Engine cut out while cruising [Update 1: broken timing chain] [Update 2: Yamaha claim approved]

[Harshhobgoblin]

Cruising along pulling a tube and single rider at ~30mph when all of a sudden lose power. No alarms or anything. Pull the tuber in and try to restart but get nothing but a shallow crank. Wait a few minutes and try again with no luck. Waved down the harbor master and he towed us to the dock. Got to be the battery right?

I have a dual battery setup that I keep on the dual setting. We had been blasting the music all day while beached, but if the engine was running shouldn't the alternator be charging the batteries and providing spark? Weird that it cut out under power.

Tried jumping with my car when I got home and wouldn't start (slow crank). Threw it on the trickle charger for the night and I'm hoping it's just a dead battery, but if not what else wouldn't it be?

 

[robert843]

Check the cleanout plugs to make sure they did not blow out also check the switch back there to make sure it's full and depressed . Also check the kill switch near the throttle make sure it didn't come out

 

[Andy S]

Check the battery connections and make sure they are tight, loose connection will act like a dead/depleted battery.

 

[haknslash]

These boats don't have alternators but rather stators. If you had your battery bank set on dual doesn't that mean you were pulling power from both all day? I would think if you're anchored you would want only the battery that is running the stereo on. As they said make sure the connections are tight. Let us know if the charger gets it sorted.

 

[itsdgm]

You might need more than a trickle charger to bring a battery back to life if it's dead. The trickle chargers that I have wont even start charging unless the voltage is up to a specified level to begin. Anyway, I'm not a charger expert by any means, but I'd start with a bigger charger first and go from there. Good luck, hope you figure it out.

For what it's worth, I agree with @haknslash. I run on one battery, keeping the second as a safety net in case I run the first one down. Then I can simply switch over to the second one in a pinch.

 

[Harshhobgoblin]

When I bought the boat I asked one of the techs about switching when listening to music. He scoffed and told me id have to leave the music running for 2 days to run out of battery and to just leave it on dual. I'll let it trickle overnight and see what happens, then use the switch from now on. Does it matter which one I use for music and operating? (I.e I have #1, #2, dual, or off options)

 

[haknslash]

Do you have a big stereo system with amps, speakers and such? Ideally I would have that stuff running off the second battery and the first battery would power my engine, stock boat related lights and such. Any aftermarket stuff I would add would get tied into the second battery.

What all is running off each bank?

 

[robert843]

When I bought the boat I asked one of the techs about switching when listening to music. He scoffed and told me id have to leave the music running for 2 days to run out of battery and to just leave it on dual. I'll let it trickle overnight and see what happens, then use the switch from now on. Does it matter which one I use for music and operating? (I.e I have #1, #2, dual, or off options)

I actually agree if you dont have amps and subs I dont believe your radio killed your two battery system unless you left it on from the last time you took the boat out and didnt turn the batteries off. I still think its most likely one of your kill switches has been triggered or a loose batter cable. Especially running at 30 mph to die wouldn't make sense hopefully its not the timing belt.

 

[swatski]

hopefully its not the timing belt.

Famous last words...

That would totally suck.

 

[Harshhobgoblin]

It's just the stock speaker system, so no subs is amps. I did accidently leave the battery switch on from the last time I went out so there's a string possibility I was already low when I went out.

I'll check out the kill switch tomorrow and hopefully the trickle charger will do the trick

Edit: didn't sound like a catastrophic failure when it died so I'm hoping it wasn't the timing belt. Has less than 50 hrs

 

[swatski]

I so hope it is not the chain!

What worries me is it wouldn't jump start.
And if your battery/batteries are completely discharged, trickle charger will be pretty much useless. You will need a 10-30 Amps charger and go for several hours, best overnight.

 

[WildBillF1]

Are either of your batteries deep cycle batteries? Deep cycles are made to completely discharge and should come back after being charged. Hopefully you'll get it sorted out and back on the water soon.

 

[bronze_10]

Two boat trips ago I go not to check the boat the night before.... I flip the switch for the engine fan and it barley turns... I realize I didnt have the trickle charger plugged in for the last two weeks.... I plug it up over night and check the next morning.... battery two was back up strong enough to start the engine and battery one which was disconnected by the switch the entire time was fine... we went to the lake... started boat... I turned the battery selector switch to both and we broke for an hour and a half. Stooped the boat and both batteries were back to normal. Unless your battery suddenly developed a direct short while riding, which is rare it seems odd that it would die like that.... interesting.

 

[Harshhobgoblin]

Update to next morning: after charging over night the trickle charger showed green, indicating the batteries are charged. Double checked the kill switch, clean out port switch, battery connections, and fuses (under the circular screw cap in the engine compartment). Engine turned over strong but would not start.

Here's a video:

Ideas? Sounds like it should be a switch, but I think I checked them all. Check fuel and spark next?

 

[robert843]

Try pulling up on the lanyard switch while trying to start just to make sure. Check the wiring in the engine compartment and make sure something didn't shake loose and disconnect. I would also check your oil and make sure it doesn't look milky from the tow.

 

[robert843]

Also check the rear kill switch the same way if possible have someone open the hatch and push the switch down all the way and try to start. There is probably another way to check the switches hopefully someone else will chime in if there is a better way.

 

[Bruce]

Check the cleanout plugs to make sure they did not blow out also check the switch back there to make sure it's full and depressed . Also check the kill switch near the throttle make sure it didn't come out

If the cleanout plug hatch switch is tripped or the throttle is not in neutral the engine will not turn over at all. If the lanyard (kill switch near the throttle) is pulled the engine will turn over normally but will not start as there is no spark.

 

[Bruce]

When I bought the boat I asked one of the techs about switching when listening to music. He scoffed and told me id have to leave the music running for 2 days to run out of battery and to just leave it on dual. I'll let it trickle overnight and see what happens, then use the switch from now on. Does it matter which one I use for music and operating? (I.e I have #1, #2, dual, or off options)

Is your stereo system factory or upgraded?

The factory stereo typically maxes out around 5 amps. If you had an 80 amp battery you could safely run the factory stereo for 8 hours before hitting 50% and damaging the battery. Two batteries would allow for 16 hours in that scenario if they started off fully charged.

But an upgraded amplifier may pull as much as 40 or 50 AMPs which would discharge a battery in an hour.

Traditionally our boats are wired with one battery dedicated to the engine(s) and the second for house loads (everything else).

Being that your boat is a 2013 I would guess that your batteries have failed. You should take them to an automotive store and have them load tested.

 

[robert843]

Thanks @Bruce I couldn't remember which switch wouldn't turn the motor I knew one would and the other wouldn't just couldn't remember which way it went. I do pray this isn't it but this story did sound familiar

https://jetboaters.net/threads/ar190-shuts-down.6657/#post-114442

 

[haknslash]

From that video it almost sounds like you're not getting spark. Wonder if your kill switch is faulty? I'm not sure how possible it is with these motors but can you pull the coil and spark plug to ensure you're getting spark?