I have been posting all day about a battery issue. Went down to the boat this evening and tried to start on battery #2 only. Hit the glow plugs for my normal 10 seconds, and it started right up. Shut her down, switched over to battery #1 and it would barly crank. I went below, drained the Waterlift Muffler and switched over to both, and the engine refused to start. It cranked fine, just would not start. I again drained the muffler, and attempted to start connected to shore power. Plenty of juice, just would not start. At least I found out which battery was causing me the problem. Now, why would she not start the second time? I did smell diesel, but this is not a gas engine. You can't flood a diesel right? I did double check the kill switch at the control panel, not at the engine. It was pushed all the way in.
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not start
had a similiar problem and had to remove and rebuild an injector. Try battery #1 again after a charge. if one is low and you switch to both, they will try to equalize and both will be low. Connected to shore power does no good unless you have an automatic charger and it is more than just a trickle charger.
had a similiar problem and had to remove and rebuild an injector. Try battery #1 again after a charge. if one is low and you switch to both, they will try to equalize and both will be low. Connected to shore power does no good unless you have an automatic charger and it is more than just a trickle charger.
mutually exclusive issues
Glad to figured out the battery issue - kind of a good news-bad news day, right? Diesels which crank okay but refuse to start are almost always caused by fuel problem(s). Are you getting fuel at the injectors? If so, it could be a more serious problem but not likely unless the engine is VERY old. I'd go for the fuel issue and check out the lines, filters and injectors before getting concerned.
Glad to figured out the battery issue - kind of a good news-bad news day, right? Diesels which crank okay but refuse to start are almost always caused by fuel problem(s). Are you getting fuel at the injectors? If so, it could be a more serious problem but not likely unless the engine is VERY old. I'd go for the fuel issue and check out the lines, filters and injectors before getting concerned.
Vapor lock
Before you spend any money try your test again but this time let the engine sit longer between trys. Depending on how long you ran it you may have had a vapor lock. I run into a similiar problem where she'll start but then die off for a few seconds until the fuel flows again. As long as she cranked and had fuel she should have started, so give it another try.
Before you spend any money try your test again but this time let the engine sit longer between trys. Depending on how long you ran it you may have had a vapor lock. I run into a similiar problem where she'll start but then die off for a few seconds until the fuel flows again. As long as she cranked and had fuel she should have started, so give it another try.
Mike, I don't think that diesel engines
suffer from vapor lock. gas engines but not diesels. Chief Try pulling the stop handle after you have placed the throttle in the wide open position. That resets the fuel rack. my Volvo can be a beast to start sometimes but if I reset the fuel rack I will start on 2 or 3 compression strokes. Edited for stubby finger problems
suffer from vapor lock. gas engines but not diesels. Chief Try pulling the stop handle after you have placed the throttle in the wide open position. That resets the fuel rack. my Volvo can be a beast to start sometimes but if I reset the fuel rack I will start on 2 or 3 compression strokes. Edited for stubby finger problems
Starting
Thanks for all of the responses. The engine is a Universal M25XP with just under 1,000 hours. The engine ran great last Monday (2 hours) and ran fine Sunday. I had a battery issue, but at least figured out the culprit last night. This engine has always started, just as it did last night. I mean 10 seconds of glow plugs, then start. The only time it has not started was after I splashed two years back. Over the winter the fuel pump went bad. After replacing it it has run great. I replace my Universal engine mounted filter every season, and the Racor element every other year. I am going to stoop off this morning and try it again. I forgot to listen for the clicking of the fuel pump, and to manually check (at the engine) the stop cable.
Thanks for all of the responses. The engine is a Universal M25XP with just under 1,000 hours. The engine ran great last Monday (2 hours) and ran fine Sunday. I had a battery issue, but at least figured out the culprit last night. This engine has always started, just as it did last night. I mean 10 seconds of glow plugs, then start. The only time it has not started was after I splashed two years back. Over the winter the fuel pump went bad. After replacing it it has run great. I replace my Universal engine mounted filter every season, and the Racor element every other year. I am going to stoop off this morning and try it again. I forgot to listen for the clicking of the fuel pump, and to manually check (at the engine) the stop cable.
Sometimes if one battery has a charge..
and the other is flat dead...the dead battery sucks so much energy from the good battery, when you combine them that there isn't a lot left to start the motor in the "both" position. Replace the bad battery and you'll be fine.
and the other is flat dead...the dead battery sucks so much energy from the good battery, when you combine them that there isn't a lot left to start the motor in the "both" position. Replace the bad battery and you'll be fine.
Another name for it?
Ross I agree but didn't have a better name for it. They definately can have fuel delivery issues if you cycle them on and off again. As it is it looks like he's on the right track.
Ross I agree but didn't have a better name for it. They definately can have fuel delivery issues if you cycle them on and off again. As it is it looks like he's on the right track.
Drained the muffler?
The muffler being on the exhaust side of the engine does not need to be drained. I dont think the engine will siphon water backwards, the exhaust gas would be pushing the water out. You need to shut off the water intake if you have a raw water cooled engine or you will flood the cylinders. Maybe the procedure is different for a closed system.
The muffler being on the exhaust side of the engine does not need to be drained. I dont think the engine will siphon water backwards, the exhaust gas would be pushing the water out. You need to shut off the water intake if you have a raw water cooled engine or you will flood the cylinders. Maybe the procedure is different for a closed system.
Give the engine a shot of starting fluid.
If it runs a bit and stops, you know it's a fuel problem. I know, you already know it's a fuel problem. The engine may start and run. Then you have a mystery, and a running engine.
If it runs a bit and stops, you know it's a fuel problem. I know, you already know it's a fuel problem. The engine may start and run. Then you have a mystery, and a running engine.
Check the simple stuff first
Since the engine cranks it is getting enough juice to fire up the glow plugs. I'd check the stop switch at the engine. Cycle it and try to start her up again before you dive in deeper. The fact that it ran fine and all of a sudden will not start does not sound like fuel or compression problems. It could be the glow plug circuit is not activating due to a fuse or CB. You can check the glow plugs by pressing on the glow plug switch while someone watches the battery voltage. It should show a drop from that much current being applied. If it shows a drop then the glow plug circuit is OK. The odds of all the plugs going bad at the same time is remote so at least a few of the cylinders should fire up even if one glow plug went bad.
Since the engine cranks it is getting enough juice to fire up the glow plugs. I'd check the stop switch at the engine. Cycle it and try to start her up again before you dive in deeper. The fact that it ran fine and all of a sudden will not start does not sound like fuel or compression problems. It could be the glow plug circuit is not activating due to a fuse or CB. You can check the glow plugs by pressing on the glow plug switch while someone watches the battery voltage. It should show a drop from that much current being applied. If it shows a drop then the glow plug circuit is OK. The odds of all the plugs going bad at the same time is remote so at least a few of the cylinders should fire up even if one glow plug went bad.
don't use starter fluid
Ether can damage the engine - better to use WD40 as a starting fluid if you have to but that won't identify the real problem
Ether can damage the engine - better to use WD40 as a starting fluid if you have to but that won't identify the real problem
Engine started
Got home from work, changed clothes and headed down to the boat. I will be out of town for three days, and could not stand to not know what was happening. I turned the key and heard the clicking of the fuel pump, next made sure the stop lever was fully in. I then made sure I had a little throttle advance. Ten seconds on the glow plugs and she started like she always has. I have no idea why she would start perfectly one minute, then refuse to start five minutes latter. This has never happened in 4 years of ownership. I let her run for a good 15 minutes, and even put her under load. Everything ran perfectly. Thanks for all of the feedback. I guess it will remain a mystery.
Got home from work, changed clothes and headed down to the boat. I will be out of town for three days, and could not stand to not know what was happening. I turned the key and heard the clicking of the fuel pump, next made sure the stop lever was fully in. I then made sure I had a little throttle advance. Ten seconds on the glow plugs and she started like she always has. I have no idea why she would start perfectly one minute, then refuse to start five minutes latter. This has never happened in 4 years of ownership. I let her run for a good 15 minutes, and even put her under load. Everything ran perfectly. Thanks for all of the feedback. I guess it will remain a mystery.
Chief, I have a Volvo one banger that was getting
harder and harder to start and went to Boatdiesel.com and posted the question and the answer I got was after you advance the throttle pull and release the stop cable to reset the rack(what ever that means) and then try it. It starts flawlessly everytime now.
harder and harder to start and went to Boatdiesel.com and posted the question and the answer I got was after you advance the throttle pull and release the stop cable to reset the rack(what ever that means) and then try it. It starts flawlessly everytime now.
Full throttle
Chief, I have a Westerbeke 21. The manual says to start the engine with the throttle full open.
Chief, I have a Westerbeke 21. The manual says to start the engine with the throttle full open.
Check the glow plug switch.
You'll find it's either getting worn or corroded. Faulty is what I would call it. It gets used and is exposed to the elements. I'd either, get a back up, or change the way you push it in. It will fail, and this is how it starts failing. Be aware of it. It has happened to me before. My thoughts on that Keep it up, Ctskip
You'll find it's either getting worn or corroded. Faulty is what I would call it. It gets used and is exposed to the elements. I'd either, get a back up, or change the way you push it in. It will fail, and this is how it starts failing. Be aware of it. It has happened to me before. My thoughts on that Keep it up, Ctskip
Flooding
Yes you can flood a diesel. The Admiral does it about every other time she starts the engine because she forgets to heat the glow plugs first. Remedy is to wait a minute, back off on the throttle, heat the plugs for 10 seconds, and turn on the starter. The result will be that it will start with some extra smoke for a minute. If you are holding the glow plug switch for 10 seconds and nothing is happening I would check the connections to the switch, plugs etc. to make sure they are getting power from the battery. As you have undoubtely figured out by now it has nothing to do with your batteries.
Yes you can flood a diesel. The Admiral does it about every other time she starts the engine because she forgets to heat the glow plugs first. Remedy is to wait a minute, back off on the throttle, heat the plugs for 10 seconds, and turn on the starter. The result will be that it will start with some extra smoke for a minute. If you are holding the glow plug switch for 10 seconds and nothing is happening I would check the connections to the switch, plugs etc. to make sure they are getting power from the battery. As you have undoubtely figured out by now it has nothing to do with your batteries.
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