Intermittent power to starter

[Break Away]

When I flip the toggle switch at the engine panel in the cockpit of my First 310, sometimes I don't get any power (this is like turning the key before pushing the start button). I have removed, cleaned and tightened all the connections to the two batteries, the one black and two red battery switch handles, and all the connections I could find to the starter or engine. The toggle switch is also new. I am at a loss as to what can be causing the problem. I am thinking about having the wiring replaced from the toggle switch to the engine in case there's a bad wire.

Any other ideas? I am quite the non-electrician.

 

[larry w]

The ignition (key) switch

in the Perkins panel supplied with my boat - '98 Bene OC400 - has got to be the most over-engineered switch I've ever seen. it's got mulitple moving parts, sliding sections, key tumblers, and the parts that actually make the contact are not exactly what you'd call robust and sizable. Plus, they come in two parts, which you have to mate up, and they are very pricey, and, there is no other commercially available switch that will fit the Perkins footprint. I had a very bothersome time with the damn thing for about a year before I finally installed a new one, but if I had to do it again, I think I'd just go with a simple toggle switch. If you think your wiring is bad, don't even bother trying to find the problem; disconnect both ends of the suspected wire and sister in a new one. I've had issues with Perkins' panel on a number of occassions.

 

[Rob2435]

Wire Change

I had the same problem on my 352 and even had the problem on a 361 I chartered in the San Juan Islands. The solution is really simple and easy, don't listen to the complicated solutions of grinding starter pins, adding solenoids, etc.

From the push button there should be a 12awg wire running to your solenoid, replace it with a 10awg wire and your starting problems will be solved! I struggled with this problem for 2 years and the solution took all of 15 minutes and a few bucks.

 

[agaliha]

Rob is right

I replaced my start button wire with a 12 ga. wire and that worked, too...the culprit was the snap connectors that the manufacturers use to connect the instrument control cluster to the engine. A solid wire with no connectors will fix it 9 out of 10 times.
Agaliha

 

[Break Away]

Wire Change Clarification

You have me convinced to give changing the wire a shot. Just a point of clarification ... Rob and Agaliha, you both refer to the start/push button wire. When my toggle switch works, the push start button always works to start the engine. My problem is getting the "juice" necessary for the push start button to work.

If the photo posted, it is the chrome toggle switch above the round starter push button. Maybe we're talking about the same thing, and I'm getting confused by terms. I guess it wouldn't hurt to replace both wires.

 

[jaochs]

intermittent starting problem

I had the same problem on my 1903 Beneteau 35s5. I replaced the fuse block with a new one (from Volvo) and the problem went away. I had previously found that with the old fuse block if I disconnected and then reconnected the wire spade connectors at the fuse block that I would solve the problem.