Sounds like a week battery

Welcome to the site. Take some time and fill out the diary section and post some pics of your new ride. Many of us on here are on a first name basis and you have found the best resource anywhere to troubleshoot your problem.

You did not get a deep cycle marine battery did you? This is a common mistake. You want a regular automotive starting battery. Don't let them sell you on any kind of "marine" battery.

It is often recommended to beef up your battery cables to a thicker gauge. Corrosion on the contact surfaces can make a big difference in battery performance as well. Clean and tighten all of your connections. Grounding is a popular electrical problem as well.

Others will chime in who have more experience, but thats were I would start.

It is not a Deep Cycle. Should it have been? Will a deep cycle help starting? I thought it would be cranking amps. Any help? By the way this is an awsome forum. thanks.

No, no. If you got an automotive battery, you did well. This is one of the few exceptions were using an automotive part is alright. It's not just ok, it's preferred.

What are some other details about the engine? I think by 97, there were a bunch of different options. IE, fuel injection vs. carb. stuff like that.

Also, this is just a regular turn key, right? I know some of the newer ones have fancy push button start etc.

Worth checking all of your major (and minor) connections for tightness and cleanliness.

I agree on getting heavier gauge cables in there. Copper is expensive and the OEM's have a tendency to go real light. But first, do check all your connections especially on the battery. Use a wire type battery post cleaner.

Thanks for the info. connections will get cleaned today.

Im starting to think something is pulling the battery down. I am putting a slow charge on it tonight and will give it a try tomorrow. Should the battery show more than 12 volts at the starter. I am getting 12.9 volts. If it is a electrical problem any tips on troubleshooting. Any help is appreciated...

I don't know that a quick short like that would kill the battery. As long as you didn't trip a breaker or something, and that wouldn't result in a slow crank, that would result in nothing happening.

Take some pictures if you can. Any remnants of old stereo equipment, or questionable installations of add on gear?

Just curious, it does eventually start, right? And, after you've had it running for a while and its nice and warm: If you shut it off then, and re-start, does it crank stronger than before, weaker than before, or the same?

It will not crank at all now. I thought I would clean all of the electrical connections because it appeared to me to start weak. I have done something or the battery has weakend.

7golfman wrote: I should not have messed with it. It started the last time i had it on the lake. Just started weak.

It sounds like it would have been a matter of time before leaving you stranded on the water anyway....


What about the starter itself? Could it be bad/have a short? Also make sure the starter is grounded to block good, no paint or rust/corrosion....

Can you jump across the starter relay/selenoid? What happens?

As far as volts goes... a 12 volt battery is actually at a minimum charge if it shows 12 volts. Or I should say that it is at around a 50% charge. You should never let the battery get below that in a resting state. A fully charged battery will actually read somewhere around 12.6 or slightly higher. A battery that is let rest below a 50% charge will have a significantly shorter life. This is more applicable to RV batteries as your alternator will recharge your battery effectively if used primarily for starting the motor. This deep cycling would be more of a concern if you routinely sit on the lake listening to the sterio for long periods with short runs with the engine running.

Sounds like volts is not your problem just thought you might find this useful down the road.

Pete, the relay can still energize with one of the battery cabled disconnected?

Here is what is looks like in case you dont already know.
http://www.nautiqueparts.com/solenoidstarterrelay.aspx

Basically the ingnition (key) sends 12 volts to one of those little studs on there which completes the circuit from the large left stud to the right stud (or whichever one is connected to starter) causing the starter to turn over. Its like a switch that turns the starter on. You need to figure out where in the sequence you are not getting juice.
If when you either turn the key or jump the two posts together you have at least 12 volts on the wire that goes to the starter, but it wont turn over, then you starter is shot.

Any chance you could post some pics of your gauges and some wiring and stuff? A quick video of the gauges jumping around would be awesome if possible.

Do the gauges do a little start-up sequence, like some cars or it more like poltergeist? The poltergeist scenerio would point to a bad ground/grounds somewhere and that can cause a host of problems.

I know the early 90's boats, are notorious for undersized wiring going to the dash. Not sure how long that carried through.

starter might be a little tired..probably need to be clean at least...
inspect all connections first and battery of course, relay etc....then I would lean to the starter it self....
I`ve been there, replaced battery, cables, relay, etc, nothing, it was heavy ..finally had to rebuilt the starter...not it turn like a champ..

jumpy guages indicate bad grounds. Several have had issues with that, self included. I cleaned up a few connections and it got better. However occasionally mine still does it. When I tear the boat apart this winter for a new floor I will run a new dash supply. Its a pain to work up under there with the drivers seat in. I did it some and had my fill.