Rinker 310 engine help!!!

Tex68

Ok I'll try and be brief. Put the boat in the water at the ramp after having charged (or so I thought) for 2 days. House battery was good but when to. Crank the engines and lots of flickering lights and bells, Vessel view flickers on and off. I did not have a warm fuzzy feeling. After trying multiple battery options including the emergency parallel switch I had "no joy". Got a boater to help me get a jump. Hooked cables up to port engine battery 1st and after a little charging got the engine to turn over and start. Then switched the cables over to starbarded engine battery to do the same for that one. I inadvertently turn the igntiIon off on the port engine killing it, went ahead and started the starboard engine with the jump, then switch the cables back to the port battery to try and jump,it again but this time I got nothing. At this point I'd taken up enough of the kind persons time so I let them go thinking I could just letting this run and hopefully charge the port engine battery. Ok this is turning out not to be brief, sorry. Anyway I pulled backed away from the dock on one engine and as soon as I put it in gear to move forward it stalled. Filnally got the local Marne to come out and they brought me 2 new batteries which is switched out (swearing and sweating was involved). Fingers cross

Michael T

@Texd68...how old were the batteries, are your cables in good shape - pliable, no cracks, no signs of corrosion? Battery charger was checked?

aero3113

Check your cables! These were mine at the beginning of last season. They were extra long so I was able to cut them back a foot or so to clean copper. I used a hydraulic crimper to install new ends and used weather proof heat shrink with a sealant in them that seals when heated up with the heat gun. Took care of a couple of gremlins that were running around! First pic was new with the old, the middle pic is the cable that went to the starter!

Michael T

@aero3113 - good call. Good too that you cut back cables a foot or so because once the corrosion starts the electricity in the cable draws it along the whole cable. That's why I like "tinned" marine cables - they help keep corrosion down!

Tex68

There is a bit of corrosion on the cables but not anything like your post. The batteries were probably the original so 5 years old. Not sure why vessel view would say critical communication error. I'm getting lights to throttle and all the electrical seems to work it's just when I go to crank it nothing happens. 

Tex68

 so got the Port engine started,  but had to start it at the relay as it wouldn't turn the engine on with the key.  It started right up and ran great. Then I went to put it in gear and nothing happened. The local mechanic thinks that's why the engine didn't start from the key because the computer is telling the engine it's not a neutral. That makes sense but now how do we correct it?  Any help from you guys would be grateful if you've experienced something like this or are aware of how to resolve it. thank you 

zaverin1

Check safety neutral switches