CliffA
Well-Known Member
- Dec 29, 2009
- 4,712
- Boat Info
- 2001 Sea Ray 340DA
Name: 'Happy Place'
4.5kW West. Generator
Purchased Nov. 2014
Fresh Water Use
- Engines
- Twin Merc. 6.2L (MPI)
640 hp (Total)
Raw Water Cooled
V-Drive Transmissions
BT has more experience than me with these diagnostics so I won't get in the way that. But something I've learned from dealing with electrical problems... always check battery cables (both ends), both pos and neg. If they're loose, corroded (corrosion can work it's way under the sheathing, too), etc, it can create nightmares trying to track down what feels like a "ghost" problem. Be sure to follow the battery cables (pos and neg) everywhere they go and clean each connection (battery switch, alt, starter, etc).
This may not be your problem, but I've been bitten enough times by this bug to have learned to always check.
Dennis offered excellent advise here...i had the exact same thing happen to my mother-in-law's car....it was very sluggish to start even with a new battery....i cleaned the battery cable terminals and still had the issue...since she lives out of town i did not know what weight of engine oil had been put in the engine during the last oil change so i changed the oil to the proper 10W-30 weight...this was during the winter time so i thought that heavy weight oil could become very viscous in cold temps and drag the engine during cranking....well, this did not help either.....i went as far as repacing the starter because i thought the starter must be dragging...you guessed it, the new starter did not help...i finally decided to replace the battery cables even though there was no obvious signs of problems.... low and behold the engine started like new....i peeled back the insulation cover of the old positive battery cable and there was corrosion all the way up and down the cable under the insulation cover....
cliff