Dead Solenoid?

[darylat8750]

Still sounds like a bad ground to me. You will do yourself a long term favor by following response number 5's advice. By high resistance he is saying "bad connection". A connection can look ok and be tight and still have enough corrosion to cause intermittent problems like this.

[Cat Alibi]

I have the same engines in my Leopard and had the same problem. It might start once, but if I've been running all day and shut down, it doesn't restart.
It turned out to be one of the relays that are in the black box on the side of the engine. The pins get corroded and loose. The relays are common and found in an auto parts store. No need to go thru VP $$$. Hope this helps.
Doug

[Olivergm]

Thanks Cat Alibi, I've checked the relays and visually at least they look in very good condition. Having said that I've read quite a few of negative reviews / problems surrounding the black brain box on the engine. As its time to replace the batteries anyway I'll give that a go and if that does not do the job I'll get back onto the relays and grounding. Thankfully batteries are one of the few affordable things one can buy in Singapore.

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[Cat Alibi]

I initially thought bad battery and ground as well. I redid the ground lug and replaced the start battery. Still had the problem. I only discovered it when a mechanic friend was in the engine space with the cover off the black box. When he jiggled the wires going into the relay as I was pressing the start button, it would start immediately. The relay looked fine, but he said they start to go bad when hot.
Since changing it out and cleaning up the connectors, no more problem, so far.

[Olivergm]

You are starting to convince me Cat Alibi! I'll switch over relays from the starboard side and see where that gets me. Thanks for the insight

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[DeepFrz]

Golf cart batts seem like the preferred choice on CF?

Yes, the choice of many for the house bank. For a starter battery any automotive starter batter with a high enough CCA rating for you engine will do. Put the money you save there into a better house bank and charging system (if it needs upgrading).

[Cheechako]

If you have a starter battery bank you don't need golf cart batteries there. It still sounds like a ground to me too. Have you actually removed the cable from the engine ground and cleaned the ends of that cable as well as the engine block where it bolts on?

[Olivergm]

I have not removed the ground up a good but will do as suggested.

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[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Olivergm

I have not removed the ground up a good but will do as suggested.

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Oliver - A bit of advice learned over time.

It is often (always) a temptation to find the "problem" and fix just that.

Say in this case it was a ground wire loose - clean and tighten the ground, problem sorted - but a month later you have a similar problem. Only this time, it's corrosion on the connector, or relay.

I find I save time and headache in the long run to take a "systems" approach.

While I am "upside" down in the bilge and engine bay, it may be useful to take the time and clean all the electrical connections in the start circuit, grounds, hot wires, connectors etc. Sometimes this creates a situation where you aren't sure what fixed it, but that's offset by the fact you have eliminated a lot of potential other causes.

In regards to battery replacement - I would seriously consider just going with the same set up you have. Switching to 6V flooded (wet) may give you better deep cycling capability for the house, but you will have to consider how these are now charged (optimum charging set up) and the maintenance required. It can become a science project quickly.

Also with space for 6 house batteries you would now have effectively 3 X 12 volt pairs vs. 6 X 12 volt stand alone batteries. If you lose 1 battery you effectively lose 1/3 of your capacity vs. lose one battery and lose 1/6 your capacity.

What you might consider if you don't have it is a way to monitor the batteries. SmartGauge seems to be the way to go at present.

You haven't said what the house bank is (AGM or GEL) but 4 years (to me) is kinda low in terms of expected life depending on how the batteries are used!

For a stock set up on a fairly modern boat like yours, I would suspect "lower life" is because you are cycling pretty deep. All things equal the deeper the cycle (more discharge between "full" charging) the shorter the battery life.

Do you have solar? How much? Shore charger? How much "time" do you spend using electricity between charging - i.e. say a two hour+ motoring run?

Weekend Warrior - 10-20 minutes motoring out on Saturday and Sunday. followed by 5+ hour day sails?
Vacationer - Boat sits for weeks (or operates as weekend warrior) followed by 3-5 day "camp outs" on the hook somewhere.
Motor Sailor - Go out on weekends but if wind is below 5 knots, practically motorsail.
Off Grid - Weeks at a time "on the hook."

You seem ready to make a significant investment in batteries - you can go "science project" and match the battery/charging system to best deal with your usage - or you can go with the stock setup and see if minor changes to your usage will make the batteries last longer.

It's a trade off.