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2013 247 won't start


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My ownership of my 2013 247 hasn't exactly been trouble free so far in the month I've had it.

The latest was this past weekend when it left us stranded on the water.

The volt meter shows 12.2v when the boat is off and when we try to start it drops to 11.3. The starter makes a clicking noise.

We tried to jump it today and the boat won't start. All we get is clicks.

What would be you guys' line of thinking on this? I thought the starter wouldn't click if it was bad. But on the other hand it seems like the starter is the place to begin when trying to diagnose this problem.

Any ideas?

THANK YOU

Parker

Edited by beanboy
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Parker, it will most likely be a bad connection on the heavy gauge cabling somewhere between the battery and the starter motor. Can be either in the positive (hot / live) or the negative (ground).

I would start here:

1. Cycle your battery selection selection switch a few times (if you have one).

2. Check the battery terminal connections are tightly connected and clean.

3. Check the main cable connection at the starter motor. (Be very careful using metal tools on this unless the battery is disconnected. Actually, disconnect the battery first unless you are very confident about avoiding a short - probably particularly difficult on a v drive.)

Stephen.

Edited by GreenMan
  • Like 3
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Battery/batteries may not be good, but before replacing, check to make sure wiring from the batteries to the perko switch is good and then from perko to starter is okay. Make sure the connections at the battery and starter are not corroded or loose as this can cause the symptoms you described. Take the terminals off and clean and reinstall. If these do not solve the issue, then the batteries are not good and need replacing. Good luck and some safe fun boating this season!

Edited by BlackBluMalibu
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You can also have your batteries load tested at any auto parts store. Make sure you donot cross you house (deep cycle) battery and your start battery. They have different functions and construction.

  • Like 1
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If the battery is the problem, you will have extremely low voltage at the battery posts while trying to crank - like zero to a few volts only. 11+ volts should still engage the starter and attempt to crank.

If the easy connections checks (including the Perko connections per BBM above) don't reveal anything then check the volts at the posts (not the clamps unless you really know they are properly connected) while trying to crank. If they stay up around 11+ volts, the battery is likely OK and other electrical faults are the issue.

If the battery is OK, it's also possible that the starter itself is faulty - either the solenoid switch or the motor itself.

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Thanks guys. Great stuff here.

I'll start with the batteries, connections, and then move on to the starter.

FYI I called the dealer and they said mine is a top-mount starter. So it'd be a little weird that it would go bad in 2 years.

Last thing-I got a wedge actuator error message in tandem with the failure of the boat to start on the weekend prior. After a couple tries at starting the boat fired up.

But the actuator error didn't show up after that when we ran it for a couple hours before it died on us.

Thoughts?

Parker

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Did you jump to the battery, or directly to the starter lug (and ground near the starter)?

Jump it to the starter lug, and if the starter is good, it will spin.

  • Like 2
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For me it was literally one grounding wire on one of my batteries. Even with a common ground connected and going to another battery it didn't start, behaved exactly as you are describing. It seemed so weird that it wouldn't use the other battery as a ground. Either way, that is what did it for me.

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