Starting issues

[Keith13315]

can anyone offer advice? I have a Yanmar 2GMF I went to start it and the buzzer sounded sick and nothing not even a click. I switched to house batteries thinking a dead battery same. I took the starter off and had it tested it tested good. I replaced the 30 amp fuse since the end caps were loose. I really-assembled everything and same. Any Ideas what to look for?
Thanks Keith

 

[Warren Milberg]

Could be the very common problem of aging or corroded connections in the wiring harness. I would first try a thorough inspection, cleaning, and tightening of all of them. If that doesn't work, you may want to consider replacing the entire harness, or a quicker and cheaper fix: installing a 12vdc relay on the starter solenoid. See attached pic of that fix.

 

[capta]

Definitely sounds like a connection. Most common bad connection is a ground, somewhere on the engine would be where I'd start.
You can get a jump start switch (see picture below) at any auto parts store and bypass all the cabling except the power to the starter and the ground. It is also a good back up should your start button fail. This should tell you where to look for your loose connection. If the starter still won't work with this switch and you know the starter is good, then go for the ground wire and or connections at battery and on the leads to the starter at places like selector switches.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

You can get a jump start switch (see picture below) at any auto parts store and bypass all the cabling except the power to the starter and the ground.

Crap .................. I've been toying with the idea of hard wiring a remote starting switch at the engine for some time now. Would make working on the engine so much easier, rather than crawling up and over the engine into the cockpit to start the engine when required.

And then an idea is presented which is so bloody simple and so bloody basic it kind of tarnishes your self confidence a little bit.

Thanks and on my way to pick one up this morning.

 

[capta]

Glad to help.

 

[Capt jgw]

It helps to have the main engine to battery ground cable connected to one of the starter mounting bolts. Often it's on the other side of the engine and the current has to flow through several connections. Best to put it right where it's needed. Whatever point it's bolted on, that connection tends to vibrate loose and corrode.

 

[Keith13315]

Thanks everyone we are running again. Yes it was a connection. The way the PO wired the house and starting batteries the ground is common to the house bank and after stepping through the problem I got to that connection and yep it was loose I tightened it and we started. Wow what a puzzle for a while.