Gear lube cap went missing on trip, now have intermittent total electric cutout

270FVFamily · April 2021

1st trip of the year went awry right off. Due ultimately to carelessness, topped off the gear lube resv with power steering fluid, ugh, realized the mistake before starting the boat. Sucked everything out of the resv and refilled with proper gear lube. Seemed to start and run ok, went out in good weather/forecast and within the hour was in a storm. During all of that had problems with the boat starting and running and it seems to align with the cap somehow having come off. We took it slow back to the marina but I revved it up to about 3k once and everything seemed to shut off electric-wise for just a second. Lowered RPMs and ran ok back to the marina.

Came back yesterday and while checking engine noticed the cap was gone and gear lube reservoir nearly empty, lube everywhere. Refilled the resv, found a cap to use temporarily, engine started for about 30 seconds but I shut it off and then wouldn't start again. Have ordered correct cap.

Now I may or may not have power at the helm to start the boat, no blower, no starter, no lights... and have discovered that power is out throughout the ENTIRE boat, no galley pump, no interior lights, dead dash, etc. Switching batteries doesn't help, NO popped breakers, no obvious loose wires, just an entirely dead boat. Then, wait around 30 minutes or so and it seems to be back, but unreliable. New batteries 2019.

Not even sure where to start, any ideas?? TYIA!

skennelly · April 2021

Sure seems like dead batteries to me...if they came back after 30 minutes. Were they on the charger when they came back? Check connections, grounds ect...

270FVFamily · April 2021

Not dead batteries, no charger and would boat would come back to life fully charged it seems. Run everything, turn engine over fairly strongly. Sometimes the power comes back within seconds, is totally intermittent. Could be a short or some safety switch going out, thought I might be able to narrow it down since it kills the whole boat when it happens.

270FVFamily · April 2021

This is a 2004 270 FV with a single 350 mag. Hooked into shore power I can still use all the AC appliances but will still have dead 12v (no lights, etc.) until it decides to come back on.

skennelly · April 2021

My vote is you have a bad connection somewhere. Lose grounds... something.

LaRea · April 2021

Check for loose and/or corroded terminals on the battery cables. You said changing batteries doesn't help, but maybe the batteries aren't wired in the standard configuration.

davidbrooks · April 2021

I am definitely agreeing with the votes here that there is a ground issue somewhere. I would start with all the major grounds. Battery to fuse blocks then to engine. As to the missing gear oil cap....they don't just pop off and to have it completely missing from the engine compartment? Any chance someone was messing around in your boat? I would be a bit paranoid after something like that.