2002 Beneteau 411 Engine wouldn’t Start

natep

.
Sep 3, 2018
32
Beneteau 411 Limited Chesapeake Beach MD
I have a 2002 411, we were out sailing the other day and got ready to start the engine just a click sound at the engine, no turning over of the starter. I checked the batteries are they were fine. The captain went below, took a screwdriver and touched the solenoid and then we turned the key again and it started. Any idea what’s the problem? Someone had said that over the winter the starter may have bad a spot on the starter. once the solenoid was shorted out it started but that has now happened at least two times in the last two days. Any help or suggestions?
 

DougM

.
Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
Need more information.
If the boat has a Yanmar engine, a likely place to start looking is the wiring from the instrument panel to the starter. The white wire from the push button switch to the starter is undersized and has connecters in the wire run which further reduce the voltage to the point where the starter solenoid won’t engage. The bandaid fix is to check and tighten all connections. The permanent fix is to run larger gauge white wire straight from the pushbutton to the starter.
 
May 17, 2004
5,026
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
My guess is on a bad or corroded connection somewhere in the circuit. I know older Catalina's and Odays used connectors that were suceptible to failing, resulting in just a relay click like you describe.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
It may sound strange but Yanmar and even universals often can benefit from a relay to drive the starter solenoid. Too much distance from key to starter.