No battery power
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14776
Printed Date: November-17-2024 at 9:55pm
Topic: No battery power
Posted By: ultrarunner
Subject: No battery power
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 3:44pm
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Hey folks, after a couple of boat rides, attempted a start up last night. Boat started then immediately died.
Then no electrical power at all. First thought was the main fuse at the ignition, but its good. Checked all connectors and they are good. 40 amp CB is not popped. Got a battery charger on it now, but doesn't appear to be drawing excessive charging amps, and the 80 amp starter function has no effect. It acts as if there is not even a battery in the boat. Could this battery be DOA? It's three years old. Anything else to look at? We're talking a Ford 351 in my 1980 American Skier. Thanks. |
Replies:
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 3:54pm
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Do you have a volt meter? Get a reading on the battery and the load side of the circuit beaker. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:05pm
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Check your battery terminals/wire, the wire will be green on the connector if there is corrosion. Over time they will corrode, just the life of copper mixed with marine environment and electricity. Clean the battery terminals with a mix of water and baking soda. Voltage can lie to you if you have a corrosion issue. You might still have 12v on the meter but when you put the load on it you will have close to 0.
Tim ------------- |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:17pm
| 12.8 volts, both places. Can't seem to short across the solenoid either. Battery took a charge but for only 15 minutes or so, then the charger reported full. I don't suspect the battery as much. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:18pm
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Mark,
Tim is correct but you stated you did check the connections. Did you clean the battery posts/cable lugs? Did you use a battery post cleaner? Checking voltage at the load side of the breaker will tell you if the breaker is good. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:21pm
| yep, breaker is good. Terminals are clean. No corrosion, although the negative side is slightly loose, I did tighten it up. A slightly smaller connector likely wouldn't hurt, but can't imagine why I'm not getting voltage at the ignition key??? |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:23pm
| Do you think a bad ignition key? |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:34pm
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Your positive battery cable (probably) goes from your battery to the starter solenoid. They usually then pull a #10 or so and then go back to the dash.
I would take the cover off of your circuit breaker (on the engine) and find the solenoid. One side goes to the battery and the other to the starter. There should be a third wire on it....that is hooked to your key switch. Jump the positive battery to that third wire and see what happens. Report back. ------------- |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:38pm
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FYI.... Your starter should engage. The third wire to jump is the smaller wire. Can't figure out how to edit the post. ------------- |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 4:47pm
| Oh, I forgot to mention, all my hot-battery items are inop: bilge, nav lights, horn and blower. On my boat, all those items are hot-wired. That would seem to rule out the ignition switch? |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 5:01pm
Explain "hot wired" ------------- |
ultrarunner wrote:Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 5:35pm
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Ignition key OFF, above items are powered.
Upon further investigation, my solenoid has a pretty good crack in it, and and one wire on the cold pole came right off. Going to replace that now...and I'll get an ignition key also.... |
Posted By: Luchog
Date Posted: August-04-2009 at 9:48pm
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did you check the ground too? ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2095" rel="nofollow - 1980 Ski Nautique Commander 351W |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: August-05-2009 at 11:28am
| I swapped out the solenoid, and no change. Then the ignition switch, no change. So then RE-CHECKED each of the battery terminals and sure enough, had some corrosion that I had overlooked on the negative ground to the engine case. Cleaned it up good and we're up and running. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: August-05-2009 at 12:28pm
Do you have one of these>  ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: BretC
Date Posted: August-08-2009 at 12:49am
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Guys - I strongly think you have a bad cell in the battery. This happened to us last week at Table Rock Lake. After a few hours on the lake of skiing I was about to pull another skier and the boat would not start. Just a whimper of a click. I thought the starter was hung up. I tapped on it but no luck. Back at the dock I jumped the battery but same thing, just a click. Pulled the starter and jumped it directly to a known good battery and she spun up just fine. So I checked the ground and cables - all good. After pulling the starter off a few more times and even trying another battery I just about pulled all of my hair out! Then my wife said, maybe I should just take the original battery out and try the battery out of the truck. Of course I said, what difference would that make, we are jumping from a known good battery. She said, maybe there is something wrong with the battery in the boat. So, I really hated to admit to my wife that this may be a good idea. So when she left, I tried it. (I did not want to give her the satisfaction that it may work!) Yes guys it worked! A cell failed while on the lake and would suck any life out of any other battery. Also you WILL find when this happens that you will see 12 volts with a meter, but not enough amps to even honk the horn. This was the first time a battery ever failed while using it. The battery was about 3 years old. So expect the unexpected. It DOES happen. By the way, I did thank my wife she saved the vacation! :-)
Hope this helps. Bret C Neodesha, KS 1990 Correct Craft Ford 351 ------------- Bret C Neodesha, KS |