Boat won't start.

[Laurie Booth]

All fixed now thanks to 16csvt

 

 

[Guest]

All fixed now thanks to 16csvt

 

 

Glad you are sorted. What was the problem?

[Laurie Booth]

Glad you are sorted. What was the problem?

Thanks, 16csvt said he will post a message explaining the problem.

 

[Chris Davidson]

Good news, glad you have it sorted.

Thumbs up to 16csvt.

[Jrtm]

Battery drain my sound of it

[WotEver]

Thanks, 16csvt said he will post a message explaining the problem.

 

Did he say which month?

[16csvt]

I didn't even say which year!

 

Got it sorted. Re-proved the eating of the pudding before I left him yesterday.

He should now be able to make his forthcoming trip hopefully without further ado.

Indeed, I think he would now be able to make Plymouth (if so ordered).

 

Been doing family stuff Monday PM, then a move north. then work....etc.

Need to retire. Can't do with work getting in the way any more.

 

Do the forumeers want to conduct a Q&A to trace the cause (which may perhaps be of use to someone in the future with a similar issue), or do folks just want the bottom line? (If you really can't wait, PM for the bottom line).

Although I've only done hire boating so far, so have not previously attended such a problem on a boat, I've seen this fault a number of times on all manner of equipments, devices and vehicles. I confess it did catch me out the very first time (many years ago).

Some of the previous posts were not far away, one was bang on, but it's also the finding out WHERE it is occuring.

 

Now, it was resolved fairly promptly, on a bank holiday afternoon. From that, one can conclude we / I / he did not need to go shopping.

Laurrie had measured the batt volts, and the Fluke agreed with his readings (or thereabouts). We are both still walking and talking, so did not do ourselves a mischief having to wheel any batteries to a charge point.

Dare we assume that anyone chasing such a problem would have access to an inexpensive battery powered voltmeter (Beg, Borrow, Buy, St..).

 

Carrie has three batteries, START, DOM1 and DOM2. The negatives are all strapped together with good thick wires, with proper ends on.

DOM1 & 2 have a good thick strap with proper ends on putting them in parallel. All the nuts / bolts are nipped up just nicely, none slack, none on the verge of stripping.

Domestic did not show any noticeable problems or symptoms.

ALL the cables were / are in the right place.

Turn the key, and the (pre engaged type) starter goes CLUNK, normally just the once, letting go (KNULC??) when the key is released. No WHIRR. not a sniff.

Occasionally clunk a clunck a clunk a cl.... untill the key is released.

 

With the negative (black) test lead wedged in the START batt negative connector, and the positive lead firmly touching the START batt +ve terminal, make a long arm and operate the start switch. CLUNK. An observed of 11.8 would be typical for this fault. Release the key.

Leaving the black probe still wedged in the -ve post, which connection point would the assembled hordes wish to check / test next. I did not say where do you want me to put it next. The replies might differ from the answer sought

 

REgards

 

16csvt.

[Laurie Booth]

 

 

I'd overlooked your comment that initially the engine started fine once, after fitting the new battery.

 

The 4v reading is a helpful indicator. It tells us that the voltage going to the voltmeter is 4v and this is likely to be the same voltage as is arriving at the starter motor. It doesn't help narrow down the fault - other than to say it MUST be a failed new battery or a poor connection so we can proably rule out a faulty stater motor. 4v at the starter motor would give exactly the symptoms you describe.

 

I bet the volt meter didn't read 4v the one time the engine started, but I doubt you were looking at it.

 

My money is still on a poor battery connection.

Mike I'm trying to send you a message.

[MtB]

Mike I'm trying to send you a message.

 

 

Dammit is my inbox full AGAIN???!!!

 

I'll clear it out. You'd think in this day and age the forum software could afford more than a few hundred kilobytes of PM data space.

Reminds me of the days when a mobile phone would have space for only 100 phone numbers in the 'contacts' memory.

[Tony Brooks]

As for me I think it s rather poor that Laurie will not tell us outright what the problem turned out to be. I have wasted enough time on this trying to help him and have no wish to waste more playing guessing games. I would not be so bad if we now got the voltage readings I asked for in the long reply giving a fault finding sequence, but no, we are expected to play guessing games.

 

 

[WotEver]

I have no desire to play games. Tell us what the problem is or don't. If you do then it may help future boaters, if you don't then we'll move on.

 

Tony

[Tony Brooks]

I have no desire to play games. Tell us what the problem is or don't. If you do then it may help future boaters, if you don't then we'll move on.

 

Tony

 

I suspect Laurie inadvertently lead us up the garden path by not telling us he only changed his domestic batteries. From what Aide6 seems to be implying there was a dirty engine battery post and that is usually corrosion, not something you get on a new battery.

 

I think Laurie is risking getting ignored by those who can help him next time he asks for help.

[WotEver]

Or a dirty isolator.

 

Tony

[bizzard]

Or the 16CSV chap doesn't know what the cause was, he might just have happened to be fiddling around with things and it started to work. On the other hand Laurie' thread title said that it was the boat that wouldn't start not the engine, perhaps it was still tied to the bank.

Edited August 31, 2016 by bizzard

[Murflynn]

I didn't even say which year!

 

Got it sorted. Re-proved the eating of the pudding before I left him yesterday.

He should now be able to make his forthcoming trip hopefully without further ado.

Indeed, I think he would now be able to make Plymouth (if so ordered).

 

Been doing family stuff Monday PM, then a move north. then work....etc.

Need to retire. Can't do with work getting in the way any more.

 

Do the forumeers want to conduct a Q&A to trace the cause (which may perhaps be of use to someone in the future with a similar issue), or do folks just want the bottom line? (If you really can't wait, PM for the bottom line).

Although I've only done hire boating so far, so have not previously attended such a problem on a boat, I've seen this fault a number of times on all manner of equipments, devices and vehicles. I confess it did catch me out the very first time (many years ago).

Some of the previous posts were not far away, one was bang on, but it's also the finding out WHERE it is occuring.

 

Now, it was resolved fairly promptly, on a bank holiday afternoon. From that, one can conclude we / I / he did not need to go shopping.

Laurrie had measured the batt volts, and the Fluke agreed with his readings (or thereabouts). We are both still walking and talking, so did not do ourselves a mischief having to wheel any batteries to a charge point.

Dare we assume that anyone chasing such a problem would have access to an inexpensive battery powered voltmeter (Beg, Borrow, Buy, St..).

 

Carrie has three batteries, START, DOM1 and DOM2. The negatives are all strapped together with good thick wires, with proper ends on.

DOM1 & 2 have a good thick strap with proper ends on putting them in parallel. All the nuts / bolts are nipped up just nicely, none slack, none on the verge of stripping.

Domestic did not show any noticeable problems or symptoms.

ALL the cables were / are in the right place.

Turn the key, and the (pre engaged type) starter goes CLUNK, normally just the once, letting go (KNULC??) when the key is released. No WHIRR. not a sniff.

Occasionally clunk a clunck a clunk a cl.... untill the key is released.

 

With the negative (black) test lead wedged in the START batt negative connector, and the positive lead firmly touching the START batt +ve terminal, make a long arm and operate the start switch. CLUNK. An observed of 11.8 would be typical for this fault. Release the key.

Leaving the black probe still wedged in the -ve post, which connection point would the assembled hordes wish to check / test next. I did not say where do you want me to put it next. The replies might differ from the answer sought

 

REgards

 

16csvt.

well that was really helpful.

 

you wasted spent several minutes typing that but didn't bother to close it out.

[MtB]

well that was really helpful.

 

you wasted spent several minutes typing that but didn't bother to close it out.

 

 

I think 16csvt was hoping people would post their ideas about what happened next, and he would say who was right. As entertainment.

 

Trouble is, it doesn't seem to be working, peeps just want to see the answer posted.

 

As it happens I have been in PM with Laurrie about this too and as board members are getting miffed now, I feel I should disclose the fault was 4v on the starter motor terminals during attempted cranking. The fault vanished when the battery terminals were cleaned. More puzzlingly though, it was cleaning the negative terminal on one of the domestic batteries that fixed it, so possibly the root of the problem was not fully established. I cannot imagine how a poor connection to a domestic battery could cause this fault unless there is quite a lot of unconventional wiring in Clarrie!

 

Hope you don't mind me posting this Laurrie!

 

So now you know.

[Paul C]

16csvt just post what the issue was, it will keep the thread reasonably-sized and be semi-useful to others with a similar issue.

[WotEver]

 

... I feel I should disclose the fault was 4v on the starter motor terminals during attempted cranking. The fault vanished when the battery terminals were cleaned. More puzzlingly though, it was cleaning the negative terminal on one of the domestic batteries that fixed it, so possibly quite definitely the root of the problem was not fully established...

I've corrected your post Mike.

 

Nothing even remotely surprising in the findings then - a poor connection 'somewhere' which (for the moment at least) has been improved. Which is what most of us were saying right from post #2.

[dmr]

Its obvious, once somebody turned up without having had several pints of beer the night before the engine started. Laurie was not turning the key correctly.

Laurie, we are in Stoke on Trent now and will be in Brum by late September, will our paths be crossing???

 

..............Dave

[Laurie Booth]

 

 

I think 16csvt was hoping people would post their ideas about what happened next, and he would say who was right. As entertainment.

 

Trouble is, it doesn't seem to be working, peeps just want to see the answer posted.

 

 

 

Mike is correct that 16csvt wanted a discussion and sadly it has misfired.

I can assure you all that 16csvt (Kevin) is a fantastic chap.

Here is my version of what happened.

 

Kevin (16csvt) first of all took a jump lead and put it straight to the starter motor. It started straight away, thus proving the starter motor was OK. He then tested the voltage going to the starter and it was 4 volt. With his test meter he traced it back to the batteries. He worked out that the negative on the first domestic was faulty. He took it off and cleaned it. It was then reassembled and the starter motor worked and Clarrie was fixed.

[Paul C]

.....as suggested in post 3, 4, 5, 6, 18, 30 etc

[zenataomm]

Good oh!

Double success, Clarrie's mended and many of us got it right.

 

I guess Laurie's lack of spannering background wouldn't have led him to realise that detailing exactly which batteries had been replaced could narrow things down a bit further. Likewise whether any of the batteries were isolated from each other.

 

Well done Kevin(16csvt) for rallying to assist.

 

In order to try and help others in advance of similar problems; here's my overvalued twopenny worth.

 

If something suddenly and surprisingly stops working after you've recently done something (no matter how remotely connected *pun*) always go back to the last thing you did and recheck it/do it again.

 

Just because two pieces of highly conductive metal are in tight contact it doesn't mean all the electricity entering one piece will automatically pass to the other. You could rely on godliness, I prefer cleanliness.

 

Never trust spade terminals and feel confident at shouting "Liar" at crocodile clips. They were sent here to confuse and confound.

Don't believe what you see written on the side of "Made in China" battery boosters, after all I've seen buses with Bisto written on the side, but there was none to be found.

 

Well done everyone, learning curves levelled for some and self congratulatory pats on the back to others.

Which reminds me about the Irish man who lost his flat cap while crossing a field of cows. He ended up with several pats on the back after trying on eight that he found.

 

 

[Laurie Booth]

.....as suggested in post 3, 4, 5, 6, 18, 30 etc

Well done all

[Laurie Booth]

Its obvious, once somebody turned up without having had several pints of beer the night before the engine started. Laurie was not turning the key correctly.

Laurie, we are in Stoke on Trent now and will be in Brum by late September, will our paths be crossing???

 

..............Dave

Hi Dave,

 

Now thanks to all on this forum and Kevin for giving up his Bank Holiday Monday, we hope to set sail towards the Maccy canal on Friday. We will be going via Penkridge etc. so in theory we should meet Is Goliath about? We'd love to meet up with you all again and tell tales of daring during the BCN 24 hour challenge.

[Murflynn]

am I right in thinking that Laurie is using his domestic battery for starting?

 

mystery is not quite solved until we get the answer.