Electrical not reaching panel

[Skidude17]

I have a mercruiser serial number 0F598365 in a ‘96 Searay where the electrical isn’t reaching the panel. When I put a remote starter switch on the starter, I get one solid click, but the engine doesn’t turn. I have 2 batteries with fresh charges. I ran it for a couple hours today, but it died on the way back to the dock. Where should I start looking?

 

[dingbat]

I have a mercruiser serial number 0F598365 in a ‘96 Searay where the electrical isn’t reaching the panel. When I put a remote starter switch on the starter, I get one solid click, but the engine doesn’t turn. I have 2 batteries with fresh charges. I ran it for a couple hours today, but it died on the way back to the dock. Where should I start looking

Load test both batteries
Clean all four (4) battery terminals
Check that alternator is charging

 

[Skidude17]

I have tested the batteries and alternator. They’re not the problem. I wish it was that easy.

 

[Mc Tool]

I have a mercruiser serial number 0F598365 in a ‘96 Searay where the electrical isn’t reaching the panel. When I put a remote starter switch on the starter, I get one solid click, but the engine doesn’t turn. I have 2 batteries with fresh charges. I ran it for a couple hours today, but it died on the way back to the dock. Where should I start looking?

A Volvo dealer ? Brushes in the starter ,solenoid.

 

[dingbat]

I have tested the batteries and alternator. They’re not the problem. I wish it was that easy.

The remote start simply bypasses the ignition switch to trigger the start relay. The click tells us you don’t have enough current at the starter

Once you confirmed the batteries are fully charged at 12.7V, you need to check both battery cables and the solenoid with an ohm meter to confirm they are good as well.

If both those check out, you need to pull the starter to bench test.

 

[boscoe99]

I have a mercruiser serial number 0F598365 in a ‘96 Searay where the electrical isn’t reaching the panel. When I put a remote starter switch on the starter, I get one solid click, but the engine doesn’t turn. I have 2 batteries with fresh charges. I ran it for a couple hours today, but it died on the way back to the dock. Where should I start looking?

On the starter itself? On the starter motor solenoid? On the starter motor relay?

Start at the starter motor itself. Jumper battery power and ground directly to the starter motor. Using suitable sized battery cables. Does the starter motor now crank the main motor? If not, it is the starter motor.

If the starter motor being powered directly cranks the motor, try applying battery power to the starter motor solenoid. Does the starter motor now crank the motor? If not, it is the solenoid. Or battery power to the solenoid. Check battery voltage at the starter motor solenoid pre and post activation of the solenoid. If the battery voltage plummets from say 12.7 volts to much lower, fix the battery cable problem.

If starter motor solenoid being powered directly causes the starter motor to crank the main motor, move back to the starter motor relay. If the relay does not provide battery power to the solenoid, and battery voltage to the relay is confirmed, fix the relay. Or wiring from the relay to the solenoid.

 

[M9.9]

A Volvo dealer ? Brushes in the starter ,solenoid.

You might look for a bad ground between Batt Neg and starter.

 

[Skidude17]

Sorry I haven’t gotten back to this, I’ve been away from the boat for awhile. I pulled the while starter out, and the starter is bad. Here’s a little more back story. There are quite a few problems, but I want to start with the electrical.
In the off season, I installed new to me exhaust manifolds and risers. I’m not sure, but I may have forgotten to add coolant. I was taking the boat out for its first run of the year. Everything ran fine for a few hours. Things were going so well, pulled up to my buddies dock to adjust the timing. When I opened the dog house, my bilge was full of water. I closed everything up and made a run for the launch, but the engine died. I got back in on my kicker. When I checked my bilge pump fuse it was blown, and blows immediately on reconnection. I pulled the bilge pump out and ran it on its own circuit with a fuse, and the bilge pump isn’t the problem.
Here’s where I’m not sure if I filled the heat exchanger with coolant. When I filled the exchanger with coolant after this debacle, the coolant comes out the outdrive. I think I either got exhaust manifolds that were wrong or bad. I think liquid went where it wasn’t supposed to, and shorted my bilge. I’ve pulled the new manifolds off, but I want to install the new starter, and do the electrical troubleshooting while there’s room without the manifolds in there.
I’m still not getting power to the dash. My buddy mentioned it could be the fusible link. The wire that is a fuse. Does anybody know where this might on my 1995 MCM 5.7 LITRE Mercruiser serial number 0F598365.

 

[Skidude17]

I installed the new starter, and now I have power to the helm again. Go figure. Now to see what’s causing the bilge short.