Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

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Robertpel9

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Apr 20, 2008
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What a day,
My wife and i braved 58 degree cloudy weather on lake norman NC for one last trip of the season to go to a party on the other side of the lake. Boat as always was flawless in performing and we stopped on the way home to float and talk.

I kept moving the boat to keep it in the blue patch so we could get sun and not freeze. The i made it appears a major mistake. as we were stopping from a 5mph cruise i turned the key off while it was still in gear. I heard the engine continue to turn for 5 secinds even though the key was out like thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, i saw it was in gear during this time and put in the neutral and it stopped.

We talked for 20 minutes and then were ready to go home, when i put the key in and turned it it just went thud like a hammer hitting a metal table, no other noise at all. I turned the key againa nd again and just that sigle thud.

I went to the sterm and with the drive trimmed up i went to turn the prop as i leaned down i fell overboard and missed ripping my leg open by about 2 inches. This happened TWICE (How embarassing). The prop moved fine.

I then moved the throttle from forward to reverse and then back to neutral and we heard it try to turn over like for 1/2 a second like thud thud thud real quick instead of once.

I called sea tow as a last resort as we were now stranded and i was wet and freeing. He told me over the phone to make sure it was in neutral, i told him i was sure i was, he said to wiggle the throttle around in neutral while i turned the key. i did as told as i really thought it was going to fire at one point as i sounded like it was going to start. but it didnt

After that now when i turn the key i just hear the starting turning like a whining noise, no engine noises at all. He towed us home ($195 later:( ) and he said the sound we have now is defintely just the starter tooth? not engaging with the enginer or whatever. I think we now created two problem.

Now i am stuck with a boat in my wet slip that cant go anywhere and have no idea what is wrong. What can happen when you turn off the key and take it out while the boat is still moving in gear that would do what i articulated above and why when i did what he said do now i not hear any engine noises jsut a starter turning??

What a day, i am cold, wet, worried to death that my mint condition 142 hour 1995 Volvo Penta 4.3 GS which has been bullet proof i blew up. The sea tow guy said it is most likely fine and just something minor but my wife and i are worried.

Any thoughts on WTH happened????? I want to have some knowledge before i call a mobile mechanic. Please help!!

Thanks as always,
Robert

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Gary H NC

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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

Man Robert! What a messed up day! Sorry to hear that man!
I really do not see how turning the key off while still in gear would hurt the drive or the starter.
Maybe Don S will have some ideas.
Can you get a neighbor or someone to tow you to the ramp so you can at least get it on the trailer?
If you can get it to your house i'm sure we could trouble shoot it.
If i remember your starter was fairly easy to get to.
 

Robertpel9

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Apr 20, 2008
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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

os there anyway this would have cause a hydrolock situation?? Does the boat still think it is in gear and not neutral??

I dont have a phone now as i fell in the water with it in my pocket (Fully clothed)

I am sick over this, i hope my boat is not trashed now.

I think i can get a friend to tow me to the ramp and it is time to take it out of the water anyway i am just hoping i am not looking at a repair in the thousands of dollars, i am concerned about how the engine kept running (at super low RPM's) for that 5 seconds.

This boat has been fantastic, I am worried about what happened, i think the sea tow guy made it worse by having me jiggle the throttle and turn the key while in nurtral as now it is not connecting to the engine at all. Before that happened when i turend the key i would just hear a single loud ting noise with each turn of the key

this sucks, any info is greatly appreciated
 

tashasdaddy

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51,019
Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

90% of starter problems are bad connections. remove and clean both ends of the battery cables, so that they are shiney, also the cable from the solenoid to starter. check for nicks in the cables. and make sure the connectors are on the wire good. the cable tend to corrode from the inside out, if nicked, corroded wires, and connections, heat up and cause resistance to the follow of electricity, thus the starter doesn't get enough. you can also take jumper cable pos battery post to large post on starter. with a good connection, the engine should spin. then if the starter is good clean everything and retest. then trouble shoot solenoid. starters can be rebuit at a starter/alternator shop, much cheaper than a new one.

also have the battery load tested at the auto parts store, free, i've had new batteries go bad
 

Maclin

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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

Remove all spark plugs immediately and check for water coming out of any of the cylinders.

I hope it is not what I am thinking.....but....Sounds to me like it hydrolocked when you turned it off while in gear like that. Not sure why exactly it would have drawn water back into the cylinders under those conditions but the symptoms after that mirror a hydrolocked engine. Hydrolock is a term that describes an engine that has ingested water into one or more cylinders and now cannot compress that water and acts like it is siezed. If it was hydrolocked then by continually hitting the starter it could have bent a rod or worse and that is the clunk. The starter is probably broken now as well, either mounting tabs or gear teeth or a combination.

Looking back in time, when it did not want to turn over the first time what should have been done is removing all the spark plugs at once and then turning it over to see 1.) If it would turn over and 2.) If any water came out.

You can check for this now by removing all the spark plugs and observing what happens and what each one looks like now.

If water comes out of one or more cylinders then you know to fear the worst. Also as time marches on and the water remains inside the cylinder(s) the chance for irreversible corrosion mounts.
 

steelespike

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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

The noise you heard when you turned the key off was just the prop freewheeling.Starting problem may be just the neutral safety switch adjustment or possibly defective.Be sure the battery is fully charged.
Close to 13 volts.Check and clean all connections don't forget the negative side.If your sure of battery, connections and safety switch I would suspect the starter.
 

Gary H NC

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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

If it was hydro locked and you kept hitting the key it would do one loud clunk...
So now it sounds like the starter is spinning and not engaging??

I agree with the other guys and get those spark plugs out tonight!
Then figure out a way to turn the engine by hand with one of the pulleys and see if water comes out. If you have to spray WD-40 down all the spark plug holes..

Best case scenario you killed the starter and not the flywheel.
The possible water ingestion is the major thing at this point.
 

Don S

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Re: Last trip of the season, got straded got towed, went overboard (please read)

Already in IO forum. Please don't post the same thing in two forums.
 
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