Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

[bradleyjc]

I was running on the water yesterday, and my '88 bayliner (OMC 5.0l) started sputtering and just died. The engine then would just barely turn over. The start will click and turn over a couple of times everytime I try. I immediately suspected the battery so when I got back to the marina, I used a jump box to try to start it. Same result. I then pulled the battery and put a brand new one in. Same result. The terminals are getting really hot on the battery. So, do I have a short somewhere? I would suspect the starter, but that doesn't explain why the boat sputtered and died while running. Any ideas? Im stumped.

 

[purcell87]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Jumped time?

 

[bradleyjc]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

So, you think its possible it jumped time and damaged the engine (i.e. valves or pistons) to where the starter can't turn it over? Thats alot worse than just a short like I was thinking! But that would be my luck.

 

[bradleyjc]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

I should also mention it has been sputtering off and on lately before this happened. I thought I was just having carb problems. This is the first time it has died and wouldnt start though.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Check all your connections at the battery, engine block(ground) and starter. Take them all off and clean them until they are shiny metal and retry.

 

[bradleyjc]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Update. Checked all electrical connections. Pulled the starter and had it checked. Then for the heck of it, I decided to try to turn the crank by hand to see if it would move freely. Couldnt even turn it it with a 1/2in drive ratchet! I pulled out the spark plugs one by one and watched the water trickle out of the cylinders! Engine is completely locked up. Guess I am on a hunt for a new engine...or a buyer in the market for a nice boat with no engine!

 

[2003lsr]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Did you try to turn the crankshaft after removing the water from the cylinders?

 

[bradleyjc]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Yea, I even left the spark plugs out so that the crank would be as easy as possible to turn. Its still locked up tight. My big question is how the water got there in the first place.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

Your sputtering when it died could have caused the water in the cylinders or if you had a wake behind you, it could have come into your engine through the exhaust.

This salt water? Probably not since you are in Ky but I still want to ask just in case.

 

[bradleyjc]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

No, boat has never been in salt water. I'm not being crazy, am I? I should be able to turn the crankshaft pulley, especially with the spark plugs out, right? With the boat just dying all of a sudden, I wouldn't think the pistons seized. I think maybe something got bent internally from hydraulic lock. The weird thing is, the boats been sputtering like that randomly for a week or so. Just never came to a hault and died until now.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Boat died on the water yesterday. Possible electrical problem?

You should unless you already got a little corrosion between the rings and the cylinder wall preventing you from turning it.