Electrical Mystery (No power at dash/Won't Start)

[rhavey79]

This has happened a couple times this year and got me good 10 miles from the ramp today. 2001 SunKicker 310 HP Indmar 350 ran fine for 4 hours then parked to swim after lunch. 1 hour later turn the key and no power at dash. Check battery cable connections for corrosion, checked kill switch that was just replaced last year, wiggled canon plug ( I think it was the canon plug). Boat has dual battery setup and did have a loose wire on the back of the perko switch that I tightened last weekend. Tow boat US got me for $210 to get me to a boat ramp 1/2 mile away. Went and got the truck and loaded the Bu on the trailer and pulled it 10 miles back to marina. Put key in ignition and of course I have full power back and boat runs fine. We were down for 3 hours today and then it mysteriously starts working. Any ideas on other things I could check? Has to be a loose connection somewhere...Thanks in advance this forum has gotten me out of several jams already.

[Slurpee]

Check the connection on the breaker for the dash/ignition? Check the battery connection to the breaker panel? Check all the connections to the ground block?

That's all i have. It screams loose connection.

[shawndoggy]

no power at dash but would the boat crank when you turn the key?

[Pistol Pete]

I'm guessing bad lanyard switch even though it's only a year old.

[shawndoggy]

I'm guessing bad lanyard switch even though it's only a year old.

me too. Or lanyard not properly seated. Mine has done that before even when it looks like it's plugged in.

[Pistol Pete]

Time to upgrade to the "lanyard-less" safety switch.

[rhavey79]

Couldn't get a beep from ignition or single evidence of power anywhere in the dash. All gauges were frozen in place where I last turned the key off. Temp fuel tach volt still showing frozen readings. Would not crank either. Tried everything around the kill switch possible yesterday on the water. Taking it back out today with a multi-meter in case it happens again. Thanks for the suggestions I will check some of these out today.

[shawndoggy]

Ah... Well if it wouldn't crank we can rule out the lanyard...

[SmoothWaterMan]

Take a look at the screws on the back of the ignition breaker. You may find that the one holding the bus bar to the breaker is loose.

Peter

[Pistol Pete]

Then, get yourself the book in my signature.

[rhavey79]

Latest update: Launched yesterday morning and started right up. Pulled 10 ft from ramp and turned it off to test for trouble. Again, no power to dash, no beeps no guages. Swam back to dock and started to mess with the Perko switch on dual battery setup. After clicking switch to all positions multiple times I regained power at the dash. I went ahead and put a new Perko switch in yesterday morning to be safe.

Now that I think about it, I definitely should have included events from a month ago in original post: Ran stereo in boat hard one afternoon while surfing and smelled something burning from compartment behind observers seat. Opened hatch to find one of the 30 amp fuse holders on one of my batteries that goes to one of my two stereo amp smoking and melting. Turns out the main positive (center wire) on the back of the Perko was not tightly crimpled at loop connecter on Perko. I crimped it tighter and replaced fuse holder and fuse going to amp the next day. Boat ran great the following weekend. Stereo guy says the amp was starving for power which caused the wire/fuse holder to overheat and melt.

My question: With this loose connecter on main postive wire going to the rest of the boat being loose that day and running the boat for an extended period of time, could this have caused any damage to any other electronics which are now resulting in my intermittent no power at the dash issue? Maybe fried the ignition switch, kill switch, MDC or ECM?

[rhavey79]

Bingo! Loose connector on the back of the ingition breaker!! Thanks Peter!

Take a look at the screws on the back of the ignition breaker. You may find that the one holding the bus bar to the breaker is loose.

Peter

[tvano]

Bingo! Loose connector on the back of the ingition breaker!! Thanks Peter!

that sounds worth adding to that no start trouble-shooting document! good stuff.

updated.

Edited August 13, 2011 by tvano

[robtr8]

Splashed the boat Saturday 6am, no guages no start. Recovered the boat and drag it back to the house (3 blocks, no biggie). Guages work fine. Popped the breaker panel off and checked the screws, every one EXCEPT the Ign/horn were loose. Worked on the stereo/batteries all afternoon. Splashed the boat Sunday 6am, no guages. Pulled on the kill switch and the guages sprang to life.

Edited August 28, 2011 by robtr8

[Christopher]

I have a mercury 357 4v I installed my fully charged batteries and went to turn on the battery and I have no power . The tilt works . All wires are good . Is there a fuse or a switch that I should look for ? 

[tvano]

13 hours ago, Christopher said:

I have a mercury 357 4v I installed my fully charged batteries and went to turn on the battery and I have no power . The tilt works . All wires are good . Is there a fuse or a switch that I should look for ? 

safety lanyard?

first splash of the season? run thru your lay-up document/steps performed and make sure you have un-winterised.

take a look at this troubleshooting document

[Tony111]

I have a 2002 motorhome that has full power every place except to the dashboard and the lights don't come on in the flashers don't come on I've checked every fuse and every solenoid and can't figure it out any suggestions