www.iFourWinns.com

Anyone on here need some quick help....My volvo 5.7 won't crank. Tried to start before going to the lake with hose hooked up. It turned slowly like battery was bad, then quit cranking. I switched to other battery and then both. No crank at all now. Plugger in to shore to charge battery's but voltage at both battery is like 12.8. Checked neutral switch it is working fine, continuity when in neutral and none when in gear. Checked safety switch works right, What else? Tightened battery cables. Ideas?

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

It could be due to severe corrosion at the battery negative cable mounting stud on the engine block (near the starter). Very prone to corrosion there, due to a myriad of different metals used by VP for the mounting hardware.

Does the starter solenoid click, or is there no noise at all when you try to start it?

No click...think I found it starter seemed to be stuck in. Checked voltage to starter with key on got 12volts. Then when I cranked it went down to near nothing. Beat on starter a little with pliers and it cranked slowly but did start. I think I need a new starter. I will check that ground though.

Thanks
Rick

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

That reminds me of my first car .. 78 Firebird Formula. After having it for a couple years (it was pretty old when I bought it) I'd have to get under it once in a while and bang on the starter for it to start. A new starter fixed that right up.

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'99 258 Vista Cool Breeze II

If the charger is connected to shore power you should see at least 13.5 to 14 volts. That's what it takes for the batteries to take a charge. However, they usually isn't enough power for the shore charger alone to crank the batteries.

What do the batteries read at their terminals? If that's more than a volt higher than at the starter then the wiring between them is certainly suspect. Bear in mind that corrosion can occur inside the insulation, usually because something nicked it. Or moisture managed to wick it's way in there from the ends. So don't just assume that since there's no corrosion at the ends that the wire is OK.

Note, if you run batteries dead you reduce their lifespan. So it's a very good idea to make sure your batteries never go below about 10v.

I'd start by asking how old are the batteries? Most typically last 4-5 years. You could be due for replacements.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I've been very lucky with batteries ( "touch wood" etc !). When they delivered my boat in 2005, one was at at about +8V the other about -0.8V ( how on earth does that work ?) Once charged, the one at 8V has been OK ever since; the one with reversed polarity never recovered.

Boy have I got a story...lol

Got the boat started at home, shut if off, started right back up multiple times. Took it to the lake and played for a few hrs, shut if off and it wouldn't start. Worked on it for about 2 hrs checking voltage and connections at batteries...selector switch, found a fuse I didn't know I had....lol. Finally I give up, that's a big statement for me.....lol. Asked another boat near me for a tow to the dock, which is in sight. He says he would but he can't get his trim down, I offer to fix his trim if he will tow us and he agrees. I swim over get on his boat, and its a train wreck, wires unhooked, fuses missing, things held together with bungees . Immediately I decide I'm not about to dig into this mess, I cracked the trim line and stood on outdrive to get it to go down until he was happy. I hook 2 of my ropes together to keep plenty of distance and he wraps my rope in his prop, luckily I yelled at him before he hit it and he shut off and it wasn't wrapped badly. Got it out in about 10 minutes. He then proceeded to tow me to the dock with no problems. He drops us about 200 ft from the dock and I have a good 100 ft of rope so I figure I can pull it that far swimming....damn that's a big boat when your swimming trying to pull it....I got about half way and a fishing boat took pity on me and towed us in the rest if the way. Got a ride to other dock where my truck was and loaded up with no more issues, but damn what a day. I am going to buy a starter tomorrow. I love boating!

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Now THAT was indeed a story. Nothing ever so long as any distance you try to pull a boat while swimming. I can still remember the 1/2 mile we pushed a rowboat home that way after we lost one of the oars 'testing to see how deep it was'.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Nice story, I just put in my spare one because the old one got salt water in it after a cooling hose popped off and filled the bilge with salt water. Two 9/16ths bolts underneath and there is also a front mount as well.

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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

Changed the starter, all is good. Cost 52 bucks at local starter repair shop. I love air tools, I started with a ratchet and got it loose then just grabbed my 3/8 impact and zoom ....zoom. It was off. Put the new one back on and started right up. Maybe this will help someone one day...lol. I texted my wife today and said remember when I was swimming and trying to pull the boat and you were watching me. She said yea why.....my response ....why the hell weren't you paddling?.....all I got back was a haha...

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

+1 on the banging the starter, back in the day I had a Camaro Iroc Z that would do the same damn thing! Bang the c daylights out of that stater to at least get it out but don't turn it off you might not get it on again.

Same thing one of my 1st cars was a '65 VW Beetle. The solenoid would stick and I'd have to get under and tap it. One day it quit so I got inventive. I used to crank the engine with a spark plug socket and ratchet on the generator pulley nut. So I turn on the ignition, pump the gas 2x and then crank it over and it started like a lawn mower LOL. People loved to watch me start it in the college parking lot....

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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

Talk about starting the car up in the college parking lot ... the same Formula I had ... when it got really cold (upstate NY winter cold) it wouldn't start and would flood out sometimes so I'd have to open up the hood, pull off the air filter and put a pen in the carb to keep it open to get it started lol ... yeah got some looks myself.

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'99 258 Vista Cool Breeze II

Weak battery/starter on my '68 Bug meant parking on hills was necessary. More than a few times I had to do running starts... Upside to such a small engine meant it was easy to just push it a few yards, leap in and fire it up. A slope just made it easier to re-try if it didn't catch first thing. Even did it in reverse once.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I did it once in a pickup. Rolling down hill dropped the clutch it didn't start. Oops left the key off. Turned it on and blew the freakin muffler wide open like a bomb went off. Lesson learned. I still haven't figured out how to pull start my vista yet. Can anyone one teach me.

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2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr