I have a 2001 4 cyl w/ Volvo Penta drive, and last year, I had a couple times where I was not able to start my engine while I was out on the water (no indication at all turning the iginition switch on). I would wait 10-15 minutes and then it would start up. The last time it occurred, I had a volt meter with me. With the volt meter across the battery, it read more that 12 volts, even with the ignition turned on (so the battery voltage was not dropping under load). I then read the voltage across the ignition switch in the dashboard. It read around 6 volts. As we waited, the voltage across the ignition switch increased, and it got to a level to where it could start, and did.
I thought that it was strange that I could read 12.x volts at the battery, but only 6.x volts at the ignition switch, and then after a while the voltage at the ignition switch improved. I pulled the battery out in October, gave it a charge and put it in storage. The terminals and the connectors looked clean. I will be putting the battery back in shortly, to run through the wiring.
I bought the boat last spring, and it appeared that the boat was not covered for some time, some signs of corrosion (green in clear speaker wires, rusty cig-lighter, some white residue on the terminals of electronic gauges...). Also, the outdrive has some of the paint flaking away. But the wiring connections on the battery seemed to be in order. Possibly the ground through the outdrive is not effective??? (white residue around grounding points)
Does this sound like a grounding issue?
Would sanding all electrical connection points help?
Is there a way to preserve a connection (some type of conductive grease) that could be used to preserve a good connection?
I thought that it was strange that I could read 12.x volts at the battery, but only 6.x volts at the ignition switch, and then after a while the voltage at the ignition switch improved. I pulled the battery out in October, gave it a charge and put it in storage. The terminals and the connectors looked clean. I will be putting the battery back in shortly, to run through the wiring.
I bought the boat last spring, and it appeared that the boat was not covered for some time, some signs of corrosion (green in clear speaker wires, rusty cig-lighter, some white residue on the terminals of electronic gauges...). Also, the outdrive has some of the paint flaking away. But the wiring connections on the battery seemed to be in order. Possibly the ground through the outdrive is not effective??? (white residue around grounding points)
Does this sound like a grounding issue?
Would sanding all electrical connection points help?
Is there a way to preserve a connection (some type of conductive grease) that could be used to preserve a good connection?