www.iFourWinns.com

note: corrected the spelling of "stator" on 5/29
Howdy, yes the subject is "stator" and not starter. I've never heard about this and my brief internet research didn't turn up much ('cause I misspelled it, DUH!).

Got stuck today on the lake with the family; first time out with them on a new/old boat. I have a 1986 4 cyl/165 hp mercruiser engine in a '86 FW Horizon 190. The battery doesn't seem to be holdng a charge (or re-charging) after running. At least not enough to crank the engine. The marina tells me the stator needs repair/replacing. What is a stator and what does it do?

For those who love new boater stories, here ya go...

After stopping and re-starting several times to locate fish for the kids, the boat finally gave up and wouldn't crank. Tossed out the anchor and called for help. Wind picked up out of the west and created a 3-4' chop. The anchor didn't hold well and we slowly drifted into shore. We happened to be at "rocky cove" or something like that. Yep... drifted right into the danger zone. Got the anchor stuck between two large boulders. Good news, right? No more drifting! Nope, bad news. Only 12' away from someone's dock (i.e. safety). Finally dislodged the anchor and drifted into the dock. Some very nice folks happened to be sitting out watching this whole escapade. They came down and asked if I needed help. Told them I was dead and they loaned me a quick-start charger. Vrooom, running again! We agreed I would pay-it-forward and off we went back to the marina (they hadn't left yet to come and help). Made it back safely and now we're in for some repair.

Since the boat is new (to me anyway), the marina/dealer agreed without me asking to fix this "stator" problem gratis. I can't say enough good about this marina. They have been extremely helpful and have bent over backwards to help me get off to a great start in boating. The marina is Sutter's on Canandaigua Lake in upstate NY. Please patronize them if you are in the area.

Try searching for "statOR" rather than "statER". It is the field magnet in your alternator and it doesn't move but is stationary, thus the stator terminology. The marina must have tested the alternator and determined it was bad. In any event it means your alternator must be replaced so no matter how you spell it, it will cost you money. The joys of owning a boat, right?

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"No Losses"

Great explanation. You probably didn't find much on the net for two reasons: 1) the misspelling, and 2) the fact that stators rarely fail. Other than being subjected to a lot of heat, there isn't much about them that can go bad. But yeah, time for a new alternator. BTW, if your battery is older than about 4 years, I'd replace it as well.

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

Thanks guys! DUH, I suppose if you misspell the word it makes it difficult to figure it out. What a goof I am. Thanks for the gentle dope slap.

The marina said the cost would be ~$700 to repair. I don't recall car alternators being that expensive to replace. Is it different in the boat world? Since they are absorbing the cost, I'm not complaining at all. Oh BTW, before I received the boat they put in a new battery so we figured out early it wasn't that.

I'm fairly mechanically inclined and used to do a lot of work on my older cars. So being able to roll up my sleeves and get in there is exciting. This forum will be HUGE help in that endeavor. Thanks again!

For the most part, the difference between marine and automotive electrical parts is that the marine parts are shielded to prevent sparking that could ignite fuel vapors in the engine compartment of inboard and I/O engines.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)