This is how I spent 4.5 hours on a 100 degree day!
Bought my used boat three years ago equipped with twin 2004 Honda 225s. The port engine had trouble tuning over right from the beginning, the port side tachometer would jump erratically when I trimmed the motor, and went down to zero when passing 4,000 rpm. Mechanic side the alternator on the port engine and the main fuse on the BlueSea panel were reaching their end. So I replaced them they worked as they should. However, from the beginning of this season. The slow starting symptom got worse and worse. I replaced two starting batteries (800 CCA) and tightened all the wires, replaced the battery switch that helped a little.
Finally on the past Sat night, I was about to take my boat to the bay to watch fireworks but the port engine would not start. Only rapid clicking sound when I turned the key. I had gone fishing the whole afternoon earlier and the engine started just fine. I went to a near by Honda dealer on Sunday morning but the earliest appointment is two weeks away. So I decided to do some DIY again. I firsts replaced the lug, which had moderate corrosion, on the positive power cable connected to the battery switch but still no start, only fast clicking. Spent another hour under 100 degree sun tracing the negative cable, had to remove the fish box to cut off all the stupid zip ties to free that cable and then removed it from the common ground..The look was scary...I first tried to cut a few feet off to see if I could find clean copper, but no luck...the whole wire turned black. So I ended up to re-rig a new 8' 1G negative cable on the port side. Finally got everything working, the motor started at first click, and the Tachometer worked properly all the way to WOT!
I felt lucky that the bad cable did not overheat and burn down the boat. Once I cut of the rubber cover, I can literately crunch the wire into black dust..
Bought my used boat three years ago equipped with twin 2004 Honda 225s. The port engine had trouble tuning over right from the beginning, the port side tachometer would jump erratically when I trimmed the motor, and went down to zero when passing 4,000 rpm. Mechanic side the alternator on the port engine and the main fuse on the BlueSea panel were reaching their end. So I replaced them they worked as they should. However, from the beginning of this season. The slow starting symptom got worse and worse. I replaced two starting batteries (800 CCA) and tightened all the wires, replaced the battery switch that helped a little.
Finally on the past Sat night, I was about to take my boat to the bay to watch fireworks but the port engine would not start. Only rapid clicking sound when I turned the key. I had gone fishing the whole afternoon earlier and the engine started just fine. I went to a near by Honda dealer on Sunday morning but the earliest appointment is two weeks away. So I decided to do some DIY again. I firsts replaced the lug, which had moderate corrosion, on the positive power cable connected to the battery switch but still no start, only fast clicking. Spent another hour under 100 degree sun tracing the negative cable, had to remove the fish box to cut off all the stupid zip ties to free that cable and then removed it from the common ground..The look was scary...I first tried to cut a few feet off to see if I could find clean copper, but no luck...the whole wire turned black. So I ended up to re-rig a new 8' 1G negative cable on the port side. Finally got everything working, the motor started at first click, and the Tachometer worked properly all the way to WOT!
I felt lucky that the bad cable did not overheat and burn down the boat. Once I cut of the rubber cover, I can literately crunch the wire into black dust..
