www.iFourWinns.com

Just dropped a brand new battery in my boat today and when I got to the ramp, it wouldn't start. Turn the key to start and the fuel pump will run and I can hear a click around the starter area. I just spent the last 2 hours removing and reinstalling the starter along with checking all of the connections and hooking everything back up. Still have the same issue.

The starter and solenoid were brand new last August. The battery is brand new today and tests good. Here are a couple of other things previous to this which may or may not have anything to do with it.

1. The ignition switch will stick every once in a while and I thought maybe that was bad. However, if it's making the connection to throw power to the solenoid for the click, there probably isn't an issue here.

2. Ever since I installed a new starter last year, I've been having a hard time keeping a good charge on the battery if I don't run the boat every weekend. It's almost like it's slowly pulling it down from a constant feed somewhere but there are not issues I'm aware of.

Thanks!

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

Cable connections all clean (not corroded) at battery, starter, and ground? It's possible to get enough current to the starter to make the solenoid engage, but not enough to turn the engine.

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

Just had the starter and solenoid bench tested at 2 places and both are good. Looks like I'll have to try cleaning all of the connections really well and see if that does the trick. Seems wierd that it would partially engage the starter at all if it was a bad connection though.

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

It can happen. A bad or corroded connection can act just like a kink in a garden hose - choking off most, but not all, of the water (current). You'd still have 12 volts, but not enough current to overcome the resistance of the engine.

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

Did you check the saftey cut off?
I thought I had a starter problem and ended up that I accidently knocked off the saftey.

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav

Had this one happen last summer. Given that the battery placement is on the same side as the ladder, it's only natural that water drips down onto the terminals to corrode them. After sitting for about an hour, the boat fired right up. Once I got home, I used steel wool and a baking soda/water mix to clean the connections at both ends of the cable.

I just bought a battery cover to put over it to avoid water dripping onto the battery, hopefully this will help avoid the problem in the future.

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago. It turned out to be a bad relay that is between the ignition and starter. The work order shows a part number of 18-5737 which at the time cost $37.15. Of course they charged me $90.00 in labor and it took them about 30 minutes to trouble shoot and replace the relay. Hope this helps.

Ross

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1999 200 Horizon

Even though I had the starter tested, I'm pretty sure that's what's bad. When I jump the solenoid with the key turned to the run position, it will just spin. I also remembered when I had it out to get it tested, the drive on the starter would slide back and forth when it was tipped side to side. If I'm correct, it shouldn't be doing this. It should default back to inside the starter and only come out to engage the flywheel when the circuit is closed correct?

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

The lever/fork to engage the bendix has either broken or jumped out of place. Take it apart! You have nothing to lose now.... Or take it somewhere and have it rebuilt/repaired. This isn't a big deal especially if it has given you reliable service up to now.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Starter was brand new last August and used VERY little so this is extremely poor. However, it is lifetime warranty.

Downside, got a new starter today and it does not have the small terminal on the solenoid for the fuel pump wire. There is an additional terminal bolt coming from the starter casing itself so hopefully that will work the same but I'm afraid NAPA ordered the wrong one in today. I'll find out soon enough I guess.

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

With the starter installed, if I hook up only the yellow/red engine start wire to the solenoid, the engine will crank great. However, if I try to hook up the purple wire (ignition) to the same terminal on the solenoid as the yellow/red (engine start) wire, the ignition fuse will obviously blow. With no other terminals, this starter just has the longer bolt with 2nd nut and washer on the starter case itself. If I bolt the purple (ignition) wire to that, the fuse will blow as well.

What's going on here? Do I have an ignition switch issue or is it just because the starter/solenoid has a different connection point for the purple (ignition) wire?

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

Does anyone know whether or not the purple wire should have power with the ignition switch in the run position? It seems like it should only have power to it when the key is turned to start and when it's let go back to the run position, there should no longer be power to the purple wire. If that's the case, I must have an ignition switch or some other issue with with other components linked to the purple wire.

Still, it seems odd that it would get connected to the starter housing whether I have an issue with an igntion switch or other part?

I appreciate all the input...been working 12+hr days and trying to get this figured out after work so I can bring the boat along this weekend!

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Nubby


Living the DREAM

The yellow/ red wire is the wire that energizes the starter, as you already wrote.

Purple wire is normally used for the ignition supply and should be live when the ignition switch is in the run and also in the crank position. That purple wire you have found is not necesssarily the actual feed to the ignition, it may be a supply wire from the main purple ignition circuit wire for an optional hour meter ( or maybe the fuel pump? it depends on the age of the engine and how integrated the wiring is; my fuel pump for example is fed from the main fusebox on top of the engine). I don't think that purple wire should be connected to the starter terminals

Also, on my starter I found there is a ground stud onto which the FW harness ground wires are attached, clearly it should not be connected to that either!

Graham

I am not sure from your email exactly what engine you have?

However, on my 5.7Gi-C Volvo there is a separate starter relay in the start circuit -- it is in with the fuse box on the top of the engine behind the engine intake --- LABELED STARTER RELAY (there are also IGNITION RELAY and FUEL PUMP relay in that fuse box)

This relay has to be energized, which then activates the starter -- there is a spare relay allready in the relay box.

I am going through a somewhat similar no-start situation -- and am getting ready to replace the relay box itself due to an intermittant wiring issue.

good luck -- Dale

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DaleG -- West Palm Beach FL
2003 240Horizon -- 5.7Gi -Duoprop

Take a look at startrelay and ignition. Very easy to change.

Regards Kristian

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Four Winns 258 Vista 1997 VolvoPenta 5,7 GLi / DPS Imported from USA 2005