Just a CLICK!!!

[maphillips3]

OK, I have an 86 Bayliner with 2.3L volvo AQ131A motor. last sunday I was out on the lake and everything was fine. The boat was running great,perfect RPM at WOT and it had been starting right up, not for the things that have gone wrong: I every so often have to used the bilge pump as I have a small leak from a hose in the back of the boat(different problem altogether) about 4 hours into the trip I notice not only water coming out of the bilge, but also some gas. Not a good thing, as I could beging to smell it too. I went about boating thinking everything should be ok, as the boat had been running great. A few minutes later the boat sputterd and stopped ("dieseled"). I pulled off the engine cover to see fuel driping from the bottom of the carb. I waited a minute thinking it was flooded and tried to start it again. it turned over, but still nothing. After coming home I tried to start it again, and basically the same thing,turned over but nothing. Then the battery got weak enough that it would not turn it over, it would just chug, and click. Today I hooked it up to my Jeep while it was running and tryed to jump start it, even with the battery from my jeep it would still click. It would click like this several weeks ago as well but after a couple turns of the key it would start. stupid me, just left well enough alone, and now it is kicking me in the butt. I can not even try to work on the other problems till I can get it to tunr over. Can anyone help me?

 

[tommays]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

your going to need to get a service manual like this<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...manual&**********=514509316&*******=693816575 <br /><br />you will need to start at the battery and have it load tested to sure its good<br /><br />and then start working through the connections the grounds are just as inportant as the hots <br /><br />it doesent matter if they look good at that age there all marginal and need to be cleaned to get good current flow<br /><br />dont repiar any connections with the battery hooked up<br /><br />tommays

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

I agree with Tommays, I would add to properly charge the boat battery with a battery charger. Jumper cables don't always do the trick if the boat battery is seriously discharged.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

The battery should be good since I just bought it about a week and a half ago. also I was trying to jump it from my jeep, so it should have had plenty of power, must be a bad connection somewhere. <br /><br />On a side note, I primed it by hand the other day with the flame arrestor off, and could see gas coming from a small brass J shaped tube pointing down into the carb, today when I tryed to do the same thing, no gas would come out. Anyone have any idea why this would be?

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Rio, regardless of what vehicle you are using to jump start it with, the jumper cables themselves are the reason I suggest a complete charge of the boat battery. As for your fuel question, most likely the float bowl in the carb is now empty. The engine must turn over for the mechanical fuel pump to supply gas to the carb.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Thanks, I will try putting it on a charger tomorrow, and thanks for the info on the gas in the bowl. If for some reason the alternator was bad, I understand that would cause it to die in the water, but would it still have enough juice to turn it over after that? and if it had enough juice to turn it over shouldnt it be able to start?

 

[Don S]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

If your alternator is bad and the engine dies from lack of power, there is no way it's going to crank over.<br />It takes very little amperage to run the engine once started, but lots of amperage to start it.<br />Have you made sure all your battery cables are good, clean, and tight????

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Yes, I disconnected them all last night and cleaned them with a wire brush. Still with the same result. As far as I know the battery should be fine since it is only like 3 weeks old. Does anyone know why it would have done this a few weeks ago, then kind of fixed itself, now it is doing it again? Does that sound like a problem anyone has had before?

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Rio, make sure you are checking and cleaning both ends of the battery cables (not just the battery end). If you have a battery switch, take it loose and look at the connections on the back side of it.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Ok, after $200 I am worse off than I was before. I found out that the starter was bad after taking it off and having it checked. I bought a new starter and put it back on. Being an idiot I accidently hooked the wires up backwards and when I touched the cables to the battery, it spun backwards. I finally put them on there right and now i dont even have a click it does nothing. testing before i replaced it with a VOM sucked all the volts from the battery on the solonoid. now it wont even click, and the VOM does not change. Can anyone help me? also there is a fuse right there by the starter. it is red and says "40" on it, what is it for, how to you reset it. and it is hard and cannot be pushed in. is there a chance that I could have messed something up when I got the wires backwards? the Nav light and the power outlet are not working either. could they all be connected? I am at a loss. PLEASE HELP!

 

[Don S]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

I hate to say this, but you need to find a qualified mechanic to work on your engine. You can't afford to do it yourself.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

probly so, but I can't afford a mechanic either. Can you give me any different advise for my situation?

 

[wake5150]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Matt,<br /> You are making me nervous also.<br /><br />What you need to do.<br />1) Check ALL your fuses under your dash, I'm sure there's a blown fuse under there.<br /><br />if not...<br />2) Get a voltmeter and open your manual to the electrical schematic.<br />3) Measure voltage at the solenoid and work your way back until you find the problem.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[tommays]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

FOLLOW MY FIRST NESSARY ITEM (SERVIVCE MANUAL)it will give you guidance on the things you dont understand before you catch your boat on fire or injure your self in some other way<br /><br />12 volts can do a LOT of damage<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

12 volts can do a LOT of damage

especially when you have a gas leak... vapors will settle and collect in the bilge because they are heavier than air and have no way to escape a boat like they do a car. One spark could cause a serious explosion. Please be very careful.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

I have a service manual. I have also checked every fuse under the dash, and none of them are burnt out. Wiring diagram has been no help thus far.

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

The fuse or breaker that has blown, will be in the engine compartment. You will have to follow the voltage from the battery with a volt meter and locate where it is getting lost (the "open" in the circuit). If you have the manual and the wiring diagram, it is a matter of logical troubleshooting, there's very little someone can do from 100 miles away at this point.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Ok, so I had a mechanic look at at it and he told be that the relay was bad. He was able to jump the soloniod to get it to turn over. I replaced the relay and still nothing, unless I jump the solonoid. when the key is on and turned to the start position, the gauge drops a little, so it is trying to send a current to start it, but that is all I can get, does that help anyone?

 

[Don S]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

Bad ignition switch? Check (at the switch) to see if you have power going to the starter from the switch.<br />Bad neutral safety switch? Check power to and from the switch <br />Bad wires up to the start relay? Check them all.

 

[maphillips3]

Re: Just a CLICK!!!

ok,so I know generally what the problem is now, after taking the distributor cap off and breaking the points to create a spark from the coil wire and knowing it was getting spark, that was good, but for some reason when the cap went back on, no spark! tried turning over the engine with the cap off and found that the distributor was not spinning thus not breaking the points. This also explains why we have not been getting fuel. These two, and also the raw water pump and the oil pump should run off the axilary shaft. after turning it over again i have found that the pulley is spinning that runs this shaft so the belt is not slipping. Perhaps there may be a sheer pin by the pulley??? or something loose causeing the pulley to spin and not engage the shaft. or worse case, maybe the shaft is broken, but I would think if it was broken we would hear it when we turn the engine over. So can anyone relate to this problem, of do you have any advice for me?