Ignition Key start delay

[Lazy Susan]

Looking for some advice on my key start delay. I have a 2011 Mainship 355 Pilot. Purchased it last year.
Lately there is a slight delay when starting the engine. I turn the key and there's a slight delay or no engagement at all. then I crank it again and it starts right up.
The volt meter reads below 12 but then goes to 14 within 5 minutes while running the engine. the boat is always plugged into Shore Power and both batteries are showing a 95% charge.
Is there a simple way to determine if the batteries are actually weak? Should I unplug from Shore Power for a few days and test again? Is it possibly the starter or ignition switch?
Is a load tester an option?
Sorry for the rookie question

Pete of Lazy Susan

 

[STB]

What happens during that "delay"?

In other words, you turn the key, and then...?

What do you see on the volt meter before the the turn, immediately as it is turning, and while in the start position?

What do you hear? Click? Crank? Nothing?

What does the battery charge do during and after this delay? Stay in whatever state it was in? Kick into high gear?

Send a friend down into the engine room. Call them so you have comes (or headset radios). What do they hear and see? Any clicking? Any turning? Anything from the starter or engine?

If, and ONLY IF, you know how to safely and confidently jump the starter with a screwdriver or cable, what happens if you do?

It's really hard here. Maybe some more information would help.

 

[C lectric]

All of your questions are possibilites.
What have you done if anything to date to determine what the cause is.
It could be batteries, start switch, pilot relay between the start sw. and the starter mounted solenoid or the starter itself.
It could also be a goofy neutral safety sw. . Are you absolutely positive the gear controls are neutral position?



Do you hear a click or a clunk when you turn the key. Or do you hear nothing.

 

[STB]

It could also be a goofy neutral safety sw. . Are you absolutely positive the gear controls are neutral position?

That one has surely bit me before!

 

[OldDan1943]

How long does the click clicking last?
Could be an electric fuel pump building pressure, as on my boat.
Once the engine starts, the electric fuel pump stops

 

[Lazy Susan]

There is pretty much silence during the delay, then the boat starts or I switch back to off position and then it will start right up without delay.

Last night I took a cruise and when I returned to the dock, I started the engine back up again after letting it sit for 20 minutes. I did this 3 times and it started each time without incident.

Thanks again

 

[OldDan1943]

Put your head through a pilot house or saloon access or a friend in the ER, listen for the clicking.
“Pretty much silent”, is not silent. What do you hear ??

 

[STB]

I'm with OldDan with this, but deeper: Get a friend in the engine room.

Starting right up after a trip could be luck, fuel pressure from electric primer or assist pump vs mechanical or engine controlled lifter pump, fuel line air from a suction leak having been purged, fuel line air from fuel backflow into the tank having been purged, batteries charging via alternator but not charging via shore power, improved compression due to warm engine, etc.

In the engine room you might hear the fuel pump, the starter solenoid, a start relay, slow turning over, etc. Thoae thing might not be hearable anywhere else. You might also smell electrical burning or see something.

 

[utclmjmper]

A fully charged battery bank should be 12.6,,at 12Volts indicated, the bank is half dead and a slow start ,,if any, can be expected.. After starting, the charging system brings the bank back to 14 to 14.2 volts indicated..>>>Dan ( corroded connections will also show the same symptoms.)

 

[SteveK]

This sounds like an old relay sticking not fully engaging, but still being moved a bit, then the 2nd try fully engages. A clicking sound would support this. If it starts on 2nd try then my guess is battery is OK. Also suggested is to apply a positive wire to the the relay (try both)
Unlike Dan I did stay at a Holiday Inn express. :lol:

 

[STB]

This sounds like an old relay sticking not fully engaging, but still being moved a bit, then the 2nd try fully engages. The clicking sound would support this. If it starts on 2nd try then my guess is battery is OK. Also suggested is to apply a positive wire to the the relay (try both)
Unlike Dan I did stay at a Holiday Inn express. :lol:

Hey Steve,

I don't think a clicking was reported. I think that was more of a question. I guess we are all wondering what things do sound like!

 

[SteveK]

STB, I agree not reported. It will be either contacts when the key turned or the relay.
Once the relay is jumped and if it turns over first try, then it is the key cylinder contacts.
I don't wish it to be a failing starter.

 

[C lectric]

Don't mean to be rude but PRETTY MUCH means nothing. Do you or do you not hear something and what as clearly as you can describe.
THis matters when doing anything over the internet since we cannot listen or examine so depend upon YOUR descriptions.

A question I missed asking is when does the Vmeter show 12 volts? Before cranking at rest or while trying to crank?

 

[OldDan1943]

Lots of things to consider before the starter problem.
Cleaning the starter switch contacts and contacts and cable ends on the starter sounds good

 

[utclmjmper]

The OP noted the vmeter shows below 12,,,, after start it goes to 14,,, so you know the charging system is working.. BUT the bank is being drawn down to 50% for some reason .. How old is the bank???..AND how long has it been left in a discharged state??..>>>Dan

 

[Northern Spy]

Sounds like one of the start relays needs cleaning/replacing, or ground checking.

 

[Comodave]

I would like to check the voltage when cranking. Could be dirty or loose connections in the battery cables. Could be a lot of things…

 

[porman]

I would suggest a voltage drop test between the starter switch and the solenoid on the starter, paralleling the wire between the two. It would take a long wire, but would be worth it.

 

[Lazy Susan]

Volt meter is at 12 volts before cranking.

 

[STB]

If that is accurate, that may be too low. I can imagine that the dock charger isn't charging well and the batteries are running down, so it take longer to start. Then, while running, the alternator charges the batteries back up and things start well until next time. But, this is just me imagining.

We keep asking what you hear because it'll help a lot to sort it. If the engine is turning over slowly until it finally manages to start, that's consistent with a low battery and getting lucky before it is a dead battery. If absolutely nothing happens, at all, except maybe a clicking and then the engine roars to life on the first turn, that means the battery voltage might be a red herring w.r.t. this problem, i.e. it may be a gauge issue, or a weak battery but not the problem here.

I don't put too much faith in old analog gauges. The fact that it jumps once the engines are running just tell me the laternators, which put out ~14v are working. I'm not quiet ready to believe the gauges are accurate within 0.5v just because of that. I'd want a voltmeter right on the battery, measuring without all of the wiring, etc, to know that.

There are also some devices which can cause a battery to charge a little low because of drops on diodes, depending upon how your system is set up. A small undercharge might be an artifact, not a problem.

But, we should probably take this type of thing one at a time and stay focused on starting right now.

For that, I think knowing what things sound like in the engine room is really, really important.

 

[FOADIAC]

I had a similar problem '01 Rum Runner. It was a loose wire at the starter electrical connection. I could get Off and Run but not Start. Twiddle the connection and she started right up, repaired connection and no problems since.

 

[C lectric]

Volt meter is at 12 volts before cranking.

12V Is that actually 12 V or is it 12.2V or 12.6V.

When quoting voltages please use at least three digits. THere is a big difference to the starting system and to what WE can glean between 12.6 and 12.0 V for instance.

12.6 V is with no loads a fully charged battery.
12.0 V with no load is a battery well discharged. Not dead but weak.

 

[Comodave]

Also what is the voltage when cranking? Before cranking isn’t too important, what happens when you crank? If you have a poor connection it may give adequate voltage at rest but drop off dramatically when under a heavy load.

 

[TowLou]

Ill start with go over all connections and grounds and clean them. Something has gotten loose or corroded.