Mercruiser looses electrical power

[kkanizar]

Need help fast! I've got a 2001 Rinker Captiva 212 with a 2001 GM 305 5.0L 2bbl Mercruiser. Whenever I am cruising or pulling a tube at around 20 knots, I loose all electrical power, the engine quits, sputters a few seconds and goes dead. After 10-15 secs the electrics come back on line and I can then start the the engine normally and continue on. It happens more frequently in tight turns when there is more load on the engine. On advice from various people, I have replaced the ignition sensor, correct spark plugs for the engine and a new battery and ingition switch circuit breaker. Am I looking at a new alternator or a new coil? When I am up to speed above 35 MPH, I have no problems with the motor. I thank you for any help that can be given!

 

[Wotknot]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Check the engine grounding wire to make sure it's clean and tight. Also check the harness plug to make sure all the pins are seating.

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

I checked the harness plug that goes into the ECU and the pins are seating. as a matter of fact you can pull that plug off when the enigne is running and it will still run. Weird... where would the enigne grounding wire be? Thanx for the response and help!

 

[tommays]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

you need to carefull pulling plugs when things are running you can FRY MANY THINGS<br /><br />the shuting off is real bad when running its very easy for the motor to stumble backwards and suck in water and hydrolock<br /><br /><br />you could very easly be loseing power to the fuel pump because of a bad conection of bad oil presssure switch <br /><br />you have to sure your realy loseing Ignition and not fuel pressure so you can work towards finding the faulty part or connection<br /><br />tommays

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

If you don't even know what or where the main engine ground wire is, then you don't need to messing with an EFI engine. Find a qualified mechanic.

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

tommays:<br />Would losing power to the fuel pump cause a complete electrical failure? Would't losing power to the fule pump also affect top end performance? Oil pressure is where it needs to be.<br /><br />Don S<br />It's a normally aspirated engine, not fuel injected. I know what a main engine ground wire is, just not sure where it would be on a marine engine. I've talked to a few qualified mechanics and this one makes them scratch their heads.<br /><br /><br />Thanks again for the input...

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

you lose electric or the engine sputters?<br />do the gauges go dead at the same time?<br />main harness plug loose/corrosion<br />helm safety switch(lanyard )<br />loose/corroded connection at the starter lug<br />Ive found the main system ground wire on the bell housing bolts or the front motor mount bolts where they attach to the block

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Bt Doctur:<br /><br />Lose Electrics and Engine at the same time. Gauges go dead as well. A completely silent boat for 10-15 secs and then the electrics and gauges come back online if I leave the ignition switch in the run position. The main harness plug connections are clean with no corrosion. Thanks for the input! Any ideas?

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

I forgot to mention, there is a click behind the gauges panel the split second before electrics are restored

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Sorry for the mistake, but when you said "I checked the harness plug that goes into the ECU and the pins are seating." well I just assumed if it has an ECU then it's an EFI engine since carbed engines don't have them.<br />If you go to the battery, and follow the ground cable, it will lead you to where it's hooked on the engine. Usually on the bellhousing, one port and one starboard.<br />The plug that you should check if you are loosing power is the round main engine harness connector. If it's no all the way on the engine side, it will cause a loss in power. Also note it has a hose clamp. It should only be snug. If it's tightened enough to distort the plug, that alone could be your problem.<br />Basically check all connections, including any fuses that may be in the purple wire (Ignition) at the gauges. Could be the ignition switch itself. It's going to take testing with either a test light or a meter to find where the power ends.

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Don S:<br /><br />That's my mistake as well... I called it an ECU when I meant ICM Module....

 

[Wotknot]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Originally posted by kkanizar:<br /> I forgot to mention, there is a click behind the gauges panel the split second before electrics are restored

Sounds like you may have some kind of relay or circuit breaker behind the panel....could be tripping if it's a weak breaker, or may be tripping because you've got something else causing it to.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Have you actually went back and looked at the battery and made sure the cable connections are clean and tight. Wing nuts shouldn't even be allowed on boats as people thing a flick of the fingers will do the job. in reallity, they need to be TIGHT, clean connections to work all the time.

 

[MH9371B]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Is there any water spraying onto the Alternator? I had this happen once in my 3.0L Merc. I had a bad water pump gasket and a small stream of water was shooting out and hitting the alternator directly... which obviously wasn't a good thing. After I replaced the alternator and gasket, all was well again.

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

As others have said above, check both of your battery leads at the battery. Then follow them and check at other end (red wire at starter and black wire at engine block). The multi-pin harness is also suspect. Hopefully someone else may know the answer to this, on 2001 and newer boats, is either merc, or in this case Rinker using auto-reset circuit breakers ? I have not seen these in use on boats ( in other applications...yes) up to 1999, just thought that maybe Rinker put an auto-reset breaker in the dash for ignition and accessories ? The symptoms of everything going dead, then a repeatable 10-15 seconds, followed by a click in the dash, then everything coming back on sure sounds like an auto-reset breaker to me ???

 

[kkanizar]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

Here's an update..... On the advice from some of you I took a closer look at the main harness plug and pins. The clamp didn't seem too tight.... I bent te pins outward a little bit to get a better connection into the plug. My low speed (20 MPH)loss of electrical power is gone. What happens now is if I dump a tube rider and come back for him, when I throttle back, I loose electrical power now. What do you all think? Is the torque of the engine on throttle back having an effect or is the sudden drop of lectical power from the alternator from throttle back doing something wierd through the harness? Thanks!

 

[tommays]

Re: Mercruiser looses electrical power

i think you need to hook up a meter to the coil at the dock with the motor runing and start doing the shake test <br /><br />you should be able to kill the motor if is happening that often and you will no whats lose and can fix it<br /><br /><br />i would not rule out a bad connection at the control as it seems to happen when your moveing it<br /><br /><br />tommays