Startboard engine will not crank - 2001 Proline 29 walk w/350's

[b12ptr]

Hello:

Have an issue w/my engine. Recently I replaced the engine starter relay on the startboard engine. Not sure what happened but since then the engine will not crank. Checked every fuse I could find but no luck. Last weekend, I connected a wire from the battery to one of the bus bar's under the steering wheel and was able to crank the engine and start. But without the jump, it will not crank.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. The issue is only with the startboard engine. Port engine works fine.

Thanks.

[a7ewizard]

I assume you have separate starting batteries for L and R?? Is there a feeder fuse or CB running between that battery and the start switch? Can you cross over the left or house battery to start the R engine?

If there is an open in either the ground or hot on that battery feed, I would think other gages or instruments would not jump when the key is switched from the off position.

Check for corrosion in that batteries leads. You may not be getting the required voltage to crank the engine. Maybe an amperage spike (because of low volts) caused you starter relay issue.

[b12ptr]

Thanks for getting back to me.

I checked the batteries and both are good (L & R). They are also on the switch and i have both turned on. I do recall, i dont get any gages on starboard. But port works fine. I am completely stumped.

I will be back at the boat this weekend and will redo the wires on the battery and try again. Will also swap the battery selector switch.

If I connect battery hot wire to the buss bar under the steering, I am able to start the engine. Which I think is bypassing the circuit causing the issue.

[C-Lark III]

Thanks for getting back to me.

I checked the batteries and both are good (L & R). They are also on the switch and i have both turned on. I do recall, i dont get any gages on starboard. But port works fine. I am completely stumped.

I will be back at the boat this weekend and will redo the wires on the battery and try again. Will also swap the battery selector switch.

If I connect battery hot wire to the buss bar under the steering, I am able to start the engine. Which I think is bypassing the circuit causing the issue.

Check for a relay somewhere on the engine.  Typically there is a wiring harness that comes together on the engine.  The plug on the end of the wiring harness may plug into a relay, which sends current to the starter solenoid when you turn the key to "start".  My boat is wired that way, and I just replaced a bad relay today, when my engine wouldn't start.  I have diesel engines, so yours may be wired differently, but I'd trace the bundle of wires that go back to your engine, and see if there is a relay there somewhere.  (There is a "black box" mounted on a bracket on top of my engines, near the rear of the engine.  My wiring harness goes into that box, and plugs into a relay).
 

[C-Lark III]

Thanks for getting back to me.

I checked the batteries and both are good (L & R). They are also on the switch and i have both turned on. I do recall, i dont get any gages on starboard. But port works fine. I am completely stumped.

I will be back at the boat this weekend and will redo the wires on the battery and try again. Will also swap the battery selector switch.

If I connect battery hot wire to the buss bar under the steering, I am able to start the engine. Which I think is bypassing the circuit causing the issue.

Check for a relay somewhere on the engine.  Typically there is a wiring harness that comes together on the engine.  The plug on the end of the wiring harness may plug into a relay, which sends current to the starter solenoid when you turn the key to "start".  My boat is wired that way, and I just replaced a bad relay today, when my engine wouldn't start.  I have diesel engines, so yours may be wired differently, but I'd trace the bundle of wires that go back to your engine, and see if there is a relay there somewhere.  (There is a "black box" mounted on a bracket on top of my engines, near the rear of the engine.  My wiring harness goes into that box, and plugs into a relay).  On mine, there is also a push button "reset", which I think is basically a circuit breaker.  If you find one of those, push it.
 

[b12ptr]

thanks much for the suggestion, i will give it a go next weekend.

[justjon]

Also try swapping key switch---just a thought

[b12ptr]

well we finally figured out... on Mercruisers 5.7 w/Bravo III's there is a 30-300 amp fuse on the engine starter solenoid not to be confused with the relay next to the circuit breaker near the carburetors. when we by passed the fuse we were back up and running. Being familiar to  small block chevy in a car/truck configuration, i never saw one in there. it was very hard for my son to reach being the starboard motor.

We did try replacing with another fuse but i have a feeling that fuse was also bad hence we left it bypassed for now. btw the Mercruiser factory manual came in very helpful for the wiring diagrams..

will be checking w/the manufacture on that one. well we are back up now... just in time the haul the boat

Next on the list is the starboard fuel Gage... not working anymore :-(

thanks all for your help, much appreciate it.

[231CALIFORNIA]

STBD FUEL GUAGE.
if you have 2 you can swap tank leads to senders or jumper if they wont reach.
guage problems with fuel guage are often 1) high resitance via corrosion  or open connection at sender or ground,or other bad wiring 2) bad sending unit3)bad guage.

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