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Starboard engine won't crank-electrically dead on that side

M

MJ340DA

New member
I was hoping for some help as I have exhausted all the ideas I could think of for a fix. I am moderately mechanically inclined but am stumped by this.
Symptoms:
Turn on ignition key and ignition switch in cabin panel and then try to start with rocker switch at the helm and get no sign of electrical current... no beep, no Fuel valve switch turn on noise, no crank. Starboard side only as the Port side cranks as normal. Oddly, if I hold down the bridge/crossover rocker between the port and starboard start rockers, the starboard side beeps, fuel switch turns on and it cranks. If you let go of the bridge/crossover rocker switch it is dead again. This is repeatable.

Tests and fixes tried so far:
Fully charged and tested starboard battery bank. Replaced slave solenoid on top of the engine. Checked the red button circuit breaker on top of the engine, it is not tripped. All breakers on the engine room DC breaker panel are untripped. Replaced both the starboard and port battery relays/solenoids inside the DC breaker panel. Replaced the starboard starting rocker switch at the helm. Tested by jumping the slave solenoid to "jump start or jump crank" the starboard engine and no crank, nothing.

I am at stumped! Not sure how to proceed from here. I assume since the starboard engine cranks when using the bridge/crossover switch at the helm that the engine, starter, fuel switch are all fine. I also assume that since I cannot affect a "jump crank" across the slave solenoid that the ignitions switches in the cabin cannot be the problem since they are not needed to jump crank it anyway.

Any help to find my electrical gremlin would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much
 
Assume the boat is in the water now. I'll assume you checked the ground (negative) wire going to the battery as well as the Pos feed. Be sure the gear is in neutral. Use a short bit of wire to jumper the solenoid and see if it does anything.
 
Boat is in dry dock. I only hit the start switch on the helm panel with a quick tap to crank 1/4 to 1/5 of a turn as I am aware of the SeaPump impellers are dry. I have checked all battery connections and even used a new battery in place of the current bank. I have a remote jumper wire that I attach across the slave solenoid on the engine and the port engine kicks but the starboard is dead. Weird stuff if you ask me but I am no expert. Thanks for the suggestions!! I really think I might have a short in a wire somewhere. I need to spend some time with the 12v schematic for the boat but that thing scares me! Haha
 
Doubtful how?

You are assuming he attempted to jump the solenoid correctly.................Big question to be answered.

I cant remember if I have ever come across a slave solenoid I could not actually make at least click if not crank the starter unless it was completely dead and open solenoid coil.
As fail safe test I would carefully jump the high current posts just to prove the starter cranks over (very briefly mind you)..............that always works.

He has a dual helm system correct?

One helm works and the other does not, correct?

Then one would suspect a issue with that helm station. Correct?

I am not at all clear on the wiring of two helms and where they intersect but they do intersect dont they?
Therefore if one works and the other does not, the issue is not at the engine. Correct? It would point to the helm station? correct?

That would leave from the wire harness intersection back to helm station? Correct?

Then a bad neutral safety switch or other electrical open in that helm in the cranking circuit could be the issue? correct?
 
Just got back from the Boat and doing some testing with my multimeter. Went back into the DC panel in the cabin and tested the Ignition switches to be good, tested the breakers before the switches to be good but noticed the feed end of the starboard side ignition breaker is not getting 12v. So I started from the battery cable to the starter on the starboard engine which feeds 12v to the whole system and found that the 90 AMP white fuse on top of the starter is blown (reads 12v feed, 0V other side. Also noticed that the main 50 Amp (red button) breaker on top of the starboard engine is stuck in the popped position, fully out. It reads OV at both terminals. So I am replacing both the 90 White starter fuse and the 50 Amp red button breaker. I am just worried what cause this all to blow. I assume the 50 Amp red button breaker was going bad and finally died and blew the 90 Amp fuse before it in the circuit. Wish me luck!! Thanks for all the help
 
While both circuit breakers have been known to fail for no reason, there is usually a root cause...i.e., something is drawing too much power or there is a short circuit somewhere. Keep your multimeter handy.
 
I winterized the boat in the Fall with the engine running when I turned the key 5 months later, other then fluids w/o battery, the starter fuse was blown. Age or trailing (shock/vibration) may change fuse connection status. Suggest if one engine, always have a spare, if two consider changing the fuse to a removable mini fuse.
 
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