Another Boat Problem

Alright last post on here i found I had a grounding problem with my temperature gauge. Well while working on that and removing all the old stereo equipment I have seem to run into a new problem. I will start the engine and it will start perfectly and will run a for a random amount of time and then die. I mean die no power to the gauges or anything. After a while I will turn the key again and I'll have power again and the boat will start right up. The dieing seems random and so does the starting back up. It's like I just don't have any power for a little bit. Does this sound like anything to anyone else. Thanks in advance.

check the kill switch

Thanks for your help but yeah that was the first thing to check

Something in the fuel line?

I don't think so because the boat runs great and then all the sudden just dies. Like someone disconnected the battery or something

Did you check the air in the tires lately?
Sounds like it could be a clogged/bad fuel filter, where it will start and run, but give it some gas and it will die.
Is that whats happening?

When it dies I loose everything no power to the gauges radio lights nothing.

Go back over all the wires you touched. If it wasnt happening before it is probably related to the wires you moved/removed.

I don't know what kind of boat you have, but my boat has two racks under the dash. They have two larger wires that come from the battery for positive and negative. All of the smaller wires from the dash run to these for power. If you lose everything on your dash, maybe one of these wires is loose and this could make you lose everything.

I had a similar issue. On the starter for my boat, there is a 90 amp fuse that attaches the battery+ to all the electrical on the boat (via the fuse box). Anyway, mine melted and I had no power. I would guess you could be heating it up and then it shorts out. Pretty easy to put a meter on it and start the boat to see if it cuts out there. If it does, you know its the fuse, if not, then you should have power to the fuse panel.

Start by checking your positive battery terminal for corrosion.

Could be a wiring problem coming off the battery to the fuse panel. Maybe one of your terminals coming off your battery is broken or loose inside the battery. Seen it happen on a car.


(Message edited by wakesetter101 on August 29, 2007)

It sounds like a surge protector issue from the alternator. I would take it off and have it checked. You boat should run after it starts even if you unhook the Battery, that's why I think it should have something to do with the alternator. Good Luck!!

Somehow your shorting out the kill switch. If your gauges go dead thats a tell tale sign of the kill switch being activated. Something you did is touching another wire.

I think I might have figure it out. There is a fuse labeled master right below the ignition key. If I bump the connections on the back the panel blinks.