Engine will not crank, even with ignition hand button.

[Surcouf]

I've been testing things this morning and once again noticed that the voltage drops to basically zero once I complete the "s" and hot wire circuit from the switch. The voltage is there... it's going somewhere..

hello, just to be sure: is the battery voltage still there when you close the ignition system? If you hear a "click", it could also be dead batteries not sufficient to spin the starter, killing your batery voltage next to nothing when you do that...
If not, "finding your lost voltage" should be simple..; with your starter "active" (measuring by "short starting burst", not letting continuously your batteries draining through something unknown) check voltage between battery negative and shunt, then battery negative and engine ground (a good one), then battery and positive on starter etc... at one point you will get your voltage back, and know what element is creating the voltage drop.

Good luck, and remember that if the voltage drops at the wrong spot, it may be a hot one! Safety first

[68PearsonRenegade]

Feeling pretty hopeless on this job right now. Been trying to fix this for 5 days with absolutly zero progress.
Everything has voltage. When I push ignition button voltage drops to zero in ignition button and the solenoid barely makes a clicking noise... not sure where to go from here.. maybe the solenoid is bad.. seems like it's just not getting power tho

[68PearsonRenegade]

I've checked every wire between battery switch and the starter. They ll are good and all have voltage.

[TimBSmith]

Stay the course...also remote starter can give easy win to isolate/test solenoid

https://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6419

You may already have a remote starter attached. Just not noted in you thread.

I seem to use my remote starter a lot as a diagnostic tool. And a way segment systems during trouble shooting.
(The first time I hooked mine up I attached the wrong positive post and when I pulled the trigger only my bilge pump would fire off..).

I have not had to bracket electrical system trouble shooting. I would step back and take segmenting the electrical very slowly. You know you have voltage across the system. That is hard won data.

You got this.

[Dave Neptune]

Time to check the starter. Take the power directly from a battery to the starter via jumper cables, then from the positive connection to the solenoid start terminal to engage the starter. Then you can work back through your existing system.
Have you checked for the starter working with one battery at a time?

If the batteries are fully charged and go blank under load the battery itself can be "broken" inside. The battery will check fine and may even run a few low power draws but when a large amount of power is needed the brake inside will not allow the heavy current to flow.

When engaging and the power drops have you checked voltage at the batteries terminals?

Dave Neptune

[68PearsonRenegade]

So I put my primary dual purpose battery on a 10amp charger. Juiced her up to full. Solenoid still did not react. I switched the charger to 50amp engine start and put it on the solenoid. Still nothing. I did notice the solenoid had a large crack in its cap. Running to the auto parts store to pick up another solenoid. Hopfully that is the root to all of my issues here.

[68PearsonRenegade]

So I've replaced the solenoid. New solenoid sounds ALOT healthier. Starter still does nothing. Either the engine needs to be hand cranked to break it loose from sitting for a long time or the starters junk...
Guess I pick up a hand crank from Moyer and start from there..

[Sam]

Not trying to kill a sale to Moyer but if time is an issue you can take a sparkplug socket and grind/mill a couple slots 180 degrees apart to fit on the roll pin and use a ratchet wrench to turn the engine [obviously easier with plugs out]

[Dave Neptune]

Curious

Why 3 "shunts" and what are they to measure?

I could turn any A-4 I worked on using the alternator cooling fan and squeezing the fan belt at the same time. At least you will know if the engine is seized.

The starter can easily be checked at most any auto parts store or trying what I indicated in post #20 on this thread.

Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

I've checked every wire between battery switch and the starter. They are good and all have voltage.

Is the voltage good at "every wire between the battery switch and starter" DURING starting attempts with someone either turning the key or pushing the start button?

[68PearsonRenegade]

PROBLEM SOLVED.
wrap up: the solenoid was bad, my electrical system was fine. I replaced solenoid BUT I did not realize that the new solenoid had a different style of bottom post( the one that connects to the starter bracket). So that post remained unconnected leaving the starter without a proper circuit to start with.
I turned her over several times successfully after properly connecting the new solenoid.
Thank you guys so much for the diag help. All of the advice you gave eventually lead me to the problem.
I found out I had not connected the solenoid right when I removed the entire starter and brought it to a work bench at the boat yard to test it. The local yard hand, an older guy with lots of knowledge about older engines pointed it out to me. Well. Learning experience for sure.

Next steps get it her actually up and singing