I own a 1985 Catalina 30 tall rig with a Universal diesel. For that past few weeks sometimes when I went to start the engine nothing would happen the first time I pulled the starter. But the engine always started just fine on the second pull. Yesterday nothing happened. When I turned the ignition key it buzzed like always but each time I pulled the starter-nothing, no sound at all. The batteries are fine and when I pulled the panel there were no obvious problems like loose or broken wires. Any ideas?
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J
John Squire
R
Ron Dague
Tracing Starter Probems
Nigel Calder's book will walk you through the trouble shooting process. Your problem can come from numerous sources. Normally, you troubleshoot from least expensive-easiest to fix, to the big ticket solutions. On the lower end of that process, are loose connections, at the expensive end, shorted coils in the starter. I'd check the wires and connections to the starter itself. If they are loose, you could get intermittent starting. Assuming all of the cables from the battery to the starter (I'm referring to the heavy, 4 guage or so, battery cable), try this. Connect a short little jumper wire from any positive supply of power, to that little tab on the starter solenoid. That's right next to where the big battery cable fastens on the starter solenoid, and is where the starter button wires to. (You can also use a big screwdriver, carefully shorting from the positive battery cable post on the solenoid, to that tab. But careful! Lots of amps at that big terminal. Wear protective goggles!) If nothing happens, plan on pulling the starter. You have either a bad solenoid, stuck or warn brushes in the starter, or burned field coils in the starter. If you hear a click, but the starter doesn't turn, you know the solenoid is probably okay. Assuming batteries are in good condition, with good wires, you have narrowed the problem to the starter (brushes and field coils again). If you get nothing but a litte spark when connecting that wire to the starter solenoid connection, figure on removing the starter. Then take it to an alternator/starter rebuild shop, and hope it's only brushes. From the information you have provided, it is really guessing to try and further diagnose your problem right now. But my best "guess", is either stuck or worn brushes, a short in the armature of the starter, or shorted field coils. The intermittent prior starting kind of suggests the brushes answer, but not concusively. It has to come off for any of these repairs anyway. Oh, and rebuilding it should cost well under $100. Finally, if all this trouble shooting sounds like too much of a pain, just remove the starter and take it in to the shop. You should be able to take it off in about 10-15 minutes. They can test it off the boat easily. WARNING: Disconnect battery cables before removing starter or starter cables. Big amps, big sparks, can melt wires and do damage quickly! Good luck. Again, pick up Calder's book!
Nigel Calder's book will walk you through the trouble shooting process. Your problem can come from numerous sources. Normally, you troubleshoot from least expensive-easiest to fix, to the big ticket solutions. On the lower end of that process, are loose connections, at the expensive end, shorted coils in the starter. I'd check the wires and connections to the starter itself. If they are loose, you could get intermittent starting. Assuming all of the cables from the battery to the starter (I'm referring to the heavy, 4 guage or so, battery cable), try this. Connect a short little jumper wire from any positive supply of power, to that little tab on the starter solenoid. That's right next to where the big battery cable fastens on the starter solenoid, and is where the starter button wires to. (You can also use a big screwdriver, carefully shorting from the positive battery cable post on the solenoid, to that tab. But careful! Lots of amps at that big terminal. Wear protective goggles!) If nothing happens, plan on pulling the starter. You have either a bad solenoid, stuck or warn brushes in the starter, or burned field coils in the starter. If you hear a click, but the starter doesn't turn, you know the solenoid is probably okay. Assuming batteries are in good condition, with good wires, you have narrowed the problem to the starter (brushes and field coils again). If you get nothing but a litte spark when connecting that wire to the starter solenoid connection, figure on removing the starter. Then take it to an alternator/starter rebuild shop, and hope it's only brushes. From the information you have provided, it is really guessing to try and further diagnose your problem right now. But my best "guess", is either stuck or worn brushes, a short in the armature of the starter, or shorted field coils. The intermittent prior starting kind of suggests the brushes answer, but not concusively. It has to come off for any of these repairs anyway. Oh, and rebuilding it should cost well under $100. Finally, if all this trouble shooting sounds like too much of a pain, just remove the starter and take it in to the shop. You should be able to take it off in about 10-15 minutes. They can test it off the boat easily. WARNING: Disconnect battery cables before removing starter or starter cables. Big amps, big sparks, can melt wires and do damage quickly! Good luck. Again, pick up Calder's book!
G
Gordon Torresen
No starter
Westerbeke service bulletin #213 gives some basic advice for your problem. Give me a fax number and a copy is yours. The problem is usually in the molded connectors, one near the engine and one near the instrument panel. The connector terminals oxidize ad creat high resistance. Sometimes this resistance creats enough heat to melt the connectors and, in one case that I have seen, start a fire in the wire harness. Another problem that few realize comes from an open fuse in the wire to the solenoid actuating terminal. The place to start is by shunting across the terminals on the starter solinoid. This will help to isolate the problem. If the starter goes when the terminals are shunted, the problem is electrical, somewhere between the wire connection of the smaller wire on the starter battery terminal, on up through the instrument panel and back to the starter actuating terminal. If the starter doesn't crank when shunted, the battery cable connections could be bad, there could be solenoid problems or it may be time for a starter rebuild.
Westerbeke service bulletin #213 gives some basic advice for your problem. Give me a fax number and a copy is yours. The problem is usually in the molded connectors, one near the engine and one near the instrument panel. The connector terminals oxidize ad creat high resistance. Sometimes this resistance creats enough heat to melt the connectors and, in one case that I have seen, start a fire in the wire harness. Another problem that few realize comes from an open fuse in the wire to the solenoid actuating terminal. The place to start is by shunting across the terminals on the starter solinoid. This will help to isolate the problem. If the starter goes when the terminals are shunted, the problem is electrical, somewhere between the wire connection of the smaller wire on the starter battery terminal, on up through the instrument panel and back to the starter actuating terminal. If the starter doesn't crank when shunted, the battery cable connections could be bad, there could be solenoid problems or it may be time for a starter rebuild.
D
Dave Ullrich
Fuses?
Some Universals have a fuse actually on the starter itself. If your's does, check it. I've heard they blow easily.
Some Universals have a fuse actually on the starter itself. If your's does, check it. I've heard they blow easily.
D
Don Peterson
Selinoid 20 amp fuse
1986 Universal Model 18, 20 amp fuse located portside of engine block it protects selinoid/starter. ONLY reference to this was found on elect. schematic in manual.Fellow boater told me about it. Saved me $60 at least.When i removed it, Fell apart, Metal ends fell off, glass still intact.fusable link crumbled.No problem since.
1986 Universal Model 18, 20 amp fuse located portside of engine block it protects selinoid/starter. ONLY reference to this was found on elect. schematic in manual.Fellow boater told me about it. Saved me $60 at least.When i removed it, Fell apart, Metal ends fell off, glass still intact.fusable link crumbled.No problem since.
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