*** FIXED ***boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

[macr6]

I ahve a mercruiser 5.0L sitting in a maxum 2000 sr3. I picked it up from the dealer after they de-winterized it for me. They hooked up the battery right in front of my eyes and the boat wouldn't start. The dash wouldn't light up and the starter wouldn't kick over.

Fast forward to getting the boat back to my house. I take the battery out and try to charge it. It doesn't charge. I go buy a new battery. Hook it up and now it wont start. Just like the at the dealer.

Everything works besides the dash lights and ignition switch. The horn, blower, bilge, and trim switch works, but just not the dash lights and the ignition switch. I check all the wires I believe they are all hooked up correctly to the battery. All red to the pos and all black to the neg. I also checked the fuses attached to the battery wires and the fuses under the dash. Everything checks out.

Anyone have any ideas? I have 10 ppl waiting to head out on this 90 degree day. Thanks guys/gals

 

[boat127]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

check the 50 am circuit breaker on top of the engine. they sometimes trip.
second theres a fuse on the starter solnoid its white its pretty much a white blcok get a test light and test for power on both ends of that fuse

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

I will go check the 50 amp circuit breaker now. Not sure where it is but I am dl'ing the manual right now.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Found the 50 amp cirucuit. It was tripped. I reset it and a little plastic thing clicked out of it. Tried the switch again and got nothing. I don't have a test light with me Thought I wouldn't need one on a boat that is less than 12 months old

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

does the fact that none of my dash lights come on mean anything?

 

[boat127]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

sounds like you have a short somewhere.. you should double check all of your battery terminals at the battery. reds are positve blacks and the yellows are grounds

you should have one heavy gauge red then a 8 gauge red then a 8 gause red with a 50 amp fuse built into the wire then i belive 2 smaller reds bilge pump and stereo

grounds should be engine ground yellow
boat accosscery ground yellow
then a black 8 gauge ground for power trim pump

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

If the 50A breaker was tripped, I would bet the square fuse attached to the starter solenoid is blown also. If it's blown, you won't even have power to the 50A breaker.
It looks like this.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Don, where is that on this motor? Is it sitting on the bottom left as you look at it, like the old 4.0L used to? I'm not sure where to look.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

It's attached to the starter solenoid, on the big terminal the battery cable goes on.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

I must have blown a fuse while hooking it up. I just looked at the wiring diagram and saw that the alarm and dash and starter all go through that circuit. When I was hooking up the battery it was alarming. I readjusted the wires and it stopped.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

If the 50A breaker was tripped, I would bet the square fuse attached to the starter solenoid is blown also. If it's blown, you won't even have power to the 50A breaker.
It looks like this.

Don, I took that off the starter solenoid and took it apart. The metal is still connected so it doesn't look blown. Any other ideas?

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Those fuses don't "Come apart".

Hook your battery cable back up to the starter solenoid, then hook a jumper between the starter solenoid and the wires that hooked to the fuse. See if you have power to the circuit breaker.
Without any testlight or meter, you are going to have big problems finding the problem.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

picture goodness

http://hillfamilyweb.net/photo.jpg

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

What is the 50 amp circuit supposed to look like when it's not tripped. There is a little yellow arm that is hanging down. I'm assuming that it means that it's thrown. I put the little yellow arm back.

Also when we hook everything back up and go to hook up the battery we get an alarm sound until we tighten down all the wires. Any thoughts or does this have anything to do with it.

Also, Don, I'm headed to the store to pick up a test light. When I test this and it tests one way or another what do I do then?

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Does this engine have a year, or even better, a serial number? Carbed, fuel injected, alpha, bravo drive ???????

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Does this engine have a year, or even better, a serial number? Carbed, fuel injected, alpha, bravo drive ???????

It's a 98

Serial # 1A060274
Drive # 1A200732

It's a Merc 5.0L MPI

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

It's a 98

Serial # 1A060274
Drive # 1A200732

It's a Merc 5.0L MPI

Well, it sure isn't a 98 engine, 2008 maybe. Problem is, I only have info to 2007
But we'll see what I can find.

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Definitely meant that it was a 2008.

I mean I'm stumped. Worked when he hooked it up, I unhook one battery hook up another and now it doesn't work. I looked up the wiring diagram and found that everything that isn't working runs off that 50amp circuit. I get no lights on the dash or nothing. I'm really trying to keep a positive attitude about this one. Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Did you try bypassing that fuse you took apart?

 

[macr6]

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

Re: boat wont start since putting in new battery, having brain fart help pls

I'm not sure how to do that other than a using a screw driver. Is there a proper way to do it? I'm a little scared to jump it. I have my wife on her way to the store to bring me back a multimeter. (I'm away from my house and tools at the in-laws)