILA! the motor cranks just fine.
6. However, when I put the bolts back into the fuse cover and re-attach it -- bad news: the same dead response.

So here's my questions to anybody with some ideas:
1. Is the problem I'm experiencing likely in the connector (one side or the other) that we pulled and re-connected, or is probably somewhere else?
2. If the problem is in the connector, how do I go about getting the part-number for this connector, and replacing it?

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1999 Four Winns Horizon 180 4.3GL

Sounds like the cover bolts may be putting enough pressure on or distorting something to cause a connection to break. I don't know what kind of connection(s) are in that connector, but I'd start by making sure they make good contact, are completely corrosion free on both sides, and that the cover and/or cover bolts aren't doing something they shouldn't be.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Or....make sure your bolts aren't grounding (or arcing) out a chaffed wire/loose connection. Not sure what it looks like, but I'd have to agree the common denominator is the assembly being fully, well, assembled.

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-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Sounds like the Solenoid to me. He just jarred it when he was working on the engine.

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1992 Baja 38 Special Twin 502 Mags

03 Stingray 3.0
88 261 Liberator 460 King Cobras
95 Bayliner 1850 3.0
77 Fiber Form 20ft 350/385hp
70 Wescraft 1800 SS 455 Jet

Lead, Follow, or get the Hell out of the Way!

Thanks all for the suggestions. From further reading of 'ignition problems', and 'start problems' on this board'; I'm leaning towards either a solenoid-start relay or the solenoid connection as well. Intermittent would be a kind way of putting this. The connector under the fuse-holder has two parts: the 'female' portion (which then goes back into the wiring harness of the boat) -- these are 4 female spade-connector type connections, and one of them is the yellow/red wire towards the solenoid?. The 'male' portion of the connector stays with the fuse-holder housing assembly, and appears to be 4 male spade connectors that are shock-mounted (little rubber bushings) to the housing. I cannot see any wires leading FROM the male side -- just the shock mounting.

If I wanted to 'jumper' the solenoid directly, what combination of wires do I need to jumper together? I recall only the aforementioned yellow/red, and a gray wire.

I really don't see how the bolts can be causing any direct problems -- the connector is well insulated and isolated from the mounting. I am thinking that perhaps the wires and connections could flex slightly when the housing assembly is put back in place, but the bolts don't add any additional pressure or flex at all -- they just hold the housing in place (and they seem like overkill to me, since they're like 5" 5/16 bolts, but I guess they don't want the housing to rattle off under regular operations).

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1999 Four Winns Horizon 180 4.3GL

OK,

So after much slogging through Internet sources, I know what's under the connector I'm talking about. It's the starter relay. When the key is turned, this relay is supposed to energize, thus supplying power to the starter solenoid.

It is my working assumption that this (approximately $20, Volvo Penta part no. 3854138)) part is actually what's failing. The electrical system maintenance manual gives a reasonable way to test the starter relay, which I plan to do. The symptoms of my problem certainly point towards a relay failure. The other possibility is that the relay is working fine, but the solenoid connectors are corroded, but I am tending towards the most simple and probable cause of failure.

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1999 Four Winns Horizon 180 4.3GL