I'm helping a friend fix his ski boat and having some odd issues.
It ran fine last season, but sadly, the owner did not put any fuel stabilizer in the tank and didn't even bother to fill it. The first problem was it would not start. Then, with the help of someone on the iboat forum, we created a jumper and got the fuel pump to work by connecting and disconnecting the power. It started clicking until it broke loose and began pumping again. Assuming it was from the bad gas turning to varnish due to the owner not putting any stabilizer in and gumming up the pump.
We were able to finally get the pump to break loos and work, and the motor to finally start, but it sounded like the starter was not disengaging.
There were problems with the ignition switch on the dash and it felt like the starter circuit was not releasing. We replaced the ignition switch but still, the motor would start, but not continue running once you released the key to the "run" position.
We were instructed by someone on another site to test the line from the alternator to the fuel pump relay using a volt meter and we got 1.65 to 1.67 at the alternator and .02 at the relay plug.
Now they're saying it's a bad alternator but they problems don't seem to be related.
They seem like unrelated issues, i.e.:
- Gummed fuel-pump
- Starter wont disengage
- Motor starts but won't run.
- And now bad alternator?
What could explain all this? Is this a correct diagnosis? Can a bad alternator cause all these problems?
Thanks much!
Doc_V
It ran fine last season, but sadly, the owner did not put any fuel stabilizer in the tank and didn't even bother to fill it. The first problem was it would not start. Then, with the help of someone on the iboat forum, we created a jumper and got the fuel pump to work by connecting and disconnecting the power. It started clicking until it broke loose and began pumping again. Assuming it was from the bad gas turning to varnish due to the owner not putting any stabilizer in and gumming up the pump.
We were able to finally get the pump to break loos and work, and the motor to finally start, but it sounded like the starter was not disengaging.
There were problems with the ignition switch on the dash and it felt like the starter circuit was not releasing. We replaced the ignition switch but still, the motor would start, but not continue running once you released the key to the "run" position.
We were instructed by someone on another site to test the line from the alternator to the fuel pump relay using a volt meter and we got 1.65 to 1.67 at the alternator and .02 at the relay plug.
Now they're saying it's a bad alternator but they problems don't seem to be related.
They seem like unrelated issues, i.e.:
- Gummed fuel-pump
- Starter wont disengage
- Motor starts but won't run.
- And now bad alternator?
What could explain all this? Is this a correct diagnosis? Can a bad alternator cause all these problems?
Thanks much!
Doc_V
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