Yanmar electrical problem.
- Thread starter DStegs49
- Start date
I believe AO is alternator output. I have 4 trojans deep cycle batteries and a start battery separate from them. The start battery is kept charged by an acr(automatic charging relay) from the house bank. I have also connected the isolation feature of the acr to the start battery, this ensures that when I engage my starter it's energy only comes from the start battery. If I have my electronics on (house bank) before I start the engine, the isolation feature prevents house bank voltage drop that may cause the electronics to drop out or damage them due to voltage fluctuations. It works for me as it's easy to implement. Never have to switch the battery switch or wonder if I have left it in 1 or 2. Just my solution.
I started the new wiring run on Saturday, and finished up the inside part (fished 2 wires in a loom from the engine bay under the aft berth, and hooked them up with ring terminals to the starter), but it was pouring rain all weekend, so the outside panel part had to wait until today. This morning, I removed the engine panel again out in the cockpit
and ran a fish tape down to the nether regions of the boat. This part was harder than I might have liked, but eventually I spotted the fish tape from below (standing on my head in the aft berth, with a flashlight) and managed to hook it with a boat hook. It was probably 4 feet from where a human could get their hand on it. If I had it to do over, I'd bring a couple of coat hangers. Once I hooked the fish tape, it was pretty straightforward. Crimp the proper size ring terminals on the red and white wires and hook them up. Anyway, I put it all back together, and the engine started 4 times in a row. Of course, this isn't the real test. That will come this weekend on my Fall cruise.
As I mentioned, for many years, the engine has been starting fine at the dock, but starting on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd try after sailing. Lately, it's been on the 4th try sometimes, which has gotten more worrisome. But the only way to confirm you've fixed an intermittent problem is to wait and see how it goes. This is one of the more extensively documented common Yanmar problems, though, so I'm 99% sure that this is a permanent fix.
and ran a fish tape down to the nether regions of the boat. This part was harder than I might have liked, but eventually I spotted the fish tape from below (standing on my head in the aft berth, with a flashlight) and managed to hook it with a boat hook. It was probably 4 feet from where a human could get their hand on it. If I had it to do over, I'd bring a couple of coat hangers. Once I hooked the fish tape, it was pretty straightforward. Crimp the proper size ring terminals on the red and white wires and hook them up. Anyway, I put it all back together, and the engine started 4 times in a row. Of course, this isn't the real test. That will come this weekend on my Fall cruise.
As I mentioned, for many years, the engine has been starting fine at the dock, but starting on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd try after sailing. Lately, it's been on the 4th try sometimes, which has gotten more worrisome. But the only way to confirm you've fixed an intermittent problem is to wait and see how it goes. This is one of the more extensively documented common Yanmar problems, though, so I'm 99% sure that this is a permanent fix.
A few observations. First, given the risk of fire on a boat, this seems to really require a lot of care compared to house wiring or fixing the dryer or riding mower. I bought a couple of spools of Ancor 10 AWG marine tinned wire (red and white), a kit of adhesive lined heat-shrink crimp ring terminals, and a pack of cheap "weather proof" inline fuse holders with 10 AWG tinned wire, with fuses. I already had a kit of adhesive lined heat-shrink butt connectors, and the cheaper of the 2 crimpers recommended by Maine Sail on his site. I was able to find the red wire in a 25 foot spool, but couldn't find this length in white to save my life, so I ended up buying 100 feet of white. I suppose I could have used the wrong color, but I wanted to do it right to keep it consistent with the wiring diagram. This seems to require care closer to what you'd do in an aircraft than in a lawn mower.
On a slightly amusing note, this morning, I was starting with wire loom and 2 wires coming up from under the aft berth, and I had to guesstimate the length needed to reach way up into inaccessible spaces, ending up at the panel in the cockpit. I used a tape measure and estimated that it would be about another 8 feet. So I cut the wire and loom to 10 feet extra, connected it to the fish tape, and pulled it through to the cockpit where the panel was. The 10 foot length was just about perfect, so I was 2 feet off in my estimate. <whew!!!> Close call...
On a slightly amusing note, this morning, I was starting with wire loom and 2 wires coming up from under the aft berth, and I had to guesstimate the length needed to reach way up into inaccessible spaces, ending up at the panel in the cockpit. I used a tape measure and estimated that it would be about another 8 feet. So I cut the wire and loom to 10 feet extra, connected it to the fish tape, and pulled it through to the cockpit where the panel was. The 10 foot length was just about perfect, so I was 2 feet off in my estimate. <whew!!!> Close call...
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