Help, the boat won't start!!

[smtucker]

Our 310 Catalina was functioning fine. (Bought her last year, a 2005). We took it out for a sail a few weeks ago. She started fine, we shut her down and sailed. The batteries are brand new. The vessel is set up with two house batteries and a separate starter battery. All batteries are showing full charge. When we went to restart her up for the ride home, there was nothing. Luckily, we were very close to home and had just enough wind to guide her to port. We have checked the breakers, all good. We have power from the house batteries to run radio, lights, etc. The boat still won't start. The helm panel is showing no juice. We checked the starter on the port side under the engine and the connections are all firm. We have tried all configurations of using the battery switches. Could this be a fuse or the iginition switch itself? We don't know location of fuses. HELP!

 

[Tom J]

There might be a circuit breaker mounted on the underside of the instrument panel that you could push to reset it. Ther is also a circuit breaker mounted on the engine, starboard side, aft, I believe. I'm not near the boat right now, so can't verify right now. Is she not cranking at all? Or is she cranking, but not starting?
Good luck!

 

[gpd955]

Here is that hidden breaker.

Pic 1 look at the starboard side of engine

Pic 2 look for this brass colored box

Pic 3 the breaker is aft of it on the metal mount just starboard of the other brass colored box. You'll have to feel for it. It says 20A Reset but you probably won't be able to see that.

 

[smtucker]

Thanks for the info. We pushed the breaker button on the engine you suggested, but nothing has happened. We also pushed the breaker at the bottom of the instrument panel. It did not appear to be tripped. There is still no cranking, no instruments moving when key is turned. So now I'm going to replace the ignition switch to see if that helps. Any other advice?

 

[Witzend]

Get a meter and troubleshoot why you are not getting power to the panel. Don't guess and dig yourself a hole bye just changing out components.

 

[paulj]

smtucker

You have checked all the visuals sites except.........


To visualy continue checking the circut with out a Voltmeter......

The first photo shows the normal wiring conections at the starter.

The second photo shows the normal oil pressure shut off switch wiring conections.



The third photo shows wiring at the bus bar.

The fourth shows starter switch.






paulj :troll:

 

[rpwillia]

Be Methodical

SMTucker, PaulJ and Witz are right (ruh roh did I just admit that in an open forum?). You need to start seeing where you have juice and where you do not. Once your diesel is running it does not require electrical, so the biggest thing you need electrical for is to run the starter.

If you look at the attached wiring diagram you will see the line runs from the engine/starter back to connection C for the item labeled 13 which is your 1-2-All switch. The alternator attaches to that big wire at the starter (PaulJ's first photo). They do that to save money - also why you do not want to move the 1-2-All switch with the engine running as it will blow the diodes in the alternator.

#25 on the drawing toward the stern is your helm instrument panel. That is where the key is that provides excitation voltage to the alternator as well as turning power onto the panel and power to the black starter button that engages the solenoid on the starter. There should be 12vdc somewhere on one of those connections on the key switch all the time. If you have no power there, which is what I understand, then you need to trace that back.

I don't see it in the drawing, but I would think the 12v for the key switch is fed from that breaker on the starboard side of the engine. One thing to check would be that reset switch on the starboard side of the engine with a meter to see if power is present. If after you push it, you should have 12vdc on both sides. If not then you need to check that breaker

If you have power at your switch on the helm instrument panel, there then you most likely have a problem with your switch.

 

[Bob James]

Check the preheat solenoid and bypass it. This happened to me. Bypassed (took it out of the circuit) and replaced it a few months later. Don't need it in warm weather.

 

[Witzend]

Although the +12 goes to the Preheat Solenoid, it does not go through it on the way to the panel. You might check the connections on it though. The only thing between the +12V and the "B" terminal of the key switch is the 20AMP Breaker. Should be a #10 red wire.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I recently looked smarter than I really am by discovering that the 2 smaller red wires shown in Paul's first picture were corroded away where the wires enter the crimp lug. They looked ok, half a dozen guys had been probing everywhere with meters for 2 days, when I touched the wires (like any chimp would) they were powder.
Produced the same symptoms as when that 20 amp breaker trips, gauge panel and starter dead. BTW, if this happens when the engine is running it will continue to run, gauge panel will be dead.

 

[Witzend]

That would be on the starter and a red #10 that jumps to the pre-heat sol. and then feeds the 20amp breaker, that would be a good place to look.

 

[valcour]

I did a lot of checking with a meter and eventually found that the 20 amp breaker was faulty. I now carry one as a spare.

 

[SceptreSailor]

There is a fuse off the battery in the original configuration