Motor doesn't turn over

[thammond]

I have a 1996 Maxum 1900SR that I've owned for about 3 years now.

I'm having it winterized and the person doing the work contacted me that he can't get the motor started. He said it sounds like the engine has frozen up. He can here the starter trying to turn it over but it sounds like the engine won't turn over.

There is a back story to all of this but looking for thoughts and suggestions.

So early this summer I had the boat out and the shift linkage bellow broke. When I saw water in the bottom of the boat, I headed to the ramp. As I was heading back to the ramp, I couldn't go very fast (just enough to make a wake) because the engine would bog down if I tried going any faster.

There must have been a lot of water in the engine compartment because I looked back once, while heading to the ramp, and saw water streaming out from the lower lip of the engine access door. I looked later and the bottom lip is about even with halfway up the engine block.

I took the boat to a shop for repairs (different shop then who winterizes because the shop who winterizes is local but doesn't do repairs on I/O's). I told them what happened and asked to replace the bellows and check over the engine due to the amount of water that entered the boat. They changed all the bellows (plus all the wear items in the outdrive) and replaced the starter. They checked the engine and said everything was running good.

A couple weeks later I took the boat out to a lake for a weekend. Everything ran fine on the first day and a half. I was doing some waterskiing and started to have problems. The engine would die when I gunned it to start pulling a skier. I could run it if I accelerated slowly, so I headed back to the dock. Back at the dock I noticed then that the prop was still turning when I had it shifted in neutral.

So I took it back to the shop that did the bellow repairs. They said that it needed a tune-up and that they didn't put a pin back in the shift linkage which is why I had the prop turning while in neutral issue. So I had them do the tune-up.

I didn't get a chance to take the boat out anymore this summer after the tune-up, so haven't run it since.

And that brings it full circle to the start of the post.

I'm bringing the boat back to the shop that did all the repair work to have them check it over.

Any thought or comments on what may be the issue and what I should do or have the shop do/check from here?

My biggest concern at this point is that the shop didn't something maybe it should have done to check for water damage in the engine when I told about the amount of water that got into the boat and left unchecked has resulted in some damage to the engine.

[mmwjr]

Try removing the spark plugs to see if it will turn over. If not she is seized.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

Try removing the spark plugs to see if it will turn over. If not she is seized.

OR see if water starts pouring out. Starter turning, but not engine would seem like a starter (bendix) issue. Starter and engine turning but not starting is more of an air, fuel, spark imbalance, though the saftey lanyard missing would also do this.

Starter and engine not turning at all could be a bad starter, bad solenoid, or water in the cylinders.

Check the oil. If the oil is showing up a few quartz you may have ingested some water.

[robinsontim]

When you turn the ignition on, the alarm doesn't come on and the motor doesn't turn over - what could the problem be or does the alarm need to be reset and if so where is the alarm on a 2004 scr2900 maximum bist

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by robinsontim

When you turn the ignition on, the alarm doesn't come on and the motor doesn't turn over - what could the problem be or does the alarm need to be reset and if so where is the alarm on a 2004 scr2900 maximum bist

Is this a carburetor or fuel injected engine?

[robinsontim]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

Is this a carburetor or fuel injected engine?

Sorry I don't know- manual is on the boat - we have 2 motors and the other does come on. Also the serpentine belt had come off is this makes a difference

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by robinsontim

Sorry I don't know- manual is on the boat - we have 2 motors and the other does come on. Also the serpentine belt had come off is this makes a difference

If it’s a carburetor engine the alarm is triggered by one of three things; low oil pressure, over heat or low gear lube. When starting the alarm sounds since initially there is no oil pressure.

When you say the engine isn’t turning over I’m assuming you mean when you turn the key nothing happens; correct. Otherwise are you says it cranks but doesn’t start? Assuming the first did you verify that the shifter/ throttle is in the neutral position? Do you hear a click, if yes the slave solenoid may be bad. You can also try removing all the spark plugs to see if it will turn over without allowing compression to build which will make it very easy to turnover unless the engine is seized.

[robinsontim]

Thank you for your reply - and will try- also would you to know where the fuse is located for the ignition or where the fuse is for the alarm - thanks again

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by robinsontim

Thank you for your reply - and will try- also would you to know where the fuse is located for the ignition or where the fuse is for the alarm - thanks again

The fuse for the ignition should be in the fuse block under the helm. Do you have a voltmeter? If so you can see if there is 12VDC on the B terminal of the ignition switch. You could also use a test light.

[bristolw66]

Try tapping the starter with e small hammer. It worked for me 3 weeks ago.

[bristolw66]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

Try removing the spark plugs to see if it will turn over. If not she is seized.

Please help me understand how removing the spark plugs enables an engine to turn over. Are we using the right term? Crank means the starter is doing the work. Turn over means the system of Power, Fuel, Air, Spark (from the spark), and rotation (initiated by the crank) was successful.

Then the synchronized timing/tuning of these system gives us the term "Successfully Started" where you can "gun" the engine and it responds.

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by bristolw66

Please help me understand how removing the spark plugs enables an engine to turn over. Are we using the right term? Crank means the starter is doing the work. Turn over means the system of Power, Fuel, Air, Spark (from the spark), and rotation (initiated by the crank) was successful.

Then the synchronized timing/tuning of these system gives us the term "Successfully Started" where you can "gun" the engine and it responds.

I disagree with your use of the terms. Turns over and cranks are the same thing. Your definition of turns over is start.

Additionally turns over can be manually done by either a ratchet on the harmonic balancer bolt or a strap wrench wrapped around the balancer.

[bristolw66]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

I disagree with your use of the terms. Turns over and cranks are the same thing. Your definition of turns over is start.

Additionally turns over can be manually done by either a ratchet on the harmonic balancer bolt or a strap wrench wrapped around the balancer.

The question remains, how does removing spark plugs facilitate cranking or turning over when the starter is doing all the work?

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by bristolw66

The question remains, how does removing spark plugs facilitate cranking or turning over when the starter is doing all the work?

Removing the spark plugs eliminates compression making it easier for the starter to turn the engine. The OP stated that it sounds like it frozen up and removing the spark plugs to see if the engine will rotate is the easiest way to determine if it’s seized.