shorting my F225

[seabird_cayman]

i had a lose positive connection to my port engine and now my engine won't start.. even with a new battery my gauge shows 11.8v and when i try start it I hear a couple clicks of the starter and then its dead but the battery is fully charged.... any ideas?

[99yam40]

bad battery cables or connections

[seahorse5]

a common problem are the battery cables where they fasten to the engine by the intake runners. Many time the terminals are not seated flat when they are bolted down. Check that area first.

[seabird_cayman]

could I have blown the main fuse in the engine? Would that cause my symptoms?

I will get to it this afternoon and let you know if there is any change.... thanks for your input

[seabird_cayman]

with fully charged batteries I re-set the breaker to the engines and was back in business until 20 mins later I was dead in the water again.... no power.

I'm thinking a bad ground? would this deplete a good battery? but I don't understand why that same ground for the house electronics doesnt deplete that battery??

All fuses in the engine were fine.
All battery connections were tight and clean.

[99yam40]

If you are having to reset a breaker then some thing is drawing enough current to trip the breaker which is not normal.
find the short or device that is drawing too much current

Is the motor charging the battery?
Is the battery being draind to the point the motor shuts down?
Or is the breaker just tripping?
Sometimes disconnecting the battery while motor is running will cause charging problems taking out the regulator or other things. A bad connection is the same as disconnecting battery.
A voltmeter and a DC clamp on amp meter would come in handy for troubleshooting

[seabird_cayman]

If you are having to reset a breaker then some thing is drawing enough current to trip the breaker which is not normal.
find the short or device that is drawing too much current

Is the motor charging the battery? yes
Is the battery being draind to the point the motor shuts down? yes
Or is the breaker just tripping? not the second time

Sometimes disconnecting the battery while motor is running will cause charging problems taking out the regulator or other things. A bad connection is the same as disconnecting battery.
A voltmeter and a DC clamp on amp meter would come in handy for troubleshooting

To check power at the starter does the key have to be turned over or just to the "on" position?

[99yam40]

When the key is turned to the start position the start relay is energized and that will send 12 power to the starter.

If the motor is charging the battery while running and the batteries are being drained completely with motor running in just 20 minutes, you must have a bad short in the wiring somewhere. I would think it would be melting wire insulation on the wires that are shorting.

How did you test to see if motor was putting out charging voltage and current?

[seabird_cayman]

well the culprit turned out to be a bad main ground.. it didn't look bad but after taking off the cables and sanding them the boat has been running fine and hasn't been drawing any power from the batteries...

thanks for all your replies!!!