Starter Issue

[pfaffk]

Good Morning, I have a Hunter 290 with a Yanmar 18HP engine, and I think I have a starter issue but am not sure. When I turn the Key to the on possition I have to wait 5 to 10 seconds before pushing the start button. If I push it immediately I have dead silence. It use to start right away, but over the last year or 2 I have to wait longer and longer before pushing the start button. Is this a starter problem? Any thoughts?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

probably more likely an electrical problem. always begin troubleshooting with the easy stuff - Start by removing and thoroughly cleaning every connection in the starter circuit incl the battery connections.

 

[petersea]

Don is most likely correct about it is a connection some where in the wiring. If you want to check the starter cross the solenoid and see what happens, it should instantly spin.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Take a look at Boat Info>Sailboat >Knowledgebase>Engines>Yanmar>Starting issues on this site. Sounds like a common problem that many of us have had and fixed by adding a 12vdc relay to the starter solenoid.

 

[Benny17441]

It is a common problem seemingly in the newer Hunters usually due to to wiring and coonector issues. Some like us learn to be patient and wait out the 5-10 seconds it takes with the knowledge that if push came to shove we could always jump the solenoid and get it started.

 

[Rob2435]

I replaced the 12 gauge wire with a 10 gauge wire and I haven't had a problem since. It is the easiest solution!

 

[NYSail]

Rob when you replaced the wire I assume you had a straight run and bypassed the connectors in the harness? And I assume you changed both wires..... power to and from the panel?

 

[PSTEVEN]

when I got my boat, there was a starting problem during the sea trials. The marina replaced the entire starting system before they corrected the problem at the expense of the PO. But I discovered from the Mack Boring folks that the main problem is the physical distance between the starter and the start switch. Too much current loss. The larger wire will help but they actually have a kit to correct the problem. Essentially the kit is just a starter solenoid like the ones from the local auto store which is a cheaper fix.

 

[Bill Roosa]

For the record you can't have a current loss in a circuit. You can have too much resistance that causes the amount of current in the whole circuit to be lower but the current is the same everywhere in a circuit. While this may sound like picking nits I've found that lots of folks get the "current loss" concept in their heads and cannot diagnose the problem becasue of it. They keep looking for electrons leaking out never find them. If you do have a current leak (aka short) that is usually pretty easy to find, its the place where the fire started.

 

[PSTEVEN]

Actually if the current is lower it doesn't matter what caused it, it is lost for all intents and purposes. I recognize that electricals do not talk in that way, but I don't care my degrees are in mechanical and I don.t seem to have a problem solving the electrical problems. I also do not agree with your premise that it will confuse people. If they do not have a better knowledge of electricity than that they are not going to be able to find a problem anyway.