'94 Larson with a 5.0l Volvo penta. When I tested over the winter at purchase, the boat turned over no problems. Now, the when I go to start, I have to turn to the start position twice before it will turn over. However, the strange thing is, when the kill switch lanyard is out, there is no problem, it will turn over easily (of course it won't start). I also noticed, when I engage the kill switch, the volts drop a full volt (by the guage, so 1 voltish) from 12.5 to 11.5, and that is when the starter does not want to turn over.
So the question, what is the most likely culprit? The starter (I had a trusted boat mechanic tell me that), the kill switch, the battery (seems to test out ok via my charger, but I have not done a hydrometer reading yet), or some other electrical gremlin? The more I think about it, the more I think it is the battery. I am guessing, when the kill switch is engaged, the coil is charged, and thus it is pulling the volts way down and maybe the battery has a weak cell. Or maybe I have a coil starting to go? Any help on the best place to start is appreciated.
Also, this boat has not been run for a periods longer than a few minutes since last summer, so the battery may not be fully charged, though my charger says it is. Once started however, it runs great. Following the awesome advice from this forum, I have pressure tested the outdrive (well, I had it tested, it is excellent), replaced the bellows, changed the outdrive and engine oils, replaced the water pump impeller, and replaced the belts. I will likely do plugs, wires, cap and rotor (I have not looked, but I am hoping this is not a points system) before summers takes off into full swing. We are looking forward to a summer of fun, and want to make sure we are not getting towed back in because of something I overlooked.
So the question, what is the most likely culprit? The starter (I had a trusted boat mechanic tell me that), the kill switch, the battery (seems to test out ok via my charger, but I have not done a hydrometer reading yet), or some other electrical gremlin? The more I think about it, the more I think it is the battery. I am guessing, when the kill switch is engaged, the coil is charged, and thus it is pulling the volts way down and maybe the battery has a weak cell. Or maybe I have a coil starting to go? Any help on the best place to start is appreciated.
Also, this boat has not been run for a periods longer than a few minutes since last summer, so the battery may not be fully charged, though my charger says it is. Once started however, it runs great. Following the awesome advice from this forum, I have pressure tested the outdrive (well, I had it tested, it is excellent), replaced the bellows, changed the outdrive and engine oils, replaced the water pump impeller, and replaced the belts. I will likely do plugs, wires, cap and rotor (I have not looked, but I am hoping this is not a points system) before summers takes off into full swing. We are looking forward to a summer of fun, and want to make sure we are not getting towed back in because of something I overlooked.