Engine just cut out mid passage in Marina !!!

[Lisa&Paul]

Hi we were taking our boat back to the mooring after a lift out and the engine cut out , we seemed to lose all electrics , then after several attempts she just started . Back to berth and Chattering when attempted to restart ,checks made , battery terminal were not dead tight due to having those plastic butterfly clips on them , tightened as best we could and battery tested fine , which we expected as was replaced new a few weeks ago . Engine then started fine 6 times on the trot although one dial that was working ceased to work . Our techno boat friend was present and suggested maybe a relay fault near the starter motor ....... Any thought please as rather concerned to be out at sea and same happens ?

 

[Paulg25]

we seemed to lose all electrics

Sounds like the main connection to the battery.

 

[petem]

Hi we were taking our boat back to the mooring after a lift out and the engine cut out , we seemed to lose all electrics , then after several attempts she just started . Back to berth and Chattering when attempted to restart ,checks made , battery terminal were not dead tight due to having those plastic butterfly clips on them , tightened as best we could and battery tested fine , which we expected as was replaced new a few weeks ago . Engine then started fine 6 times on the trot although one dial that was working ceased to work . Our techno boat friend was present and suggested maybe a relay fault near the starter motor ....... Any thought please as rather concerned to be out at sea and same happens ?

What engines?

 

[Oscar24]

If you have a 12v isolator switch like the one shown in the link, i would check to make sure that when its in the ON position its connection is good enough to supply cranking voltage to start an engine. Ive had two fail on me.
Battery Isolator Switch - Removable Key

 

[jrudge]

Are you sure it was electrics ? You seem to have have just had maintianence. I had engines cut post fuel filter change as it drew a bit of air through

 

[Bilgediver]

Sounds like the main connection to the battery.

Hope he remembers to check the earth connection on the engine. A quick check can be carried out by running a jump lead from the battery neg. post to the alternator bracket.

 

[Leighb]

I can understand, and have experienced, failure to start due to a bad electrical connection, but diesels will usually carry on running once started if the battery is disconnected? Was this a modern EPC controlled engine which fails if no electrics? If so a good reason to stick with older engines which mostly keep going, except for all the other problems of course.?

 

[Lisa&Paul]

Hi thanks all for your replies , the engine is a 10 year old Yanmar diesel 6 LY3 UTP 380 hp done 520 hours .

 

[mrangry]

I was out on Friday motor sailing in heavy weather heading back to Ardrossan from Port Bannatyne. The engine after running fine for hours just died. No great panic I thought as we were well offshore and under reefed sails. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the water trap diesel filter was completely clogged with what looked like brown frog spawn which prevented diesel flow to the main fuel filter causing the engine to die.

On seeing this I immediately identified it as diesel bug so grabbed the small aux fuel tank for the diesel heater and rigged the supply pipe to the engine lift pump. I then fitted a new fuel filter and got the engine fired up.

Have a look at your water trap and main fuel filter, checking for signs of diesel bug in the fuel.