Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

[Rileyshiloh]

Thanks for any help in advance!<br />We own a 1998 Four Winns with a Volvo Penta engine. This past summer our boat died, I think the radio was left on. anyway jumped her and she started fine. Since then every time we'd go to start the boat the battery was low. So we changed the battery. Again, after 2 days in the battery was low again and the boat wouldn't start. We also noticed the negative terminal had melted a little. Got another new battery, cleaned up the connections and it died again! Any ideas. Could this be an altenator problem? We know the terminals are not mixed. Is it dangerous to run the boat if you jump start it? Thanks again! Somehow my husband designated me the mechanic!

 

[Solittle]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

Jay I'm a bit surprised that you haven't seen or smelled smoke from somewhere. Sure sounds like you have a major short.<br /><br />No danger in running a boat that has been jump started. I wouldn't though until you get the problem solved cause if it quits you might not be able to restart it. No problem if you are right by the ramp but if you are 5 miles away - - -- - - --

 

[cpasseno03]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

How long does it take for the battery to die? Turn everything off and disconnect the negative lead on the battery, then hook a voltmeter up in series with the battery and it's unhooked negative cable. If you get a reading this indicates a draw, what we call a parasitic load in the biz Most likely this is something we already know is happening, but next is to find it. That may be a little more tricky, perhaps befriending someone with some electrical experiance would be to your advantage (assuming you are not, no offense or anything..) It could be many, many things. An alternator usually would only kill the battery while running if it was problematic. But if it smokes and melts something is really shorting and it should be checked out before going more then arm's length from the dock <br />hope this helps<br />Craig

 

[Rileyshiloh]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

Thank you for the suggestion. Our neighbor has a voltmeter so we'll hook it up. It usually takes about 2 days for the battery to completely die and not start up the boat. For the first day or so it starts harder and harder each time. If I do take it in to be looked at what should I expect them to do and would anyone know how long it would take to find a problem like this? Again thank you for helping - I love this site! For us girlies it sure helps...(someone told me though we were just suppose to be hood ornaments...not mechanics!!)

 

[moderator1]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

Moving to I/O's

 

[karayj]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

Get a test light take off the negitive cable the attach one end of the test light to your battey negative post and the other end to your negivtive cable the test lite should come on indicating a short.<br />Now start taking out fuses from you fues box one by one or take one out and the put it back in until the light on you test lite goes off then look to see what are connected to that fuse or what the fuse controls then one by one disconnect those items one by on until the lite goes off and that will show you the sourse of the problem....

 

[B_Eager]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

If you are melting material, I would think that it is a high amp draw while it is running, this would remove anything with a fuse as a possible problem in my book, Check the starter for short condition.

 

[FatBack]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

You also could have a main ground wire not grounding. All the smaller ground wires are trying to carry the load and melting. They are all usually located on the same grounding terminal. The big black ground is not making the proper connection on the terminal and the little black ground wires are and they are trying to carry the load for the big black wire and melting.

 

[bernieb]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

I just went through the same problem ,but I had to pull the engine to get at the starter.......I think wavehopper is on the right track......have starter checked at local parts store.

 

[C17LoadSmasher]

Re: Battery Smoking - Boat won't start

Could also be a bad rectifier or something on your alternator. When you jumped it you coulda fried it. I had an old outboard whose batteries would die after about a week of sitting, and these were new batteries. I changed out the rectifier on a whim (some of the connections looked iffy) and never had a problem since. Before I fixed it, the battery cables used to smoke a little after some serious cranking...generates a ton of heat. I fixed some of the connections and she was good to go.