Twin Engine Shut Down

[BIB]

Running for over two hours I entered a no wake zone and was running at about 1100 rpm when I got out of the zone I remained under 2000 rpm and within a few minutes my port engine alamed and shut down headed for a safe harbor a few thousand feet away and while getting into a dock with some help my Starboard engine shut down. The engines would not start but had gauges, pre fuel pump signal and all other electronics. Batteries are strong and good. Was towed back to my dock (27 miles) and when I was situated hooked shore power up and discovered my Air Conditioning would not come on but the thermostat seemed to be working. HELP

 

[jmauld]

Had the same thing happen to me. Both engines shut down within 2 minutes of each other. Turned out to be clogged cool fuel 3 pumps. Both were overheating, but as long as you kept the flow high enough the fuel was fine. Once you slow down to idle the fuel vaporlocks.

If it is the fuel coolers, the engines should start fine today.

 

[Creekwood]

You should check your sea strainers for the engines and the air conditioner. It sounds like maybe you went into a highly weedy area and sucked a bunch of weeds into the water intakes and plugged them. Either weed or maybe mud/sand.

 

[BIB]

Had the same thing happen to me. Both engines shut down within 2 minutes of each other. Turned out to be clogged cool fuel 3 pumps. Both were overheating, but as long as you kept the flow high enough the fuel was fine. Once you slow down to idle the fuel vaporlocks.

If it is the fuel coolers, the engines should start fine today.

I am going to go back out to the dock tonight and will try. Just don't know what I may have picked up but the vapor lock idea may hold weight as it was 92 yesterday. The air-conditioning part also perplexes me/Thank you

 

[BIB]

You should check your sea strainers for the engines and the air conditioner. It sounds like maybe you went into a highly weedy area and sucked a bunch of weeds into the water intakes and plugged them. Either weed or maybe mud/sand.

No weeds heavy traffic river in the shipping channel (Maumee river, Toledo Ohio) If I understand engine cooing come from a sea strainer not the out-drive?

 

[dmorris800]

No weeds heavy traffic river in the shipping channel (Maumee river, Toledo Ohio) If I understand engine cooing come from a sea strainer not the out-drive?

If you have an out drive alpha / bravo the strainer is in the bottom of the drive. Could also be dirty fuel, blocked both filters, let us know what you find.

 

[BIB]

If you have an out drive alpha / bravo the strainer is in the bottom of the drive. Could also be dirty fuel, blocked both filters, let us know what you find.

Sorry never got back to the dock yesterday, going out late this afternoon and will give more info

 

[BIB]

If you have an out drive alpha / bravo the strainer is in the bottom of the drive. Could also be dirty fuel, blocked both filters, let us know what you find.

Thank you for everybody's replies. Turns out the Air-Conditioning issue was my first mate (wife) was too cold before we left the dock for our trip and had turned it off at the thermostat and did not say anything till today. As for the main issue of engine shut down and no restart went out to the boat this afternoon and discovered two dead batteries. The next question is why as they are 3 year old Crown 1155AH deep cycle. Thinking maybe they were not charging while running which would mean two bad alternators, one on each engine or something else in the charging circuit? Any ideas?

 

[jmauld]

Is it a single bank?

 

[dmorris800]

Thank you for everybody's replies. Turns out the Air-Conditioning issue was my first mate (wife) was too cold before we left the dock for our trip and had turned it off at the thermostat and did not say anything till today. As for the main issue of engine shut down and no restart went out to the boat this afternoon and discovered two dead batteries. The next question is why as they are 3 year old Crown 1155AH deep cycle. Thinking maybe they were not charging while running which would mean two bad alternators, one on each engine or something else in the charging circuit? Any ideas?

Do you have a battery charger on shore power? Was it plugged in? What year is the boat and the specific engines / out drives? I would be surprised if you lost both. Alternators at once.

 

[BIB]

Is it a single bank?

One house two starting one for each engine

 

[BIB]

Do you have a battery charger on shore power? Was it plugged in? What year is the boat and the specific engines / out drives? I would be surprised if you lost both. Alternators at once.

The built in converter is on shore power and it is always plugged in when at the dock. Twin 5 lts with Bravo III. I believe my converter went bad. Looking at upgrading to a Progressive Dynamics, inteli-power 40 or 60 amp if the system wiring will take it as the current unit is only a 20amp.
Thank You

 

[ttmott]

I'm not yet convinced you have a charger/converter issue.
First the Crown deep cycle batteries are not correct for your application. They may work for cranking the engines but you should consider dual purpose batteries for your boat.
Anyhow, the engine alternators should have also kept the batteries up on charge. Plus, the generator should have supplemented the charging by powering the charger/converter.
I would look more closely at the configuration - Typically the starboard engine should be a two-battery bank and port engine a single battery. Most cases Sea Ray uses the starboard bank as the house bank and port bank for helm electronics. You may have a fourth battery specifically for the generator but I've seen the generator on one of the engine's banks also.
Obviously, you were running the generator - did you have the charger/converter circuit breaker turned on?
It is not an issue to have multiple battery charging sources operating at the same time.
The first thing to do is fully charge the batteries and have a load test done. Then check the charger/converter voltage at the batteries then separately check each of the engine alternator voltages at the batteries then finally the generator's alternator voltage at the battery.

 

[Skybolt]

@BIB You don't mention the year of your boat. But to add to Tom's @ttmott point(s), some years have a battery isolator that can go bad. And if you didn't have the charger on then dead batteries.

While the engines are running and the battery charger off, measure the voltage at the batteries. You should see something ~13.6v. Then with the engines off and the battery charger on do the same and you should see the same voltage.

 

[jmauld]

Is it possible that you were mentally drained after the engine failures and left without shutting down everything properly?

Having a double failure on your charging system like this seems a bit odd. I guess it’s possible that both of your alternators have been bad and you have just been running off of your generator/charger for a while.

Do you know how to diagnose your alternators?

 

[BIB]

I'm not yet convinced you have a charger/converter issue.
First the Crown deep cycle batteries are not correct for your application. They may work for cranking the engines but you should consider dual purpose batteries for your boat.
Anyhow, the engine alternators should have also kept the batteries up on charge. Plus, the generator should have supplemented the charging by powering the charger/converter.
I would look more closely at the configuration - Typically the starboard engine should be a two-battery bank and port engine a single battery. Most cases Sea Ray uses the starboard bank as the house bank and port bank for helm electronics. You may have a fourth battery specifically for the generator but I've seen the generator on one of the engine's banks also.
Obviously, you were running the generator - did you have the charger/converter circuit breaker turned on?
It is not an issue to have multiple battery charging sources operating at the same time.
The first thing to do is fully charge the batteries and have a load test done. Then check the charger/converter voltage at the batteries then separately check each of the engine alternator voltages at the batteries then finally the generator's alternator voltage at the battery.

Thank you, you have given me a lot to think about and may be time to call in an expert.

 

[BIB]

Is it possible that you were mentally drained after the engine failures and left without shutting down everything properly?

Having a double failure on your charging system like this seems a bit odd. I guess it’s possible that both of your alternators have been bad and you have just been running off of your generator/charger for a while.

Do you know how to diagnose your alternators?

I am going to learn or call an expert

 

[BIB]

@BIB You don't mention the year of your boat. But to add to Tom's @ttmott point(s), some years have a battery isolator that can go bad. And if you didn't have the charger on then dead batteries.

While the engines are running and the battery charger off, measure the voltage at the batteries. You should see something ~13.6v. Then with the engines off and the battery charger on do the same and you should see the same voltage.

thank you, the boat is a 2003 Sundancer 300 with no generator and twin 5.0 engines

 

[BIB]

Thank you, you have given me a lot to think about and may be time to call in an expert.

Also bought these batteries as the recommendation from the Sea Ray dealer, but this would not be the first time I have been given bad information, thank you

 

[jmauld]

I am going to learn or call an expert

It’s not too difficult. Buy a decent multimeter and search on YouTube. You’ll get a tool and it will be cheaper than paying a tech.