Help. A few times I ran my stbd....

[Bob_440_DA_w_Ca]

Help.  A few times I ran my stbd. House batteries down.  Started port Engine fine.  Hit emergency start and tried to start stbd but too little juice and just clicked start solenoid.  Checked emergency solenoid and it is acitivating fine.  Thought maybe dead stbd bank was pulling down port voltage too much.  So to test I disconnected stbd. Battery and tried so no effect from dead bank and same thing.  Is it possible that the emergency solenoid is old (1994 boat) and never used so main contacts are corroded inside and can not pass the current to start engine?  I am out of ideas why this is not working and am always worried I am stuck when spending time on hook so always need to start generator.  Any one know where I can buy solenoid?  Can not find on any search.  SeaRay part 140814.

[gtstang462002]

Check for voltage coming across both sides of the relay when it is activated. If voltage is present, then try to start the storboard engine and see if the voltage remains. If it does not remain, that relay probably need replacing.

This however does not rule out a bad ground somewhere that could cause similar symptoms.

[SMT]

Just had same problem with my 450 100 miles from home port. Port engine would not start sounded like bad batteries volt meter checked 12v. Emergency Start did not work. Everything pointed to a bad starter. (if it is a bad solenoid it will not even click). Did not have a battery tester did have a set of jumper cables. Jumped port engine off starboard batteries engine started fine. Took batteries out which indicated 12v to store did a stress test on them both were no good. One point if your batteries do not spin enough a cat will not start. If they crank enough to still spin motor be careful as you could burn up the armature in your starter and that will cost over 300 to fix.

[Airwaves]

Reread this - does your engine start off house batteries or just draw extra juice to the 24v system when emergency start is applied? Just rebuilt starter and replaced two 12v batteries in series on my boat and we are back in business. But don’t think house batteries contribute to engine start. 1994 55, Detroit 6v92s

[gtstang462002]

Everything is probably just 12v. Mine '87 460 Convertible just uses the starboard batteries as the house batteries. We know this because the 12v lights are dimming when cranking the starboard engine as the weather gets colder and it takes more juice to crank these big diesels. I feel like this is pretty is pretty much the standard for Sea Ray. All the emergency start does is act like built in jumper cables between port and starboard on a relay.

[Airwaves]

Makes sense - maybe at 46 feet they didn’t need the 24v to push entire length of boat?

[RAV]

I had a similar problem on my 42DA. Bad battery on port side bank took bank down. Replaced both with AGM's. Also took apart grounds to the engines, sanded clean, and reconnected with dielectric grease. Works well ever since.

[Airwaves]

@Robert Vasily did you need to change inverter when you went to AGM?

[RAV]

Battery types not related to the inverter and does not impact 120v systems. I went because no maintenance required.
no filling of water 2X per year.

[gtstang462002]

I think that he meant on board battery charger. If you don't have one specific to AGM batteries you can potentially cook them from the inside out.

[trush]

I switched out my lead acid batteries to AGM a couple of years ago. My original charger had a setting for AGM, but the charger itself is over 10 yrs old (2008). Over the last year, I noticed that the bank wasn't holding a resting voltage as high as the past.

So, I replaced the original charger with a new "smart charger" with different profiles for different battery types. Now my AGMs are holding a higher resting voltage.

In hindsight, I wished I would have changed out the charger, when I invested in the new AGM batteries. I believe that I've done "some" damage to the bank by not using a smart charger, but the damage appears minimal at this point.

[Airwaves]

Charger is what I meant. Good info thanks - considering AGM as well in next cycle of replacement.