Last time it started and stayed on for about 20-30 minutes was in June of this year. It’s a Volvo Penta MD5A Diesel in a 25’ Ericson sailboat. I attempted to start the engine last month and again yesterday few times by turning key, then pushed start button and it was struggling to start. I’m on a tight budget & tempted to call in a pro but didn’t want to spend $ if it can be done without having to hire someone. Any suggestions please?!
Help! Engine won’t start :(
- Thread starter CalGirlBoater
- Start date
When you say "struggling to start" was it turning over very slowly, which would indicate a weak battery, or was the starter spinning at a normal speed but not firing to start?
I dont have much experience with diesels but here are some basics to check:
-If the engine has a manual choke, is it engaged when starting?
-Are the fuel line valves open?
-Is the fuel filter clogged?
-Are the glow plugs warmed up before attempting to start?
-Verify all breakers/fuses are on or not blown
-Verify appropriate switches/breakers on the panel are on
We all forget the simplest of things from time to time so don't be embarrassed if you overlooked something
-If the engine has a manual choke, is it engaged when starting?
-Are the fuel line valves open?
-Is the fuel filter clogged?
-Are the glow plugs warmed up before attempting to start?
-Verify all breakers/fuses are on or not blown
-Verify appropriate switches/breakers on the panel are on
We all forget the simplest of things from time to time so don't be embarrassed if you overlooked something
has the battery been on a charger, or just left connected to the rest of the boat? If not on a charger it sounds like it slowly discharged and is not strong enough to start the engine now.
Nice place to sail! (one of the moderators on the Ericson owners web site lives near there and used to sail an E-25+). Presume that you have a shaft drive and a single cylinder diesel engine. Simple little engines, but there are basics to check on.
Since it turns over, I would look at the fuel system next. Make sure that the main (only?) fuel filter is clean and that the system has no leaks.
If it turns too slowly, look at the power supply. Might be good to remove all of the wiring connectors, one at a time, and sand the lugs and reconnect. Twelve volts, given the need for high amps when starting, does not like *any* corrosion resistance in any connection. (It takes surprisingly little corrosion to reduce the power down by a volt or two).
You should also post your Question in the Maintenance Forum over at www.ericsonowners.org.
Good luck!
Given that your battery is OK, most electrical problems related to starting are because of bad or corroded connections.
First, your battery must be good. Like in your car, just because the headlights shine brightly, it doesn't mean you have the power to turn over your engine, which uses many more amps than the headlights. So check your battery with a load tester or take it to an auto parts/battery shop.
If the battery is good, most starting problems are a bad negative connection at the engine. However, once you start, you might as well clean and renew all the connections in the starting system. Sometimes it can be a poorly crimped lug, which must be replaced. But every single connection should be disassembled, cleaned and put back together before you move on to other possibilities for the problem. This is work anybody can do and costs little, other than time. A bit of sandpaper and a spray like PB Blaster should do the trick.
Don't forget to turn off the power to these connections before beginning this work. It is best to disconnect the negative cable from the battery to insure the system is depowered.
First, your battery must be good. Like in your car, just because the headlights shine brightly, it doesn't mean you have the power to turn over your engine, which uses many more amps than the headlights. So check your battery with a load tester or take it to an auto parts/battery shop.
If the battery is good, most starting problems are a bad negative connection at the engine. However, once you start, you might as well clean and renew all the connections in the starting system. Sometimes it can be a poorly crimped lug, which must be replaced. But every single connection should be disassembled, cleaned and put back together before you move on to other possibilities for the problem. This is work anybody can do and costs little, other than time. A bit of sandpaper and a spray like PB Blaster should do the trick.
Don't forget to turn off the power to these connections before beginning this work. It is best to disconnect the negative cable from the battery to insure the system is depowered.
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Is there a cold start cable? Some MD7As, big brother to the MD5A, have one. Engaging the cold start helps even if it is warm.
As others have noted, check your battery. How old is it? How has it been charged, i.e., what kind of charger?
As others have noted, check your battery. How old is it? How has it been charged, i.e., what kind of charger?
Are you plugged into shore power if so check that your charger is working as you should have enough power to start your engine. Another thing you could do is jumper the battery just like you do for a car just remember that the spare battery will not last very long maybe 3-4 good cranks.
A bit more info on your skill level and conditions on the boat would be helpful in getting good advise. Tools and experience to you have with any type of mechanical work? Do you have a multi-meter. have you checked the voltage of the battery.
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.
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.
It sounds like you have a low/bad battery to me.
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
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
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