dont start

[sterntube]

hi there tried to start my engines the other day and all i get is a clicking niose or a very slow turn over had the batteries checked and are all fully charged any suggestions on my next checks would be appreciated the boat is a p35 with 2 volvos many thanks

 

[Eventide26]

Check your earth connection to your starter motor.

 

[Freebee]

all connections , battery post, starter motor, solenoid and earth.

 

[SolentPhill]

sounds like a solenoid issue but cant be on both engines, when you say checked batteries how did you do this using what, set of jump leads and a spare battery is a good way to check, if it starts your batteries are the problem, if it still doesnt then as said above a lose wire.

 

[seamaster30]

How were the batteries checked?
If they were checked with a voltmeter after just coming off charge, then this is not a valid check - check the voltage when the engines are trying to crank maybe? Can't remember what the voltage should be under cranking, but someone will oblige shortly.

 

[ExcaliburII]

As long as you've got more than about 8v while cranking, most engines will turn over and fire up OK.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Last year there was a Grand Banks at Port Dinorwic and the owner said he was going off to buy a new starter motor. We persuaded him to take a jump start from his car, so I went and got my jump leads. Engine started no problem.

He had checked battery and adjusted and cleaned connections so had come to conclusion that as the solenoid was firing, it must be the starter motor.

At bit later he tried to start the engine again and all he got was the solenoid click.

Meter showed battery was fully charged. So, I told him to lift the the battery out of his Merc and try that.

So he lifted it out, carried it down into the engine room and connected it up. Engine fired straight away.

New battery was ordered and he kept hold of the perfectly good starter motor.

 

[hlb]

Batterys can be a bit of a mistery, I dont understand them enough to comment much. Fink they can have loads of volts, but no amps, or sumfink like that.

 

[Kawasaki]

Yer can have a 12 volt bat , fully charged 12 volts+
But the Amps / 'Cranking' ability is the thing.
Ie, a little motor bike 12 volt batt, wont crank a big lump in a Grand Banks .

Starter motor sales in Port Dinorwic have slumped recently, due to a Forumite. Yer right hlb.
Electrikery is a mystery!

 

[PAULSTEWART]

When on my P35 and had same problem, I used a jump lead from domestic battery, (only needed one cable as common earth on all 3 batteries) and engines started fine.
Bought new battery which solved the problem, and had "dodgy" battery drop tested and checked out by electrician at work...and came up as fine /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
So going to keep it for domestic use.
Let us know how you get on...

 

[sterntube]

tried my two batteries on my truck one at a time and they started it instantly so im convinced they are ok but i have charged them at the house for a couple of days and will put them back on the boat at the weekend i,ll let you no how i get on cheers

 

[ExcaliburII]

To prove the point properly, having charged them up you should leave them for a couple of days to settle before trying them on the boat. If they're a bit knackered they will self discharge over a short period so testing them immediately after charging them up will give you a false impression they are OK. Then, next time you try the boat . . . flat again.

The other (better) alternative is to have a proper discharge test done on them by a specialist motor factor.

However, a cautionary tale from personal experience: for about 3 years now, every time my Landcruiser was serviced by the local Toyota dealer, they reported "batteries in poor health - need replacing" and quoted me an exorbitant price to replace them (two huge 12v batteries in parallel). After a couple of these reports, I had them checked by a local specialist and they said "they're a bit down but still serviceable" so I soldiered on. Anyway last April things were getting really sluggish after the car hadn't been used for a couple of days, so I bit the bullet and bought a new pair from said specialist at a much cheaper price than the main dealer. Not long after, it went in for another service, and on the report . . . yes, you've guessed it: "batteries in poor health - need replacing".

As luck would have it, the technician who did the service walked through reception as my fingers were closing round the reception bloke's throat, and he eventually admitted that he thought the result was a bit strange as he could see they were new batteries. When I suggested that perhaps they ought to get their battery tester serviced and recalibrated, the withering look I got back suddenly made me realise that, as far as they were concerned, it was working like a dream. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif