Starting batery

[hemares]

We just got a Hunter 380. It came with a Heart charger/inverter a Diesel generator a batery bank and a starter batery.
The Diesel will not start when the starter batert shows 12.3 V which is usually what happens when you are disconected from shore power. But if the boat is connected to the shore or the diesel generator is on, you get a nice 13V and the the engine will start without any problem.
I thought the problem was the starter batery, but after replacing it the charger brings it back to 12.3 and the problem persists.
Has anybody encounter this situation in the past? Any advice?

 

[Viktor Eysselein]

Starter Battery

You may have bad electrical connections. I would measure the voltage at the starter - you may have corroded terminals.

Good luck!

Viktor

 

[shemandr]

Search threads for "Starter Button" - that should bring up several threads which may be helpful. This sounds like a problem I had. Please read those threads before spending a lot of money.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Before doing anything else, look at the fundamental problem - a fully charged 12.3V battery is in all likelihood your problem or at a minimum, your biggest problem. Measure the voltage at the battery terminals. If higher, you have a poor connection someplace between the battery and where your voltage meter is which would include your starter. The solution for this is obvious.
If you indeed have a fully charged battery reading 12.3V, you have either a charger problem which usually leads to a sulfated battery or a worn out battery.
Check the charger output; do a hydrometer test on the battery. With and only with that info can you precisely determine where the problem is.

 

[Bill Roosa]

all Hunter owners have this problem

The number of connections in the start circuit is some where around 14. There are numerous quick connectors in the helm station and near the engine to allow rapid connection of all the components in the factory. Unfortunatly you have a voltage drop in each connection. Even on a good day the drop is around 0.1 volts per connection. That is 14X0.1=1.4 volts less than battery voltage at the starter solenoid.
Since there is only about 2 volts between fully charged and compleatly discharged you can see that you are always going to be working on the low side even with a fully charged battery.

Bottom line is you have a voltage drop problem (welcome aboard) that can be fixed in one of three ways:
1) Clean (and keep cleaning) the quick connectors
2) Install an other solenoid to boost the voltage to the start circuit
3) Cut out all the connectors and solder all the wires back together

 

[Ed Schenck]

Here is a permanent fix that I and several on this board have used: http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...&cat_id=38&aid=7175&page=article&mn=37-cutter . I have also seen it referenced on other sailboat boards.

The most recent Sailing magazine tech expert was asked the identical question. His answer was simply to run #10 wire in place of the old wire which is usually #16.

This was