Engine died

[New Bob]

Ok, so the wife and I were cruising along yesterday enjoying the great weather in Nashville when suddenly the engine died right in front of a coal barge bearing down on us. I had enough momentum to coast out of the channel so as not to get creamed by the barge! As we were being towed back to our dock by an Army Corp boat, I was able to do some diagnosing.

The 50 amp and 90 amp main breakers were fine. The 15 amp ingintion fuse was blown. I replaced the ignition fuse and it immediatley blew again when I turned on the ignition. The only other symptom which I think is weird but may in fact be normal is the shifter repeatedly clicks when attempting to move it into the forward position and clunks into reverse (as normal)... all while the ignition is dead.

Should there be power going to the shifter with the ignition off? I'm wondering if the shifter behavior is somehow related to a possible short or ground in the ignition system.

I have a 4.3L TKS with Alpha I. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Lazy Daze]

First, glad to hear you got out the way!

As far as power to the shifter goes, there is no power going to the lever (at least not for the purpose of shifting). If the engine isn't running, you really shouldn't be hearing a "clunk". Either way, it should sound the same whether forward or reverse.

You may or may not have more than one thing going on. The shifting thing could be as simple as needing a shift cable adjustment.

The electrical problem is a bit more involved and much harder to diagnose with limited info. I would start with checking electrical connections - at the battery, the engine and the dash.

 

[New Bob]

Thanks for the input so far. Yeah, I thought it was strange that the shifter actually puts the gears into reverse without the ignition on...it sounds and feels completely normal as though the engine is running.

 

[Y Knot]

I'm not a mechanic but i wonder if it has something to do with the "black box" on the top your 4.3 tks to the right of the carb(as you look at it). The box controls the shift interupt etc. On my new motor it was bad from Mercruiser....just a thought.

 

[springer3]

Blowing the fuse shows you have a short. Always check for the simple/cheap fixes first - pinched wires or damaged insulation. Assuming that checks out, I suspect the electronic module as already suggested, or possibly the primary side of the ignition coil(s). I think there are two modules on my 96 4.3 LX. One is the electronic ignition, and the other is the idle stabilizer. Both probably get power from the ignition circuit that is blowing the fuse.

Good luck, and be sure to report back. I might need to carry a spare!

 

[New Bob]

So here's what I have found so far. We had a mechanic look at it last night. After fooling around with the wire harness under the instrument panel and tugging on the three wires leading to the fuse panel, he replaced the fuse (as I had done twice on Sunday) the ignition worked perfectly. We can only assume at this point that one of the wires leading to the fuse panel was chafed and shorting/grounding out to one of the other terminals. So...I guess we just hope that it doesn't reoccur when we are out next. I hate the old "no trouble found" syndrome.

As far as the clicking linkage when attempting to put it into forward and the clunking into gear when attempting to put it in reverse, the mechanic speculates that this was occuring while I was being towed back and therefore the prop was turning which will result in these symptoms. No problem really and totally seperate issue from the ignition problem.

 

[New Bob]

The latest twist...the dealer tech wrote up the service order as: replaced fuse, test drove, all systems working properly.

So now, my extended warranty provider is balking at reimbursing me for the $200 labor charge because changing a fuse is not considered warrant work! :smt021

 

[sprink56]

The latest twist...the dealer tech wrote up the service order as: replaced fuse, test drove, all systems working properly.

So now, my extended warranty provider is balking at reimbursing me for the $200 labor charge because changing a fuse is not considered warrant work! :smt021

Bob,

Wow...they are jerking you around. I suggest that you try to find the source of that short yourself. The clue as to where it is probably lies in that area where the mechanic jiggled the wires and "fixed" the problem. You are probably correct in your guess about the chafed wire...you just need to find it. Hopefully it's right around where the jiggling was going on. Run each one of those wires out and find the bad spot...look for something in that area metalic that it could ground to. I wouldn't take my family out on that boat untill I discovered and corrected that little problem...an aggrivation might turn into a tragedy.

As far as the $200 warranty claim, you might try appealing that decision. Have the dealer re-word the invoice to indicate that the fuse blew due to something in the wiring that has yet to be determined. That might keep the case open and force the warranty company to pay up.
The secret is to get the wording right on that invoice that triggers the system to pay for a covered expense as opposed to replacing a fuse.