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Engine mystery

Special K

Member II
I am seeking good ideas from those more learned than I, in the ways of diesel engines (that means everybody, especially Loren). If the engine in our 1986 E28 has not been started within a day, it will often not start on the first attempt. After turning on the glow plugs for 60 to 90 seconds, the first push of the starter does not produce anything. The starter doesn't even try to turn the engine over. Turning the crank shaft over two or three times by hand will then lead to the engine starting with gusto when the starter button is depressed.

I don't think the solenoid is the problem, but I am curious if there could be an issue with the starter motor. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

bob smith

Junior Member
starting propblem

You need to check voltage at starter selinoid where wire from start button or start switch is attached. This will tell you if power is there on first try. If it is have started looked at. If no power check wiring. Good luck bob.
 

bayhoss

Member III
As a rule when the solinoid engages you will hear a click. If you hear the click check for voltage at the starter. Also check your amperage on the starter to see if its attempting to turn and being hindered by something like a bad bearing.

Hope this helps,
Frank
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
You say you have to "turn the engine over by hand" How difficult is it to do this? If it rolls over pretty easy then there is no issue. If its extremely hard I'd worry about a hydrolock issue. Unlikely though. I would check the wiring to the starter thoroughly. Is the starter even clicking and attempting to engage on the first try? If not its the starter or the wiring. RT
 

adavid

Member II
I went through this same thing for over a year, and believe that I finally fixed it all late last year. You can look up a post I had related to this. The previous owner had done the modification to the wiring. When I first had problems just like is described here, I started by replacing the starter button. That worked for a couple of weeks, and then the same problem again. After going through this with 3 buttons, I realized that was just a small piece of the problem. So, I then removed and cleaned any electrical connection along the the starter circuit. This includes the engine ground, the fuel pump, the ignition switch, the solenoid, and the engine harness. I think that the slight corrosion on all of them added up to the intermittent starting. Cleaning just one of these would make the issue go away for a little while, but cleaning them all seems to have made the problem go away completely.

I didn't have any problems for the last several weeks last season, and so far so good this year.

Good Luck!
 

Gary G

Member II
Loose connections?

I had similar intermittant starting problems (E28+ with Universal 5411) that were solved in a way similar to what adavid described. Cleaning and tightenting all the battery and engine ground connections fixed the problem.
 

Special K

Member II
Thanks for all the input. I think it makes sense to go over all the connections, check for corrosion and retighten. Thanks again.

Peter
 

stobias

"Alibi"
Do you need to depress the pre-heat button at the same time as the starter button in order to activate the circuit? This is the way the boats were origionally wired. In concert, the pre-heat and starter circuits drew too much for the wiring and caused a significant voltage drop. If this is the case on your boat, the solution is simple; reposition the wire that goes from the pre-heat switch to the start button, to the other side (always hot) of the pre-heat switch.
This drove me crazy until I found it, years ago, on my old E28. I did the mod on my current E26 and it pretty much eliminated the problem on this boat as well.
 

jreddington

Member III
I'll pipe in that I had a similar situation. Intermittant starting, although it always eventually started with the 5th or 6th press of the starter.

I started the wiring modification mentioned in earlier posts. But while doing it I found the key switch literally fell apart in my hands. Replaced that and completed the modification and it's like a new boat. Solid crank every time.

1st start of the morning I still hold down the glow plug for 20-30 seconds, then simultaneously press the start button. But any starts after that I don't even need the glow plug at all. Just press the starter. A lot easier than having to squeeze down there and having to use both thumbs to get her started.

Get out a volt meter, the wiring diagram, and track where you're losing voltage. It will be either an intermittant open, or a high resistance connection that's dropping the voltage to the solenoid too low.
 
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