Starting my boat???

[edgewater1]

i cant seem to make my boat turn over, it's a 1991 sunsport and i put a battery in the boat i think it was good and all i could get to run is the horn? not even a gauge worked, and i would not turn over any ideas, i going to try a new battery first

[bryan632]

I'd definitely start with load testing the battery or just replacing it. if that doesn't work, you can start checking for corroded connections on your starter, alternator, ignition module, and other places. That should take care of it. If not, there is a lot of stuff you could check but it's probably just a worn battery.

[edgewater1]

thats what i'm hopping, but it would only make the horn and engine blower go on, nothing else wold run on the boat, lights, gauges, stereo, engine wouldn't turn over.. could it be a bad ground

[Sunapee Sunsport]

check connections ie, battery terminals, soleniod, starter. I replaced all of my cable ends with brass. I also had to replace solenoid. If your boat has sat as long as mine did you may want to consider a starter rebuild. Have you un bolted strarter to inspect?

[rludtke]

The long battery cables can rot inside the insulation. I had a lot of problems like this when I first purchased my boat. Replacing both the positive and negative cables fixed it. They were badly rotten when I cut them open, but they looked ok from the outside.

[edgewater1]

so new battery, the things that work, bilge pumps, horn. things the dont work: lights, engine, radio, gauges, lighter, blower, acc, ignition, basically everything that is not the bilge pump or horn.
so my question; is there a Perko i don't know about??
, i will be looking at all the cables on saturday i plan on cleaning all the connections and checkin the ground

[bryan632]

all of the things that you mentioned are things that you can run with the ignition off. do you have a circuit breaker located right beside your key? if so, check that. You could also check for continuity across your ignition switch. (back of the key)

[edgewater1]

a new question, on my boat there lights then buttons? i think are the circuit breakers... or are they on/off switches if so it is time to replace with toggle switches.

[bryan632]

They are circuit breakers. the lights run directly off the circuit breakers so they are the only switch for your lights. Since things like the horn, ignition, and cigarette lighter aren't locking push button, they have a circuit breaker beside them. Is your ignition circuit breaker popped? it is right beside the key slot.

[edgewater1]

it's not on my boat.. it's over by the acc and op power. but my largest problem is that nothing but the horn and bilge work. it's killing me, i'm finding things that are wrong with the boat, it's a 1991 but it has plastic stringers.. yeah thats rights plastic stringers,.\??????? aren't 1992 suppose to have plastic stringers not 1991 is my boat a 1992 model titled as a 1991?

[gtbrault]

You could check the Hull Id number and see what the year of manufacture was, maybe you have a '91 that was late enough in the year that they moved away from wood stringers?

[edgewater1]

thats what i want to believe but i'm planing on doing a hull id search

[Sunapee Sunsport]

If it is of any help give anthony a call at skiers choice he got me a wring diagram for my boat when I first brought it home. Also call Vince at Discount Inboard Marine he will sell you engine and trans manuals in a nice binder for under $50 bucks. Checking the circuit breaker on the engine is also a nice place to start.

[edgewater1]

found the problems and fixed them, first problem the solenoid was gone(long gone) there were wire that were rotten under the floor so it is all better now