2002 Wakesetter LSV 23 Start issues

[jroos]

Sorry if this is going to be a bit long but I want to paint a good picture of what happened in hopes that I can get it resolved...

Bought the boat 2 weeks ago, and have used it about 5 times ( different days). It performed well other than on my 4th time out my rear ballasts weren’t emptying anymore. I realized this after trying to switch the tank that was full to allow a rider to surf on the other side. Needless to say after I got it home and shop-vacd out the tanks, I took the pump cartridges off each side and found that they had seized up and were rusted and cracked... Probably from a failed winterization... Anyway... I ordered some new pump cartridges and left the electrical wires hanging with some new butt connectors attached to one end while I waited for the new pump cartridges to arrive.

Also I don’t know if it is related to any of the rest of this story but when I was pulling my boat out of the water on trip #4 I was doing it all myself and forgot to turn off the boat until I had it out of the water...(about 1 min of run time out of the water)<-- this is embarrassing to admit because I know better. Hopefully my impeller is still ok.

The next day I took it out again without the rear pumps to just pull my kids on a tube and do a bit of wakeboarding. (Yes I realize that if the rear tanks got turned on to fill up... it would have flooded my boat. so I was real careful to make sure those didn’t get turned on). I noticed on that day, each time I would start my boat it would crank more slowly each time, until finally the last time I tried to start it, it wouldn’t start at all... after letting it sit for about 15 min off, I tried to start it again and it started up... though it was very slowly cranking.

I figured it would be a bad battery so I got it home that night and then the next day went out to put a charger on the battery. As soon as I put on charger, it told me the battery was full and that it couldn’t charge it anymore.

One other thing to note is that during trip 4 the boat was shut off and started about 5 times in about 4 hours of use. The center ballast tank was emptied and filled twice.

I am not a mechanic and was worried that there might be something wrong with my engine. I think this might be an electrical issue but wanted to get everyone's advice on what I should do before I take it out on the lake next.

[me_ski]

I have the same boat but I've never had your issue. It sure seems like a battery issue. I'd make sure the battery cables/posts are clean and connection is tight. I'm not sure how you determined the battery was charged as soon as you put it on the charger. I'd check across the posts with a multi-meter for 12.6 volts. If that checks out, I'd consider having it load tested at an auto parts store. Best to rule out the easy things first.

By the way, if you are going to get into Wakesurfing you are going to want more ballast. There are numerous posts on our boats. I pulled the rear tanks and put in 1100 pound fat sacs, 400 pound fat sacs under each rear seat and then use a 400 pound on top of bow seat, along with wedge down. I get a great wake for surfing. I switched prop to to Acme 1235 and pulls great but lost cruising speed.

[Bradley Thornton]

+1 on fully testing the battery. Next I would check the wiring for corrosion. Next the starter take it off and have it tested at the parts house from what you are saying I really think it maybe a weak starter. Also change that impeller over the winter don't chance it.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Bradley Thornton

[EchelonMike]

I would replace the impeller for sure - a stock rubber impeller won't last long without a water supply.

I would start with a battery test and hope that you did not damage any internals running an already hot engine without any cooling water flowing!

Keep us updated!

[jroos]

Thanks me_ski! I will look into changing those out... though I will probably wait until the spring now.

OK, here is an update.

I took the boat out again with my friend, and he brought 2 more marine deep cycle batteries. The boat started with the original battery fine when I just put in the water. I then drove across the lake to pick him up at the marina he was at. He had the 2 additional batteries at the dock waiting for me so I went ahead and turned off the boat. I then attempted to restart it and... nothing... the battery was dead again. We switched out the battery for another one and it started fine. At this point I figured it could still be the battery, but we decided to wait to turn off the boat again until we played for a while.

After about 2 hours of surfing/wake boarding, we turned off the boat again and tried to start it... it was dead again. So we hooked up the last battery and it once more started fine. We played for another 3 hours or so and then I dropped him off and went back to my marina and loaded my boat. Also I found out that I had a broken battery charger, so I got another one and it is charging the dead batteries fine.

At this point I was pretty sure it wasn't my battery so I figured I would get started pulling the impeller pump housing off (relating to the other issue I listed) as well as the alternator. *Side note, The impeller pump house bearings were shot and rusted and I cant believe it was still working, but the impeller it self appeared undamaged from the time I pulled it out of the water.

After I started removing the wires from the alternator, I found a black wire hanging that wasn't attached to anything, and wasn't taped up, like I would think it would be, if it wasn't supposed to be attached. I also have a purple and a red that are in the same set of cables that appear to come from the battery. They were attached to the alternator. After I reattached the battery, I tested the cable with a light tester and when I connect the red and the purple the light comes on very dimly... When I connect the black to the red the light comes on brightly.

I figured this may be my problem but I pulled out my alternator anyway to try to figure out where the black one needs to be attached. After looking at everything I still don't know if I have a bad alternator because I cant tell where the black cable is supposed to go.... if its even supposed to go anywhere. Any other thoughts?

[jroos]

Oh and BTW my alternator is a Prestolite 65 AMP Model 8EM2028NA. I could not find a wiring diagram for it specifically so I wasn't sure about it.

[jroos]

Well I took the Alternator into Autozone and they tested it.... the Test revealed that it had gone bad, so I ordered another. Will let you know once I have it installed.

I am still concerned about the black wire not being attached to anything though as that deffinatly runs back to the battery.

[shawndoggy]

make sure it's a marine rated alternator. sparks from a car unit in the engine compartment can turn into very very very bad news.

[SkiingPT]

I had the one of the alternator post melt off this year and had the wire just hanging there as well.