HELP GT-40 No Start

Been having some electrical problems on my 97 Sport Nautique GT-40.

Please watch short video: Need advice!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbB47l_PXSM

Thanks

Mike

Mike, You message is confusing/upsetting!! Why did you say you are having electrical problems without describing your symptoms, and then provide a link to a video that doesn't work, and then suggest I watch a video. Then you ask for advice.

Remember, I'm not the one with a problem. Maybe I should just guess what your problems are, and machine-gun the response/potential solution.

This is a great site with lots of experience, even on the GT-40's. But you need to help us understand the problem that you are facing and are so close to.

I have a GT-40, my third, and just fixed a friend's 1998 Ski with a GT-40 that had an intermittent no-start problem going on three years. There are specific issues (simple) with the circa 1997 electrical systems. Please respond!!

Todd

I can hear a solenoid engaging on the video. The GT40 has a power assist solenoid on the metal plate at rear of engine. It is on the underside of that plate just below the relays.

I would be cleaning the connections on that solenoid and the battery terminals. Then measure voltages at battery and the power assist solenoid. You may have bad cables that are causing a voltage drop or a flat battery.

Hello Gents,

I'm very sorry I did not provide more info. Also it's taken a while to check back here. I coached 14 innings of baseball today as well as watched 9 more. (3 of my boys play ball)

OK, so over the past few years I have been having this clicking sound during start attempts but the motor usually fires up after a few tries. It has been getting progressively worse as time passes on.

I have replaced the positive terminal twice, and have kept the battery well charged as well as kept the terminals clean.

Tomorrow I will swap batteries with my truck and see if that makes any difference.

The connections to the round thingy above the starter are clean as a whistle.

That metal plate you are talking about, what should I do there?

I will look at those connections.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Mike

This picture shows location of power wire with battery +ve cable attached. This assist solenoid applies power to the other starter solenoid on top of starter.



You should be able to tell which solenoid is engaging by touching it while someone else hits the starter. If all the connections are clean on this power assist solenoid and it has the same voltage as you measure at the battery. The voltage should be over 12.5 Volts if you battery has a decent charge stored. That checks out the battery and cabling to the assist solenoid.

Then test the voltage on the other side of the assist solenoid you will see a smaller red battery cable running to the starter check for the same 12.5 Volts when engaged.

The yellow red wire runs from the assist solenoid terminal to the starter solenoid also to activate that solenoid test it has 12 volts on it when the ignition is turned to start position.

Before you replace the assist solenoid take extra care of noting the correct wiring to the terminals.

Mike,
Get the volt meter out and check what you are getting to the starter during cranking. You never answered if you have a deep cycle for starting?? If so, dump it and get a starting battery.

whiz05403 wrote: If one of the solenoids fails where do you usually order new parts?

This is one source Solenoid

Zach at N3Boatworks (Banner ad above) should be able to get them as well and they are a site sponsor.

steepndeep wrote: Just replaced mine and Im not even getting a click. also replaced neutral safety switch... Kasey

What where your symptoms before the parts replacement?

Where did you get your replacement solenoid? From a PCM parts supplier?

Kasey as suggested the VOM is your best friend especially if the wiring has been switched around somehow.

Hard to get a better picture of the assist solenoid due to its PIA location.

I do remember a hand drawn diagram that someone posted I will try and track it down.

Bri892001 wrote: steepndeep wrote: Just replaced mine and Im not even getting a click. also replaced neutral safety switch... Kasey What where your symptoms before the parts replacement? Where did you get your replacement solenoid? From a PCM parts supplier?

The symptoms started out as intermittent no start with a click at what sounded like the starter or the solenoid relay-not %100 sure-but almost always when the engine was warmed up, very few times would it not start on the first try but there was one occasion when it failed to start right up cold (Im in Hawaii so "cold" is not really an issue)..

After almost getting stranded out in the ocean, I decided no more boating until the problem is resolved. As I was rinsing out the engine on the trailer after her last outing, it failed to start at all after that. So I ordered a new starter solenoid relay from nautiqueparts.com and after talking with their parts rep I opted for a new neutral safety switch as well. Not sure if I wired that up correctly when putting it back together but from how its built it looks like the wires from either side could be interchanged, if I am wrong about this please let me know, I didnt mess with it once it was installed.

Starting batt-month old, cranked the engine just fine every time

Wired solenoid up as instructed on the nautiqueparts.com website.
http://www.nautiqueparts.com/solenoidstarterrelay.aspx

after it was wired up the fuel pump would not prime, so I wired it back the way it was on the old one

Im guessing VOM is Volt Ohm Meter, I do not have one and have never used one. Is it easy? New with electrical, Ill go out and buy one tomorrow and try to find something on youtube on how to use one, please let me know if there is a certain place I should start. I will get some pictures up here asap. thank you very much for your help!!!

steepndeep wrote: ... I opted for a new neutral safety switch as well. Not sure if I wired that up correctly when putting it back together but from how its built it looks like the wires from either side could be interchanged, if I am wrong about this please let me know, I didnt mess with it once it was installed.

That's correct on the Neutral Safety Switch. The two posts are interchangeable because it's just a simple switch.

Kasey,
A VOM is very easy to use. It will come with instructions. A basic one will be about $20. It will come in handy around the house and car too.

DON'T just go throwing parts at the issue until you determine the problem. Don't become just a "parts changer".

Bri892001 wrote: If you're pretty new to electricity, a test light will tell you most of what you need to know in this particular situation. The only problem is the information it will tell you is binary, just "yes/no" on whether or not you're getting juice, it just won't tell you how much. The posts on the solenoid, shoouulldd just be dealing with the switching of positive, so you can clamp your (test light) negative alligator on a known solid ground, somewhere on the block and poke around with the pointy end. When you get light, you've then got a live positive. You should be getting light when you touch the post with the heavy red wires, at all times, regardless of the key. See what you get and we'll move from there.

Sounds like both the test light and VOM will be good tools. Will hopefully buy tomorrow and will have some time to poke around and see if we can make any progress. I really appreciate the genuine help on the site, you guys are so cool for helping! Thank you!

lewy2001 wrote: Found them.......

Lewy2001 thank you very much! It looks like you have one or two more wires than I do. Its hard to read some of the labels for the wires in your drawing but I appreciate the reply and will keep you all posted on the progress!!

steepndeep wrote: THis is how it was wired when I bought it. new solenoid looks slightly different, from nautiquepart.com

It looks like someone had added a jumper previously... if I'm correct, wired this way, essentially voltage was just coming from the Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) and going right to the solenoid on the starter. It was really just bypassing this remote solenoid we're looking at. I'm wondering if it didn't have a good ground and was not switching, therefore the jumper. You shouldn't need that jumper, everything else about the wiring looks correct.

This era has a solenoid on the starter directly mounted to it, and this remote, round solenoid in the pic. This remote solenoid just switches the other solenoid, but it is a hub for other electrical as well.