www.iFourWinns.com

Hi, I'm having an issue that started this past week with my 2002 VP 5.0 GXI in my H200 boat. When I turn the key to the start position sometimes it will absolutely do nothing no engine cranking just nothing but I do hear the fuel pumps running when I put the key into the start position. If I bring the key back to straight up and down and do this a couple of times then the engine will crank and start. My battery is good and fully charged and yesterday it took quite awhile of turning the key and waiting for it to start (I'm talking more than an hour of trying it and letting it rest then trying it again) and then it finally did start and I shut the engine off several times after that and I couldn't get it to fail again. The radio works fine when turning the key in the other direction and in the start position as well as all of the gauges work fine as well. It's something intermittent with the starter system and I can play with the gear shift and it doesn't appear to be something in there as when it doesn't want to start wiggling that around doesn't make any difference. Does anyone know what the problem could be? I'm very hesitant to take my boat out to a sand bar and shutting the engine off for fear that it won't start back up again and I'll be stranded on the lake!

Battery cables (corrosion) if your terminals are retained with wing nuts get rid of them and use either lock nuts or bolt on marine grade battery clamps. I switched to clamps years ago.
Check the negative battery cable ground on the engine bell housing(behind the starboard side exhaust manifold or rubber ex hose) for corrosion.
Check all the terminals on the starter solenoid, if the exhaust manifold drain leaks on to the terminal they will corrode fast. I use OMC triple guard grease on these to prevent corrosion.
This ca also be caused by a rusty starter solenoid or starter relay.
It is possible to have a loose connection on the ignition switch as well.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Hi Thanks for the reply. The problem started a week ago today (Friday evening) and I ended up swapping out the battery just to eliminate that as a possible cause. I have regular lock nuts on the battery cable connections. So after I swapped out the battery last Saturday I was trying to check the cables on the starter to see if they are corroded or not and it's so hard to see anything in there as it's so far towards the transom and hidden under the exhaust manifold. It finally started about 1.5 hrs after I swapped out the battery and it kept starting after that. It started up last Sunday without any problems, I went out there today and it started right up and I restarted it a few times just to be sure before leaving my boat slip. No problems went out to a sand bar to clean the boat up and no problems starting it dove around the lake some and brought it back into the slip. Went to the restroom and cracked open a cold one and then went back in the boat and nothing, zero, nada, the no engine crank issue is back! I thought it might be a combo of the old battery not having enough power to crank and maybe a loose connection or something but this blows that theory. I'm back to the drawing board on trying to figure out the root cause of this intermittent problem. Does anyone else have any ideas and suggestions of what to check and try? I put the key in the start position the gauges all activate and I hear the fuel pumps running and then that's it nothing after that.

Remember it takes way more amps (current) to turn a starter than to run anything else on the boat. Battery connections are only a part of this. You also have to check everything else I noted above. Remember electricity must travel in a circuit. That means battery ground terminals too. Starter terminals also...

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I had a similar issue with my '05 Jeep Grand Cherokee a couple of weeks ago. No start, no click, nothing. Sometimes it would act up, other times it would be fine. Pulled the battery thinking I had a dead cell and replaced it. Store said the battery was fine, but I wanted to eliminate that as an issue - $205 for new battery.

Same issue again with new battery...

Started looking into the starter relays. Swapped relays around with no correction to the problem.

Then my wife ran across something on a Jeep Forum about loose terminals on the starter solenoid. We pulled the starter (not something I wish to do again on a 5.7 Hemi with 4WD...) and there was a slight (very slight) wiggle to the main terminal where the battery wire connects to the solenoid. Bought a new starter and checked the terminal. Nice and tight. $105 for new starter.

So after $300+ and about 6 hours of messing around, I finally got the thing to work. Hasn't had a starting issue yet.

Now I realize this was on a car and not a boat, but your symptoms sound exactly like the ones I had on this Jeep. A loose terminal on the starter solenoid could be the cause.

_________________
1999 180 Horizon OB Fisherman Pkg
2013 Grand Cherokee 4x4 w/ 5.7 Hemi
San Antonio, TX

Thank you very much for the replies. So the loose terminal on the original starter solenoid on your Jeep could be tightened up at all? It was partially un-welded or something? The problem with the way the boat is setup that is pretty hidden under the exhaust manifold and further towards the transom. But I'll get a small mirror in there and try to see what I can see.

You'e going to see if you can pull out the rear seat and get a good look at the terminals on the starter solenoid. They are pretty prone to corrosion if any water from the exhaust manifold drain above it gets on them. Also after a while the contacts inside these burn and they need to be replaced. I replaced one on my current starter because of the corrosion issue about 7 years ago and it still works fine. Marine starter solenoids for the typical GM starters are about $35 or so. Not hard to install if you can get the starter out.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/97y7b927tdgll ... r.jpg?dl=0

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Hi All,

Well I believe that I have figured out the problem spending some time out at the marina troubleshooting. It's been so tough to figure out the cause since it's an intermittent problem with no repeatable pattern or doing it when it's only cold or only hot as it didn't matter if the engine was cold or warmed up. It looks to be the ignition switch because if I jiggle the key in it I can eventually get it to start. So now I need to figure out what the part number is and decide if I want to order the original Four Winns ignition switch or go with a Sierra aftermarket switch? At least it's easy to get to and work on so I sure hope that this resolves my starting problem!

My thought was that the terminal stud mounted in the solenoid was possibly broken or cracked. There wasn't an easy way to try and tighten it without possibly messing up the threads on the stud. Plus if it already had that one problem, I didn't want to put it back in and then have to pull it again months later for something else. Too much of a pain to get to.

Hopefully the ignition switch will fix your issue. Definitely easier to get to!

_________________
1999 180 Horizon OB Fisherman Pkg
2013 Grand Cherokee 4x4 w/ 5.7 Hemi
San Antonio, TX

FW did not make the ignition switch, you can use an aftermarket one. There are 2 styles your boat could have, one is a simple three position switch with off all the the way to the left, ignition on one notch to the right and start one more notch to the right (three terminals on the back side of the switch)
The other is the same as this, but adds an accessory position that is to the left of off. This is a 4 terminal switch, the newer boats seem to come with this style.

One of the better quality switches is made by Cole-Hersee, you can find them at West Marine and other boating shops.

You can pull out the old switch and test it, for continuity. There is a battery terminal (B), an ignition terminal (I) and start (S). When you turn it to the start position, there must be continuity between the B terminal and the S terminal. When you turn it to the Ignition position there should be continuity between the B terminal and the I terminal.
When the wiring is all hooked up, there should be battery voltage at the B terminal (measure between the B terminal and ground). Same when you switch to Ig (between I and ground) and S (between S and ground). My experience is that the switches rarely go bad, more likely is a loose connection on the switch, or corrosion on the starter terminals or battery ground on the bell housing. You could also have a bad solenoid on the starter. None of them are complex to repair but on some boats the starter is hard to get out as I've complained about in the past (designed in very poor engine access on the newer boats with all that awful molded in 'glass around the engine). Those designers should be flogged with a 9/16ths socket on the end of a long extension (what you will be using to get the starter out, lol).....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II