engine cuts out then ok

[crui05]

as said above. engine fine for a while then suddenly cuts out. established fuel ok and filters.
i just maybe suspect electrics as after stalling, the ignition was completley dead. no power to lights or anything. after a few mins, hey..engine starts. but scared of being left out there i slowly putt putt back to her berth.
why would the battery suddenly go completley dead then come back to life.
its a nearly new boat battery.
any ides guys.

[neil.mccrirrick]

I’d start by checking the battery leads are tight at the battery and at the engine

[paintman]

^^^As said, thorough check of the electrics to be sure they're clean & tight.

If you have the type of battery terminal where the wires are held in by screws then remove & check for corrosion on the wire.

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by paintman

If you have the type of battery terminal where the wires are held in by screws then remove & check for corrosion on the wire.

Or even better get rid of them and replace with a proper crimped terminal

[crui05]

yes ive checked the batt leads are ok. symptoms i experiance indicated to me it was the battery in some way. i was obviously to scared to venture any further out and didnt want to push it in case it cut out and i was in a falling tide.

[TmMorris]

It's a heat issue isn't it, rather than a battery issue.

If you can start it after it's cooled down a bit then there is life in the battery. If the connections are fine then it's going to be heat soak impacting the starter or solenoid.

However, you mention that the engine dies first rather than you killing it and it not wanting to start until cool which suggests a fuel issue.

Could you be getting fuel vapourising? If it's a hot day and your black fuel line is fully exposed could you just be getting your fuel up to that tipping point where it's vapourising and killing the engine?

[crui05]

no its def not heat as it will start almost straight away. first time it happened as i said i just ticked over back to mooring but second time it happened in almost the same spot ,as i was retuning on tick over i nudge it faster a little and it seemed ok.
third time exactly the same.

[Phil2174]

What sort of engine is it. Have you replaced filters or just visually inspected. Check all fuel lines for splits, kinks or collapsing. Can you prove fuel flow to engine is consistent

[paddlers]

Have you tried a different battery ? Even new you could get a faulty cell . Had similar issue with a battery . Showed plenty of volts , my car guy put his tester on , low amps . Turned out to have a intermittent fault with a dead cell . Replacement battery all good.

[Tim M]

What engine is it, and what year? Carbs or EFI?

Certainly sounds electrical. Check all your connections are clean and in good order. Battery is a common one - some engines are very sensitive to clean and tight battery terminals etc. I'd also be checking out the control box - could be something as simple as a loose connection / faulty kill switch or similar.

PS. You mention “no lights” when it happens. Which lights are you referring to - engine gauge lights or something else onboard? Either way, certainly an electrical issue. Battery / cables / isolator / control box.

[treerat]

I had something along the same line and it was the connection on the isolator - be sure to check that bit well.

And don't forget the key - used to be able to knock mine with my knee on the 4.7 - most annoying!!

[Orwell boy]

Originally Posted by treerat

I had something along the same line and it was the connection on the isolator - be sure to check that bit well.

And don't forget the key - used to be able to knock mine with my knee on the 4.7 - most annoying!!

Thats a good call ,i had same some years ago on one of those red isolators with the three cornered key ,also towed an old banned favourite on here 6 miles back one day only to be the exact same fault .Probhably worth a check ,suffolk showground boat jumble tommorow so handy if youneed anything !