Engine will not crank, even with ignition hand button.

[68PearsonRenegade]

Dropped in another A4 into my boat. 2 battery system, brand new batteries. Perko 1,2,both switch, link 10 monitor on a shunt, and a solid state isolator. It's a simple 2 battery system that I think I have my head wrapped around. Problem is the ignition switch does nothing. To troubleshoot this I got a push button ignition switch and attached it to the correct terminals. I heard a very faint clicking noise in the solenoid but it barely reacted to getting power. Seemed like it wasnt getting much power at all... scratching my head big time on this one. I'll draw up a schematic on the system and post it later.

[ndutton]

Troubleshooting 101, first step at the source.

What is the voltage at the battery posts at rest? Same test, same place when the starter button is pushed?

[68PearsonRenegade]

Thank you for that. I busted out my multimeter copy of this old boat and reread the electrical section. I'm sitting in front of the engine now and battery tested 12.6, starter terminal tested 12.6, push button ignition switch test under 1v when pushed.. so that's an issue. The solenoid is indeed getting basically no power when the circuit is completed. How should I go about troubleshooting this? From my understanding I have an open circuit/bad ground somewhere in the circuit correct?
Thanks again, as always.
I really really look forwards to posting a video of this engine running like a top in here.

[ndutton]

Did you take the voltage tests at the battery posts like I asked? There's a reason for it.

[Antibes]

Bad crimp or wire connections

[68PearsonRenegade]

Sure did. The posts read 12.67

[Dave Neptune]

Do you have a nice big fat ground strap on the motor to the batteries negative side?

Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

Originally Posted by 68PearsonRenegade

Sure did. The posts read 12.67

Excellent. As Antibes said, your problem is in the battery cables or their terminations/connections, either positive or negative or both. This includes the battery switch connections and possibly the shunt.

[68PearsonRenegade]

Originally Posted by Dave Neptune

Do you have a nice big fat ground strap on the motor to the batteries negative side?

Dave Neptune

I have the negatives to both batteries connected to the monitor shunt and a main ground off of that.
You think I should have a ground on the starting battery negative to the block also?

[Dave Neptune]

With 2 lines you should be fine. Did you "unplug" the trailer type plug on the engine harness? They are notorious for lots of trouble. Could easily be a poor connection or switch too.

Dave Neptune

[68PearsonRenegade]

Originally Posted by Dave Neptune

With 2 lines you should be fine. Did you "unplug" the trailer type plug on the engine harness? They are notorious for lots of trouble. Could easily be a poor connection or switch too.

Dave Neptune

was never one to unplug. The wiring is all redone so nothing is color coded or original. A lot of janky splices off of stuff. In the future I want to clean it up. Its been a real guessing game and wire tracing adventure.
I'm going to try adding another ground and also testing the areas posted above.

[68PearsonRenegade]

One other tidbit. The prop shaft is not connected to the engine... Does this effect its grounding? Its also on the hard so not in water. I'm no expert here but doesnt all of that essentially mean my engine block is not grounded at all?

[Surcouf]

prop shaft / being on the hard should not have any impact..;

just in case, a nice thread
https://www.moyermarineforum.com/for...ead.php?t=2685

[68PearsonRenegade]

I left out my panel, fuel pump and solenoid. Heres a rough schematic of my system. 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.. just not into the solenoid.
One other thing to note, while testing my isolator(engine off) I notice around 8 volts at the input terminal coming from the ammeter/alternator... seems strange it would have any power when the alternators off..

[68PearsonRenegade]

Heres the schematic

[Surcouf]

Originally Posted by 68PearsonRenegade

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]

https://www.moyermarineforum.com/for...ead.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]

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]

Originally Posted by 68PearsonRenegade

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?