Boat will not start

[vino22]

I own a 2300sc with a mercruiser 5.7 L thunderbolt 5 ignition engine. I hook up the muffs with my hose and turn the water on. I open my engine bay cover to allow fumes to exit and turn my blower on to rush the process. I then turn the key to the on position, all gauges come on but there is an alarm sounding not sure what it's for. Then I push my neutral button and push the throttle forward half way. After that, I go to start the engine and sometimes it clicks but sometimes the starter engages but it's not fast enough to start the engine.

I took battery out and charged fully then put it back in. I also tried with my battery charger hooked up.

I checked the wires for looseness and the "red button" to ensure the circuit breaker wasn't tripped. All is good.

I went behind the ignition switch and "hot wired" the two wires to make sure the ignition switch was good.

When a wire from the starter caught fire I put it out and quit immediately.

*I started my boat about 2 1/2 months ago with no issues at all. Cranked right up and ran for about 10-15 minutes.

Anyone possibly know what the problem is and where to get fixed? I live right by fort Bragg, nc.

[Phillbo]

Why did you feel the need to hot wire it when the starter was engaging? Sounds like a bad solenoid but that would not cause the wire to catch fire ...

[vino22]

The starter stopped engaging so I wanted to go through the list of possibilities that I knew of.

The solenoid is the bracket looking thing that has a bunch of connections on it on top of the engine by the carborator correct?

The fire may have been from me trying over and over again trying to start it... maybe the starter got too hot? I don't really know.

[mmwjr]

First it sounds like a bad slave soleniod which is mounted next to the engine breaker.

Second what wire caught on fire? Battery wire or one of the smaller ones. What color? This will need repair or replacement but not enough info to help here.

[vino22]

It's a black wire only about 3" long. Looks to have both ends connected to the starter itself. It's towards the front of the starter (White part is where it caught fire) wire still connected It was the wire cover that caught fire.

The starter solenoid... what exactly does that do? Where would be a good place to get one?

[mmwjr]

Cannot make out where the wire is connected to. What terminals?

The slave soleniod is engaged when the ignition key is in the start position and then applies power to the starter. You can get it from a mercruiser dealer, online or westmarine store. About $25 US

[mmwjr]

Looking at the picture on a PC instead of an iPad that is a ground that goes from the starter solenoid to the body of the starter.

BTY have you checked that the battery connections a clean and tight as well as the other ends of these cables?

[shrew]

You bypassed the solenoid and wired the starter THROUGH the ignition? The purpose of a solenoid is to allow the solenoid to be the switch between the battery and a device with a significant amperage draw, like a starter. This requires positive and negative wires large enough to handle the amperage draw. The ignition switch is a low voltage switch that electrically closes the gate on the solenoid completing that circuit. It prevents the long run of large gauge wire and the delivery of amperage all the way from the batteries to the ignition on the dash, then back to the starter.

It sounds like you overloaded the ignition circuit. I would consider replacing the wires that you caught on fire.

[shrew]

Incidentally, I would suggest a volt meter. I like to work from the device back to the batteries.

1) Verify there is amperage on the device (Starter)
2) Verify there is amperage at the solenoid.
3) Verify there is amperage at the battery.

Inspect any devices or connections between where you're getting a working reading and where you're getting no reading. sometimes this process requires two people.

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by shrew

Incidentally, I would suggest a volt meter. I like to work from the device back to the batteries.

1) Verify there is amperage on the device (Starter)
2) Verify there is amperage at the solenoid.
3) Verify there is amperage at the battery.

Inspect any devices or connections between where you're getting a working reading and where you're getting no reading. sometimes this process requires two people.

1-3 verify amperage or voltage? A standard voltmeter is not designed for these high currents.

[Kevlar7r]

Is the engine seized or hydrolocked?

That wire that caught fire is the positive power to the actual starter motor (from solenoid to starter). That means you didn't have an electrical problem before, but likely have one now.

Put a socket on the nut in the center of the harmonic balancer, and manually turn the engine through a few turns.

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[shrew]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

1-3 verify amperage or voltage? A standard voltmeter is not designed for these high currents.

Voltage. The minute I read your reply I thought 'come on, of course voltage, how in the world would it be amperage?" DOH!!!! I don't know what I was thinking there. Many thanks!

Sidenote: I somehow reversed amperage and voltage AGAIN in this reply. I hit submit, then re-read the post and had to edit it. I don't know what is going on in my head. This juggling of buying a new boat, selling the old boat has got my head spinning.

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by shrew

Voltage. The minute I read your reply I thought 'come on, of course voltage, how in the world would it be amperage?" DOH!!!! I don't know what I was thinking there. Many thanks!

Sidenote: I somehow reversed amperage and voltage AGAIN in this reply. I hit submit, then re-read the post and had to edit it. I don't know what is going on in my head. This juggling of buying a new boat, selling the old boat has got my head spinning.

We have all been there.

[Kevlar7r]

Any update on this? Curious what the outcome was.

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[Dysfunctional]

What amperage would you expect to see there?

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Dysfunctional

What amperage would you expect to see there?

Depends on where he made the jump, battery has 500 plus amps depending on its size. Battery wire goes directly to the starter. There are low current wires to activate the soleniod at around 10 amps.