2005 Captiva 212 will not start. Shows low voltage on gauge

jlmartin1964

I put my boat in the water for the first time this season and it would not start.  The voltage gauge shows 10V.  Battery voltage is 13+ and I tried 2 different batteries, one from my truck which is known good.  Both showed the same voltage on the gauge.  All systems are working; blowers, bilge pump, trim, etc.... Starter tried to turn the engine but acted, as expected, as if it did not have enough voltage.  Also heard a loud clunk on the first couple tries, which I assumed was the solenoid engaging.  Also, felt the starter and it was VERY hot!

I removed the starter assembly and bench tested it with the same batteries.  The solenoid kicks in and the motor spins as expected.  I have not had it load tested.  I also verified the fuse at the starter was still in tact.

I plan on getting in there today with a multimeter to try and find the cause of the voltage drop.  I'm assuming it is somewhere in the secondary power circuit driving the starter solenoid.  A wiring diagram would be of great benefit but I cannot find one.

I appreciate any advice and guidance.

Jim

raybo3

Jim when you get your meter check the voltage at the gauge and make sure its reading correct. The starter being very hot could be a few things. 1 a bad connection at the starter. 2 something drawing down the battery 3 maybe the engine has a problem and the starter is working to hard to try and start it. Remember low voltage on the starter causes high current witch causes more heat. Good luck and keep us posted... BTW welcome to the RBOC and if this does not help some one else here will. 

jlmartin1964

Thanks raybo3!  I'll start at the gauge.  If it is reading properly, I'll work my way back from the ignition switch to the engine bay.  I'll also check the connections for the starter and solenoid, though they looked good when I removed the components.

And thanks for the welcome!  It is always great to know you are not alone.

jlmartin1964

It just got much more interesting.  I performed point to point checks on the electrical system.  Turns out my gauge is reading a bit low.  I measured 12.6V at the connector but only 11.5 on the gauge.

So I pulled the plugs and they were wet!  The cylinder heads were full of what appears to be RV type antifreeze; reddish in color.  Since the boat has not been run since it was winterized last year, I can only think the person who performed the work did something incorrectly.  Once the plugs were out, I was able to turn the motor over as normal.  I cleaned and dried the plugs and sprayed inside the cylinders with fogging oil.  I live in a townhouse, so I do not have the ability to hook a water supply to the boat to run it, so I'll have to take it to the lake to see if it will start up.

How could this have happened?  Is there anything else I should check before trying to start the boat?

One thing is for sure, I will not let someone touch my boat again!

ScottK

Check your oil to see if it is overfull could be a broken block

Black_Diamond

That's a bad sign. Either some 100% clueless person filled/backfilled through the exhaust or intake ...or it was not winerized properly and it froze/cracked the heads / block. Did you crank them with all the plugs removed to blow out the water?

jlmartin1964

Thanks for the feedback.  The engine only has 150 hours on it.  The manifolds and all other components still look like new.

I pulled the plugs and cranked the engine by jumping the start solenoid next to the circuit breaker.  Then I sprayed lubricant into the cylinders, then cranked again.  Finally, I installed the plugs and verified it still cranked.

I checked the oil but did not see traces of water.  The boat is sitting at a steep angle to ensure drainage from the hull.  However, the water could very well be sitting under the oil.  Regardless, I'll be changing the oil today.  Probably should do a compression check, too.

The person who winterized it was a Raleigh/Durham local who performs mobile winterization services.  I thought the guy was a bit clueless, as he didn't realize you could drain the water by turning the blue knob.  But I have never personally performed the winterization process, so I trusted him.  I know he dumped a gallon on RV Antifreeze in each side of the engine.

With all the information available, I feel stupid for not performing this process on my own.  That will never happen again.  I'm a solid auto mechanic but was hesitant about boats.  Not so much now.

I just hope the damage is not too severe.  Otherwise, it is a very expensive lesson.

jlmartin1964

To finally end this saga....

The crankcase did have water in it.  Everything was drained, then new oil and filter.  Took her out on the lake last night since I do not have the ability to run her on dry land.  It took a bit but she finally started!!  We idled..roughly...for a bit, then gently began raising the rpms while staring at the temperature and oil pressure gauges.  Fortunately, both remained normal.  We enjoyed her for a couple hours and caught the last of a gorgeous holiday weekend here in Raleigh.

Thanks to everyone for their input and guidance.

Glassguy54

With the engine hydro locked, very lucky not to have bent con or push rods!!!