Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

[Don S]

Had a customer bring his boat in first thing this morning, said it wouldn't start. Ran fine when he shut it off 3 months ago, it just won't start now.<br />It's a 3.0L Mercruiser Alpha drive. It was repowered 11 and 1/2 months ago. (His old OMC 3.0 died)<br />Anyway, the engine ran fine when he shut it off, but then wouldn't start the next day. He then let it set for 3 months in the water. Today he brought it in.<br />Battery was dead, all the fishing line under the float switch kept the pump running. Batt switch is still on. OK, no big deal, put the battery charger on and went to lunch. Should be able to crank it over after lunch.<br />Back from lunch, crank engine......hmmmmm, sounds like bendix or ring gear has some bad teath. Oh well, why won't the engine start.<br />Accelerator pump is squirting gas (not water, and we have nice blue spark.<br />Time to pull the plugs and look. Remove #4....end is beat to hell?????<br />Pulled engine, pulled head.......odd, gasket seems to be blown between cylinder 2 and 3, must have run a bit bad. Color looks good on 3 plugs even though the gasket seems blown. But, why is the exhaust valve head stuck in this big hole in #4 piston. That can't be good. Aluminum particles in the other 3 cylinders, must have run that way for a while, all through the intake manifold also. Cylinder scored in #4, not a surprise with the valve head banging around.<br /><br />So here we have an engine that has been running with the head gasket blown between 2 and 3 and a hole in #4 piston with the head of the valve stuck in the piston hole, and the customers only complaint is that it won't start????? Never heard anything, and the engine ran fine?<br /><br />That is the kind of thing that happens often to marine mechanics. I couldn't imagine the amount of banging that was going on with that engine plus the lack of 25% of the cylinders doing anything, now how in the world could the customer say it was running fine??????<br /><br />It's going to be covered by warranty, but come on, it didn't "RUN FINE" .<br /><br />Rant over. Where's my beer.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

Couple years ago a neighbor comes over and says he bought a charger and wants to charge his boat battery. Believe it or not, he said "Does black go to black, or to red?"? He works for the State, so I gave him a break...

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

DonS<br /> its not broke. just needs an adjustment or maybe a tuneup <br /> but other than that it ran great

 

[bomar76]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

In a similar vein...<br /><br />Back in High School, buddies older sister borrowed his car (a Buick with a straight 8!). She came back later that day and said car was alongside road, battery is dead. I took my buddy and jumper cables to get it.<br /><br />Yeah, the battery was dead all right.<br /><br />Near as we could tell here is the scenario:<br />Lower radiator hose burts, dumps out all coolant.<br />She keeps driving.<br />Engine begins to get a little warm to say the least.<br />She keeps driving.<br />Block finally cracks so bad it pushes starter away from ring gear.<br />She keeps driving.<br />Engine siezes and she rolls to a stop.<br />She cranks the now free spinning starter until the battery is completely dead.<br /><br />Hence, the problem is a dead battery.

 

[muc]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

My biggest surprise is that customer didn’t call to say “I just need a tune-up”<br />I think that sometimes customers think that if they tell the truth we will take advantage of them.<br />I spent some time working as a claims adjuster for an extended service agreement company and I found that there are some real shady repair facilities out there so I can understand the customer worries. Only way to break the cycle is to always be honest!

 

[tommays]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

it sounds like he owns the company i wrench for <br /><br />what do mean that machine needs repiar its only run 16 hours a day for 2 years and was perfect yesterday<br /><br />tommays

 

[rabidfish]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

What the heck have you guys been doing???<br /><br />You've all been reading all the "dealer bashing" going on in here all week... haven't you???<br /><br />And now you're getting a chance to "get even"... LMAO!<br /><br />That's what happens when we all get a pat on the back... ( ref: "Why we do it" )<br /><br />Things are never as good, or as bad as they seem. <br />Too much "Keirkegard"... There is no "proverbial abyss"<br /><br />So here's the prescription...<br />Have a good time. Drink a few beers with old friends. Drink a couple with new friends. Fix a few boats along the way.<br /><br />It's a good gig, if you can get it...<br /><br />So here's a toast to us all... CHEERS!<br />and now for the MGD

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

I bet we could all chip in our horror stories and have a book published on how a customer brings a boat in for service or how it just stopped running.<br />$800.00 to replace a starter,seems the V8 s starter was set right on the engine bed stringer.<br />Transom housing leaking, seems the customer tried to fly over a rock bed."but I never hit anything hard"<br />"Wont start after sitting"<br />Of course not, the transom plug was left in all winter and the hull filled up.<br />Proper care at the proper time will add years to your boating pleasure.

 

[trog100]

Re: Engine sounds fine,,,,, just won't start now????

mechanical horror stories.. he he<br /><br />a few years back when i used to runs taxicabs.. a friend said to me he had a slight sqeaky noise coming from his front wheel.. its a wheel bearing on the way out says i..<br /><br />his main concern was could he keep going for a couple of days.. i said yes just keep an eye/ear on it.. we are talking short trips here not going far away from home..<br /><br />anyway three days later i see this friends car stuck at the side of the road.. he had one wheel stud left attached to the hub.. the others had worn completely away and disappeared.. the holes in the wheel were about one inch or more in diameter bigger than the nuts.. the wheel was leaning over at a ridiculous angle on the verge of coming off completely..<br /><br />okay i was wrong it wasnt a wheel bearing it was not properly tightened wheel nuts.. they kinda sqeak if they aint tight enough..<br /><br />but what i still have difficulty believing to this very day is just how this f-cking idiot.. err friend.. he he.. could have kept driving this car over the three day period for not quite tight emough wheelnuts to turn into the disaster i saw..<br /><br />and to make it worse he hadnt stopped the car himself even then.. a customer had insisted he stop and investigate the god almighty vibration and racket that just had to be coming from that front wheel... he he he..<br /><br />add having to earn your daily bread into the equation as well as stupidity and u get some real mechanical abuse then..<br /><br />another interesting side to the taxicab thing was.. the Boss hates his drivers cos he thinks they are stupid and wreck his cars.. the clever drivers knows this and never ever report a fault on a car cos they know they will get the blame for breaking it.. so as long as they moved they moved he he.. and the not so clever drivers got the blame for the list of disasters that came to light when the poor old car finally did stop moving..<br /><br />trying to run a taxi business sent all concerned slightly insane i think.. he he <br /><br />things might have changed a bit now.. but i doubt it.. he he <br /><br />trog100