Winter in New England, and the boat is on the hard. While we had a great season last year cruising Cape Cod and the Islands, I thought this might be a good time to mention a few glitches we ran into, in the hopes other C310 owners could avoid these issues.
Prior to leaving Quincy, MA, for the Cape, I started the engine one morning, but something was wrong. The engine made a grinding sound, and when I pulled the fuel shutoff handle, the engine kept idling! I jumped below and pulled the engine cover, removed the air filter, and stuffed a rag into the outlet. Normally, on a diesel, this would kill the engine, but mine kept chugging away. Eventually, the engine slowed down and stopped, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the engine. The starter had fried, and I realized it had been engaged the whole time! I checked the starter button, and sure enough, it was stuck in the on position. The rubber boot had hidden the fact that the button was still depressed. Lesson learned; always check that the button doesn't stick.
After replacing the starter button, starter, and ANL fuse, we set sail for Cape Cod. The sailing was good until off Duxbury Beach, where the wind died. I went to start the engine, but nothing happened. I debated pulling the instrument panel apart to check the switches, which involves pulling the wheel off, and laying on top of a hot engine to check the starter, all while rolling around on the ocean. I opted for a free tow from Plymouth Boat US, finally putting my membership to good use. Fifteen minutes after securing to a mooring in Plymouth Harbor, I found a loose connection on the starter. They are the push on type of connectors, and I had neglected to crimp the connectors a bit, to make the connections more secure, so I belatedly did that. I also zip tied the wiring harness to make it more secure. Another lesson learned.
Prior to leaving Quincy, MA, for the Cape, I started the engine one morning, but something was wrong. The engine made a grinding sound, and when I pulled the fuel shutoff handle, the engine kept idling! I jumped below and pulled the engine cover, removed the air filter, and stuffed a rag into the outlet. Normally, on a diesel, this would kill the engine, but mine kept chugging away. Eventually, the engine slowed down and stopped, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the engine. The starter had fried, and I realized it had been engaged the whole time! I checked the starter button, and sure enough, it was stuck in the on position. The rubber boot had hidden the fact that the button was still depressed. Lesson learned; always check that the button doesn't stick.
After replacing the starter button, starter, and ANL fuse, we set sail for Cape Cod. The sailing was good until off Duxbury Beach, where the wind died. I went to start the engine, but nothing happened. I debated pulling the instrument panel apart to check the switches, which involves pulling the wheel off, and laying on top of a hot engine to check the starter, all while rolling around on the ocean. I opted for a free tow from Plymouth Boat US, finally putting my membership to good use. Fifteen minutes after securing to a mooring in Plymouth Harbor, I found a loose connection on the starter. They are the push on type of connectors, and I had neglected to crimp the connectors a bit, to make the connections more secure, so I belatedly did that. I also zip tied the wiring harness to make it more secure. Another lesson learned.