Boats For Sale:
Electrical Issue? |
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td_in_nc 
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Joined: March-30-2012 Location: Clayton NC Status: Offline Points: 381 |
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 Topic: Electrical Issue?Posted: April-08-2013 at 11:46pm |
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I have a very sporadic problem, where my 1985 SN 2001, will act as if the battery is completely dead. I will be running the boat, then when I shut off the engine to pick up the skier, I try to restart and it acts as if the battery is completely dead, I move the throttle to make sure I am in neutral, and I just keep bumping the key then all all the sudden it turns over. This past weekend while I was working on the boat this occurred and I noticed the the battery gauge showed no voltage, then I turned the key again and gauge showed power and turned over (I did not even move the throttle). This is very sporadic, so I cannot predict when it will happen or check any thing. I am thinking it may be something to do with the neutral safety switch, but wanted to see if anyone had a suggestion.
Thanks Tom |
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62 wood
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Joined: February-19-2005 Location: NW IL Status: Offline Points: 4527 |
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Posted: April-08-2013 at 11:59pm |
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Try cleaning your battery connections, both terminals at the battery , ground on the block and the Pos. on the starter.
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 12:06am |
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I agree with double checking all the connections. Cleaning and tightening.
On the neutral safety switch, this just interrupts voltage to the starter motor. All of your other dashboard electrics would still work normal if it is just a bad neutral safety switch. You said the voltage gauge shows nothing either, when it's acting up, so that kind of rules out the NSS. I would double check connections around the key switch too. |
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cphase
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Joined: May-11-2010 Location: Newnan, GA Status: Offline Points: 795 |
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 12:16am |
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Get out your VOM and use the diagram below to make sure you are getting voltage.
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td_in_nc
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Joined: March-30-2012 Location: Clayton NC Status: Offline Points: 381 |
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 12:54am |
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Thanks - I will clean all of the connections and see what happens. It only happened 3 or 4 times last summer and I used the boat for over 100 hours. And when it happened it would only be once and then run fine after that. I had completely forgot about it until it did this past weekend.
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SNobsessed
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Joined: October-21-2007 Location: IA Status: Offline Points: 7102 |
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 1:23am |
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It could be a bad breaker too.
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin |
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bhectus
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Joined: July-04-2010 Location: Gator Country! Status: Offline Points: 1809 |
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 11:05am |
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Sounds like your starter relay is going bad. My '87 BFN exhibited the same exact issues when I first got it. New starter relay fixed the problem, but check your batt connections first as mentioned. That's a free fix.
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'02 Ski Nautique 196 w/ 5.7 Apex bowtie - Sold
'87 Barefoot - sold '97 Super Sport Nautique - originally custom built for Walt Meloon '97 Ski Nautique '83 SN 2001 |
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TRBenj
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 11:59am |
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I agree with Steve... Ive had this happen many times on many different boats and 95% of the time, its due to a bad connection on the battery cables. Check the battery end, relay ends, starter end, and block ground.
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forvicjr
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 12:09pm |
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I would take it out make it repeat the issue and have a test light on hand and check for power coming out of the ignition switch. Sounds like a ignition switch issue to me.
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“Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes.” ― Harry S. Truman
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62 wood
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 1:27pm |
Agreed, but clean your connections first "Clean + Tight", (dont forget I.switch, selenoid, etc) its easy and free. Then take test light out with you. If it happens again start checking for the other issues stated above. Keep us posted! 
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davidg
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 4:30pm |
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I had similar issues last year. Turned out my starter was shot. Got the starter rebuilt and no further issues.
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forvicjr
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 4:46pm |
Only thing about that is you would have power elsewhere. He is losing power everywhere to my understanding. |
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“Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes.” ― Harry S. Truman
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td_in_nc
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 6:00pm |
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Just want to clariffy that the last time it occurred none ot the gauges worked. I had been turining it over numerous times that day with nonissues. I don't recall if this was the case on the prevoius times the problem occurred.
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Bri892001
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 6:13pm |
Yup, this adds weight to the suggestions of cleaning and tightening all posts and connections. I think it theoretically possible for a bad battery to have internal problems that will give intermittent no power condition. That would be something to question if you're getting no power all the way up the chain when chasing down this problem. |
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OverMyHead
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 7:40pm |
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Ignition switch going bad?
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For thousands of years men have felt the irresistible urge to go to sea, and many of them died. Things got better after they invented boats.
1987 Ski Nautique |
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8122pbrainard
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Posted: April-09-2013 at 8:25pm |
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This is where a VOM (volt Ohm meter) sure would be handy. Dirty battery connections would be my first suggestion as others have mentioned. Then the ignition switch and then the start relay (solenoid). When you clean the battery posts and the cable connections, make sure you use one of the wire brush type terminal cleaners designed for the job.
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forvicjr wrote: