My Engine won't start

Jul 30, 2014
36
catalina 30 mkII Tall Rig bay city
I have a 1988 Catalina 30 mkii with a Universal 25MX Engine. I reinstalled the three batteries from winter storage (two I replaced with new ones) turned the key on pushed the glow plug button then pushed the start button and absolutely nothing happened. Checked the connections with the same result. I ended up jumping the starter with a screw driver to get her started. I ran it for a half hour so I was confident I could make it to my slip. After tying up I shut it off and the same thing when trying to restart. My question to my fellow sailors, Is there a fuse behind the start button switch (panel in the cockpit)?
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Could be the switch or it's connections corroded over the winter. Jumping the contacts on the back of the switch will narrow it down. If it starts you'll know it's the switch.
 
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May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
I pulled that fuse from it’s current location and moved it to the 10ga wire from starter lug to the panel. All it is doing in that location is protecting the short length of wire from it to the solenoid - maybe 8”. Depending on the year of your boat there was no protection for any of the wires running to or from the engine panel. Sometime in the mid to late 80’s they added a circuit breaker at the panel to protect gauge light wiring and the blower motor. Very poor design when you consider there is nothing protecting the back of the panel from items shifting in the lazerette. Moving the panel later to the side of the cockpit helped with that problem and made the panel more visible

Les
 
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