Help! Engine won’t start :(

[CalGirlBoater]

It sounds like a battery problem. First thing to do is check the fluid and if low, top it off with distilled water. Then try charging again. How old is the battery? If more than two years old - you might need a new battery (boat batteries often don't last as long as auto batteries) If you turned the starter key or pushed the button - whatever you do to engage the starter - if you hear nothing, then it probably is a connection problem. A battery cable (positive or negative) could be loose or corroded. Check all cables associated with the battery or battery switch for looseness or corrosion - tighten or clean and reattach. Somebody mentioned a manual choke above. Diesels don't have chokes. Gas engines do. But some (but not all) diesels have glow plugs. But the engine usually turns over at the right RPM's. If it doesn't start then, well don't forget to activate the glow plugs for several seconds up to a minute then try again.

Not sure age of battery. Thanks Bill!

 

[CalGirlBoater]

The engine should have a lever sticking out of the top valve cover with a black knob on it , this is your decompression lever . Throw the lever over have someone else turn the engine over ,it will now spin fast as this is happening throw the lever back over to it's original postion it should start . However it sounds like you have battery and or fuel feed issues, its either one or the other

Thank you Mechone!

 

[CalGirlBoater]

Your battery should be in the range of 12.8 to 13.2 volts if it's fully charged. The voltage should be checked when the battery has not been used for a number of hours, overnight would be good. Take your digital volt meter and check, let us know what you have. Also know what the temperature is when you take this reading. Report back with that info.

Do you have shore power available? Is the boat in the water? Do you have a battery charger? Some chargers have a start position so if yours has that, you could try starting the engine with the charger in that mode.

If your battery voltage is much below the above values, you need to charge your battery. It may also be in bad shape. See above comments by others.

If your battery has correct voltage, then wire connections are your next thing to walk through, also as said by others above.

Let us know what you find.

dj

Thanks dLj!!

 

[CalGirlBoater]

Some diesels, like the Volvo Penta 2000 series, have a cold start procedure that really helps when the temps drop. Google start procedure for your particular engine.
It sounds like you have a low/bad battery to me.

Thanks so much!

 

[Hayden Watson]

CalGirlBoater Based pm your typical response "Thanks so much!" with no additional info or results of attempting the things suggested, I do not think that any of us can offer you any more assistance that what has already been given. In order for you to make any progress, you need to answer some of the very good questions with real additional info of what is happening on your boat. Without that additional info I must assume that your probably do not have neither the needed skills nor tools.
If that is the case, I would suggest that you talk to some of the other boaters in your marina and see if you can get some assistance that why. Most boaters in my marina are happy to help out other boaters and it is probably the same at yours.
Good luck.

 

[Hayden Watson]

CalGirlBoater, I looked at your previous post history and see that the only other post was from July of 2018 when you put fresh water in your diesel tank. Did you get the engine running after that and if so how long has it ran? In your original post, you said "Last time it started and stayed on for about 20-30 minutes was in June of this year." Does this mean that you ran it for 20-30 minutes and then shut it off or did it quit on you. If it quit, I would assume that your problem is that the fuel filter is fouled with water and you need to change both the primary and secondary filter then bleed the system. If you do not know how to do that ask questions of the group or one of your dock mates.