Starting Problems

I have a 79 Nautique and having some electrical/starting problems. When I turn the key to the on (not start) position, the voltmeter just reads a hair over 8 volts (I just bount a new battery and have tested at 12 volts) and the starter won't engage (I can hear a clicking noise coming from the starter). I took a voltage reading at the starter relay and it seems that there is 12 volts getting to it as well as to the rest of the wires going to the remainder of the electrical system. I don't think it is a starter issue, because sometimes if I keep trying to start (and it has been sitting ahwile and cool) I can get to turn over even with the low voltage. Any ideas what else to test or replace?

you should have a 13.5-14V at the battery so throw it on a charger first or get a better brand battery with a high CCA rating.

you gotta be kidding me, you really are a legend

think we are going to have to make a change you guys are going to have to talk to keith.

    With the key in the "on" position, check the voltage at the voltmeter to see if its close. If its wrong, change it. Should be reading a bit lower than your voltage directly across the battery as you will have some voltage loss in the wiring going to the dash. 8 volts is way off.

                                       Jeff...

I was beginning to think Chris was talking to himself!!! ..I suspected there were underlying problems with that guy!   Hey, you still down south fishin'?

do you have your neutral safety wire bypa$$ed. if so, check the connection, i had this problem. i just made a better connection and it worked.

the CCA rating is fine just need to make sure that it is charged up. even tho it is new it could have been setting on the self for a long time so if you are not getting a 13.5v reading on a voltmeter/multimeter directly at the battery terminals it isn't charged so doing anything other than charging the battery is a waiste of time and will not fix the problem and it won't help diagnoising it either.

Jeff we've been thru this BS so many times and your so wrong go back to the cla$$room. if it was 14.0V then yes that would be a surface charge every automotive or marine battery that is in good working order will show at least 13.25-13.5V at the post with a hand held voltmeter, whats the most common problem when all you hear is a clicking sound when the engine won't start and the ignition is in the start postion dead battery so if all you are reading at the battery is 12v but the damn thing on a charger on high over night and it will start right up in the moring once the battery is charged properly.


hell just do this get a pair of jumper cables and start it from the cars battery with the engine running bet it fires right up. That will tell you if it's the battery or another issue and make sure that you connect the neg cable to the block on the boat not the neg termenal on the battery.

My head just exploded.

Once again I have learned a great automotive/marine truth from 79nautique. All my batteries read 12.8V................. I'll be doing some serious charging tonight !!

79nautique wrote: 12.8 isn't that bad but a little on the weak side depends on the quality of the meter your using and it's calibration. I've always gotten 13+V if your going thru the battery cable clamp that will lower the reading as well you need to be directly on the post of the bettery and it needs to be clean not oxidized and hold it there for a minute and don't be moving it a round.

    OK.... 79 with slander, since I am ALWAYS wrong and need to go back to the cla$$room as you said a few posts ago, then explain to us why does the battery cable clamp lower the voltage reading as compared to taking the reading from the post?? And like you said, connections need to be CLEAN!! Also, why do you have to hold the meter there for a minute not moving it around???

TEACH US PROFESSOR 79!!!

LEAVE THE SLANDER, as some day its going to come back and bite you in the rear. Why not set a good example, as we have young members on this great site. Thats not asking too much.


                                  Jeff....

1. corrosion between the post and termnal will occur over time creating resistance lowering the voltage reading.

2. gives the meter time to read the voltage acurately. It doesn't have to be a minute exactly just needs to stop jumping around and give a steady constant reading.


like I suggested to the guy throw some jumper cables on and see if it cranks over if it does then the battery is the problem. This can be done in the drive way and water doesn't have to be used you are varifing that it turns over, which right now it's not, so you only need it to turn over and not have to start and if it does start turn it off. just need to make sure the cable are connected properly. most people thing that you connect the cable batttery poats to battery post and that's not true. You connect the cables to the post on the good battery/car being used to a$$ist and connect the pos to the post and the neg to the block on the car/boat being jumped or with the dead battery. Now if the battery isn't that low then some times you can get by going post to post. But I've walked by more than once and seen guys trying it that way and getting nothing then I tell them to move this cable and it fires right up. ok cla$$ dismissed pop quiz tomorow so be sure you do your reading a$$ignment tonight

it goes the same for just about any 12v wiring you are doing. For instance, if you use the those blue splice connectors on your 12v system (not necessary on battery cables....ha) but on your other 12v accessories, you can have some serious ground problems or voltage drops on that line if you do this. These splice connectors do not conduct voltage very well and can cause problems. If you can, do not splice, but solder the connection install a terminal block.

    Thanks for the reply 79. Wheres my test? I approve of answer #2. Answer #1 would only apply if you were drawing current from the battery or had nearly no connection to the post at all (not even enough to light a small bulb).
    I dont agree that a good battery will read 13.5 volts. Do you discharge the battery a bit to remove the surface charge before measuring?? The only accurate way to test a battery is with a true load tester not the cheap handheld ones)

Getting back to the post, A good way for him (new 79) to see if its a battery issue is by putting his voltmeter across the battery posts itself, and hit the key and see what the voltage does. Your jumper cable method is OK, but doesnt mean there isnt a simple connection problem to the post. Yes, the jumpers may crank it over fine, but there not hooked directly to the battery post itself unless hes sure the connection is 100%.

    Oh yeah, wheres my test???


                                    Jeff...