Yanmar 1GM 10 starting problem ( Electrical)

davidwf

davidwf

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My neighbour has a 1 GM10 that intermittently fails to turn over, He presses the start button and he sees the warning lights dim, no click from soleniod at all.

So far he has had Solenoid, then starter button replaced, The starter is fairly new as well.

I have checked all his wiring and it looks good, the batteries are about 4 years old but again look good. Although at 4 years old I think I'd bite the bullet and change the starter battery for safety. I have cleaned up the soleniod connector wire where it mates with wiring loom (White one fron starter button) I'm now just wondering if problem may he a HR in fuse holder.

Any one had this problem before?
 
many times, try using a piece of wire from the battery pos to the solenoid terminal and see if it works, if so then fault is in keyswitch, loom connector at engine or the fuse which is in the same location.
To check keyswitch, swap over the single wire on one side to the other post, this will bypass the switch. only for testing purposes!

steve
 
Is there an earth strap in the system somewhere? These can look OK, test OK but will not pass starter current if corroded. Suggest by-pass sections of the system in turn until you can localise the problem.
Morgan
 
Thought about earths but they look OK and the solenoid is not clicking so whatever it is is not allowing the soleniod to operate.

Latest update today is that the problem still exsists but if he pushes the starter button a few times it eventually works. I think that leads me to think the starter buttons iffy, which is suprising because it is new.
 
There's a 30 amp (??) fuse in an in-line holder hidden in the wiring loom of these that is known to give these symptoms. Will try and find a piccy.

Andy
 
Any one had this problem before?

****************************************

We all have....many times...:)

The usual culprit is the poor connection to the battery posts by the clamps. Always worth removing them and checking there is not a high resistance deposit on the post and or clamps. Clean well grease and refit.

What happens is that enough current finds its way through the gunge but not enough for the starter or maybe even the solenoid so the lights dim.

Also check the earth connections to the engine.
 
I had this problem on my 1GM10 .... The main +ve feed cable broke under the connector insulation at the engine end. The problem occured because the cable had been very neatly clipped to the engine bay + the excessive rocking action of 1GM10's when running. Most of the time the cable was making sufficient contact to work. It couldnt be seen and couldn't be measured with an ohm meter (only failed at high current)
 
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Apprantly Volspec checked the fuse so that should be OK.

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Worth checking the holder, too, as I believe the contacts are vulnerable to corrosion - one would expect Volspec to have done this, but...

Andy
 
It is also possible that one sector of the commutator or the starter motor is F0KT. My engine often has to be turned backwards until the piston reaches TDC against compression. in order to start. I'm going to have a hunt for that fuse though. My batteries are new this season and nothing else fits my particular situation.
 
I had exactly similar problems when I first acquired my current boat. It eventually transpired that the battery isolator (one of those with a big red plastic 'key') was at fault. It's definitely high resistance somewhere.
 
What's the cable distance from the starter button to the solenoid?
I had a similar problem with my 2GM. I fixed it by fitting a relay next to the solenoid and using the starter button to operate the relay.
I can let you have a wiring diagram if you think you want to make this modification.
 
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It is also possible that one sector of the commutator or the starter motor is F0KT. My engine often has to be turned backwards until the piston reaches TDC against compression. in order to start. I'm going to have a hunt for that fuse though. My batteries are new this season and nothing else fits my particular situation.

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If the solenoid is pulling in OK, then it isn't the fuse - it's only on the 'low current' side that this effects. The other suggestions about poor: battery connections; engine earths; isolator switches; solenoid contacts, or your own suggestion of a duff winding / segment on the starter are more likely. If it's any sort of poor connection on the high current side, it'll be getting hot when you crank the engine over.

0.02p

Andy
 
Reading posts with interest as my 1GM10 has just developed the exact same problem, If I put a live pos and neg direct to the solenoid then short across would this bypass everything except the starter motor? I'm a bit worried as I've had the head off over winter to replace the exhaust valve, as a result when I started up for the first time it took ages to start as their was air in the fuel system (replaced all filters) and smoke started to appear around the starter motor so it obviouisly got quite hot. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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Reading posts with interest as my 1GM10 has just developed the exact same problem....

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Which problem, exactly? (Sorry to be pedantic /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

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... If I put a live pos and neg direct to the solenoid then short across would this bypass everything except the starter motor? I'm a bit worried as I've had the head off over winter to replace the exhaust valve, as a result when I started up for the first time it took ages to start as their was air in the fuel system (replaced all filters) and smoke started to appear around the starter motor so it obviouisly got quite hot. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

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If you crank continuously for more than a few 10s of seconds, the starter motor could easily have got hot enough to start smoking.

Andy
 
When I press the starter button I get nothing but a slight dimming of the oil pressure light, I've p[ut a meter across the batteries, they show 12.9 volts, this drops to 12.7 when I press the starter button, it's the same at the solenoid, their is no noticable voltage drop when the starter is pressed. I'll try to by-pass the loom and go direct to the solenoid from the battery tonight, fingers crossed!!!!
 
My 2GM had the same problem - push button, lights dim, nothing happened. Would always start with a short across the solenoid/starter terminals - I found a handy allen key ideal for this.
Last winter I concluded that the harness connectors were responsible, cleaned, then cable-tied them together. So far it still works.
Still have the allen key handy though.
 
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