'77 American Skier Start trouble

Hmm, you are probably right. Sorry.

Mccolliga: this is a great forum for learning. I come here a lot. There is an American Skier forum at www.amskierboats.com .   Dan and Ron Tannis both belong and contribute regularly.   You should join us there as well.

Chris Heile

charger496 wrote:    A marine starting battery is essentially a severe duty battery designed to tolerate the boat bouncing around while keeping the acid in each cell. I've used both regular automotive, and marine starting (that's what I have in now). Which one do the experts recommend? And by experts, I mean everyone on CCF.

David,
You may have been listening to to much advertising hype about marine duty batteries! They are the same internally as automotive starting. They add the studs with wing nuts (for the boats that use them), the nice handle and then add the $$$$. Go with a auto starting and you'll be fine. I have never used anything but a automotive in all the years and never had a problem. The worst case is my flat bottomed X55. It rides real rough and that battery is at least 7 years old!!!

mcolliga wrote: It is in fact a marine deep cycle battery. Is this undesireable?

Not given,
A deep cycle is for low amp draws over long times like for an electric trolling motor. Starting a engine requires the opposite - high amp draw for a very short time. Whomever told you or however you ended up with the deep cycle is a problem. The deep cycle doesn't like the high amp draw and you will see quite a voltage drop. How did you end up with the deep cycle?

I still feel you have connection and cable issues. You mention new terminals - were the cable ends green with corrosion? How did you clean them up? Even with new terminals, you still need to clean them and the battery posts with a wire type terminal cleaner. Was that done? Have you checked the voltage to the starter when the start relay (solenoid) is energized?

It is in fact a marine deep cycle battery. Is this undesireable?

What type of battery? Hopefully its not a marine (deep cycle) battery. Does it have a full charge?

Besides just the terminals, there could be internal corrosion on the cables themselves (corrosion = resistance = voltage drop). It also isnt a bad idea to clean the mating surface of the starter to the bellhousing as well as the bolts. The cable running to the starter is positive, it relies on the mechanical connection for its path to ground.

New batter and battery terminals, as well as a new solenoid. When ignition is turned the starter just clicks. The negative cable to the starter could use replacing but other than that I guess it's down to NSS or starter. Any other ideas?