Intermittent starting

woodster · Jul 5, 2015

You may have solenoid problem or even a bad connection on the wire going to it

ben solomon · Jul 5, 2015

Are you sure you are getting enough battery power to the starter? Sounds to me like when you start the engine at the dock you are probably plugged into shore power and therefore there is enough current to engage the starter. But after sailing all day there isn't enough battery power to the starter.

Ben

kloudie1 · Jul 5, 2015

Sounds like low voltage at the solenoid or a bad solenoid.. also check the ground wire at block and batteries for clean connections.
When you jump it, are you jumpering from "hot" to the solenoid coil connector (small wire), or jumpering the two large connections? The Yanmar starter will not engage the engine if the solenoid is not activated because the engagement is by a mechanical lever which moves when the solenoid is activated. It is not an inertia device like some starters are. If you jumper the two big terminals, the starter will run but because the solenoid is not engaged, the engine will not turn over..
Try jumping from the big hot terminal to the small wire terminal (a cheap remote start switch makes this easy (http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-remote-starter-switch-35448.html). If this works consistently, you have bad connections somewhere in the hot side between battery and solenoid. If this does not work consistently, then hot side is probably OK and the problem is in the ground side or the solenoid.
Good Luck

EDIT: Please note that the remote start switch is only connected between the large hot terminal and the solenoid coil activation (small) wire.. connecting between the two big connections will burn the connection wire and or switch..and hands around the general vicinity.. Be careful!

splax · Jul 5, 2015

positive battery cable corroded?

Sailgunner · Jul 5, 2015

Sounds like the common "Hunter Disease." Run a new dedicated wire from your key switch to the solenoid.

Sailgunner · Jul 5, 2015

jimtraskos said:
Should that new dedicated line have a fuse?

no need

rfrye1 · Jul 5, 2015

Dear JIM,

Dear Jim.
Check the archives. Common Hunter problem from the mid to late 90s. You need a relay to the started solenoid. I did this on my 1998 H376 10 year ago. No problems since.

Bob.

morrisn1 · Jul 5, 2015

Jim, tell me about this relay you mention above. I have the same issues on a 2002 Hunter 356. Was out at a raft up for fireworks this weekend and sure enough, nothing when touching the starter button. I used the screwdriver on the solenoid, it whirled a little, then had my wife press the starter, and it worked. Most trips out, it is fine but at least one time on each trip, I get nothing, usually after a while under sail or at anchor.
Noel

rtmccue · Jul 5, 2015

Clean the connections on the motor end , you will find to harness connecters that if you just pull apart and put back together may fix this. The best solution is to replace the solinoid feed wire from the key switch to the starter . I had two boats with the problem

uncledom · Jul 5, 2015

If you don't connect the battery lug at the starter to the small solenoid tab you are not letting the solenoid kick out the starter gear hence the won't engage. The first thing that happens in the solenoid is you energize a coil which throws out the starter gear and then engages a set of contacts between the battery terminal on the starter to the actual starter armature. The gear comes out to the fly wheel and then turns. I'm thinking something between the key switch and the starter solenoid wire, the one on the tab connector. Check the key switch it's self too.

geek_guy · Jul 6, 2015

Another easy test and emergency backup is to take a wire directly from the + on the battery to the solenoid positive. That eliminates the key and/or button and/or wiring from such.

Don Lucas · Jul 6, 2015

Sailgunner said:
no need

Doesn't your 410 have a breaker on the engine panel for the starter solenoid? Mine does.

querencia · Jul 6, 2015

Yanmar Starter Problem

In older Yanmar Wiring Harness's , The starter wire going from the starter button to the solenoid was of inferior quality and causes problems especially when the engine compartment is hot ,you can change the wire in the harness but most people add an external relay that attaches to the solenoid and to the wiring off the starter button, all connections are made at the starter,I bought 5 relays and sockets on Ebay for about $ 25 [ I like to have spares ] but still on my first relay after 4 years
Ed Pinanski [ Not a Hunter Owner ]

Sailgunner · Jul 6, 2015

Don Lucas said:
Doesn't your 410 have a breaker on the engine panel for the starter solenoid? Mine does.

There is a fuse in the panel but I wired directly from the key switch to the solenoid.

Scott NIelsen · Jul 7, 2015

I had this same issue on my 96' 37.5, 3JH yanmar. I did the realy trick and it worked sometimes. I thought it was starter and being an old auto mechanic did a complete checkout and found the starter was fine. I did the relay at the solonoid trick and had same intermittent results. One day after haveing to get towed in by a friend because could not get starter to energize started tracing all wiring from battery to key to starter. What I found to my surprise was the cable from the battery switch went to a bus bar. From the bus bar all positvie cables and wires went to thier various functions. I found the mounting post on the buss bar was also the post the cable came from the battery switch was connected to and the plastic it was imbedded in was cracked and broken. What this ended up doing was providing intermittent contact for the postive wiring on the boat including battery charging from alternator. So batteries were not getting fully charged from alternator when engine was running and intermittent contact to starter solonoid. After getting new bus bar the batteries now get fully charged by alternator and starter engages. I still have the relay at the solonoid as a backup. Check it out, you just might have simlular problem.