Starboard engine not starting

[Ilmmct]

Day of boating not off to it’s planned start. My Starboard engine is trying to start and after 4 seconds of cranking just gives up the ghost.

Some info:

-on the boat right now with tools
-not a 911 situation
-have visually and from the cleanout port have inspected for stuff that might have been ingested ... nothing
-after 6 starting attempts it is progressively sounding “better”
-2013 242 Limited S, never an engine issue before

I am currently taking the plugs out so I can check gap/condition (new in May) and to spin the impeller because upon cranking something sounds stiff/stuck to my untrained ear.

From a mechanical perspective @swatski, @Julian and @Mainah would shake there heads and question why people like me buy and operate things they don’t understand ...

Here’s a video on the sound:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zqofe8gete8num4/AADS17XrlUUUVbzlU9jaHsFQa?dl=0

 

[Mainah]

Perhaps it is flooded or there is water in the fuel. If it is something internal in the engine (timing chain failure, ring issue, rod bearing, etc.) continuing to crank may cause more damage. Fuel injector stuck open is another possibilty.

Lots of things I may try to diagnose but don’t want to give advice that may cause further damage if someone is unfamiliar with those things.

Are there any error messages popping up?

 

[Ilmmct]

Plugs look dirty to me ... so I cleaned them. Much dirty than I would expect from a season of use.

No error messages being displayed at the helm.

 

[Scottintexas]

When was the last time it ran right?
how much fuel is in the tank ?
When was the last time you filled the fuel tank?

listening to your video
When you crank, can you hold the key and it continues to crank as long as you want or do you have the key turned and the starter stops cranking by itself after a few seconds?

You may pull the impellers/shaft since it's only a 30 minute job just to confirm it's nothing in the housing/bearing binding it up while you try to start it,

 

[Gym]

@Ilmmct In your video I noticed it only cranked a couple of cycles. Did it stop itself or did you release the key. If it stopped by itself it's possible something is jammed in the impeller. When reaching into the clean out port of you reach towards the bow that checks the intake crate. You should reach towards the stern and carefully run your fingers around the impeller blades. You may find a surprise.

 

[Ilmmct]

Was not dirty plugs ... @Scottintexas anwers to your questions:

When was the last time it ran right?

-5 days ago

how much fuel is in the tank ?

-3/4 full

When was the last time you filled the fuel tank?

-Last gas added 2 weeks ago

When you crank, can you hold the key and it continues to crank as long as you want or do you have the key turned and the starter stops cranking by itself after a few seconds?

-The starter stops cranking after 5 seconds or so ... I can’t get it to crank longer by manually holding the key in position.

You may pull the impellers ...

-Going to jump in the water at low tide and have a look back there ... impeller’s in 30 minutes, is something I strive for but mechanically challenged...

 

[Ilmmct]

@Gym ... it is stopping by itself ..: jumping in water in 5 mins (lowish tide). Should I remove the spark plugs again before trying to look for blockage? I will remove the safety lanyard/cutoff but curious if having the plugs out will help me spin the impeller shaft by hand?

 

[Gym]

No need to remove spark plugs unless you want to try turning engine by hand. Remove keys, leave cleanout hatch open to keep you safe.

 

[Ilmmct]

Ok will be a few mins before I report back ...

 

[Gym]

Just a FYI. The safety lanyard will still allow the engine to crank but not start. The cleanout hatch will NOT allow the engine to crank or start.

 

[Scottintexas]

You should be able to spin it by hand with the spark plugs out, it would be a good trouble shooting tool,

I didn't realize the boat was in the water, I would NOT suggest trying to remove the impellers with the boat in the water

 

[Beachbummer]

Did you try cracking while the plugs where off? Did it stop after 5 seconds?

 

[Ilmmct]

Guys engine has started ... I did not see anything obvious blocking the impellers but got in there and did a though inspection and cleanup by hand. Engine cranked and stayed at it until it started.

Scratching my head could have been the plug cleaning or impeller clean wash down. I can’t get the boat off the lift in low tide, so no test drive for a few hours.

Thank you for your collective help. I will post a video of the engine start when I get the boat off the lift.

 

[Ilmmct]

@Beachbummer I did not try cranking while the plugs were off, but the boat would automagically stop cranking after 5 seconds.

 

[Beachbummer]

Did you try with port running? Maybe the voltage boost helps out?

 

[Beachbummer]

Sorry, missed it was running!!!! Glad to hear it

 

[Ilmmct]

@Beachbummer did not try with the Port running. Was just trying to start Starboard in isolation. Port does start cleanly though.

 

[Gym]

There may have been something small in the impeller as you mentioned things were improving as you made more starting attempts. When you get a chance for a close up look you may see some telltale Mark's on the impeller or liner. Anyway, nice job. Enjoy the boating.

 

[Mainah]

Don’t know why it did not occur to me earlier but given what has occured to this point something clicked in my head. Could be the starter or starter relay. Check those connections. If ok try borrowing an amp clamp and comparing to the port engine.

 

[Jimminh]

that doesn't sound good at all... since it cranks at all, it should turn until the battery drops too low... assume the port side fires right up, should spin freely with the plugs pulled, maybe the battery is right on the edge, and maybe there's a little bit of stuff in the jet drive left over from the last time it ran, that swelled up and is causing drag and overloading the starter/battery. maybe the power to the starter connection is corroded a bit causing voltage drop? if the chain was broken it would spin way too fast so that's not it.