85 hp Yamaha starting problem

[eaglemaniac]

My mid 90s 85 Hp Yamaha won't start. I checked the battery and it read 11.69 volts which is a little low but never prevented it from starting before. Now it just turns over very slowly or just clicks. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. eman

 

[spring fever]

That voltage is too low!! Surprised it even turns it over. Charge the battery or get a new one before you do anything else.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Thanks for that sf, I will get it charging and report back. I hope that's all it is. eman

 

[trophywife]

Recharge and check and clean terminals.. Specially the grounds!!

 

[eaglemaniac]

Thanks trophywife,I threw the charger on it earlier today on sf's suggestion and I have checked it a while ago and it cranked up pretty good. I'm assuming that it was just the battery but I certainly appreciate your suggestion as I suspect it's a good one. Thanks. eman

 

[eaglemaniac]

Thanks to spring fever for the quick lesson in battery levels for boat starters. Battery is powered right up and turned motor over as per usual. eman

 

[bigbruce]

If I recall correctly, a 100% state of charge for a lead acid battery is at least 12.6 volts. At 12.3 volts the state of charge is 50% and at 11.8V the state of charge is 0%. I'm able to plug a "maintenance" charger into the 12V outlet on the dash of my boat to keep the batteries at 100% whenever the boat is out of the water.

 

[GDW]

That sounds like a good product big Bruce I assume its like the trickle charger I'm supposed to use on my motorcycle.

 

[bigbruce]

I've picked up several at Canadian Tire when they put them on sale for about $25. I use them on the lawn tractor, the boat and my vintage sports car that sits for most of the winter. They have a "charge" as well as a "maintenance" mode and switch between the two automatically.

 

[spring fever]

If I recall correctly, a 100% state of charge for a lead acid battery is at least 12.6 volts. At 12.3 volts the state of charge is 50% and at 11.8V the state of charge is 0%. I'm able to plug a "maintenance" charger into the 12V outlet on the dash of my boat to keep the batteries at 100% whenever the boat is out of the water.

I like your numbers and agree with them. Obviously I'm missing something here BBruce-you have a trickle charger plugged into the12v outlet on the dash of your boat to maintain your boat batteries? Unless there is some other power source for your trickle charger -that is a major disaster waiting to happen.
The batteries are nothing more than an energy storage-you cannot charge them with a trickle charger plugged into the boats set of batteries-ie. themselves.. That is like getting free energy-it ain't going to happen!! A more worrisome thing is you are charging into a closed loop system and very bad things (electrically) can happen to the charger and the batteries. The trickle charger must be plugged into an outside source-ie a wall socket-something divorced from the boat. While we are on the subject of trickle chargers and long term battery maintenance-it is a good idea to disconnect all loads from the batteries being charged especially if you are not around to monitor. May save some valuable equipment getting damaged if a short occurs or an overcharge develops. These trickle chargers are usually made in a foreign country and their regulators are not always fool proof.

 

[bigbruce]

The battery maintainer is plugged into a regular 110V outlet in my garage. These things are called "smart chargers" and are designed to maintain batteries that sit for long periods.

 

[spring fever]

The battery maintainer is plugged into a regular 110V outlet in my garage. These things are called "smart chargers" and are designed to maintain batteries that sit for long periods.

Knew there had to be more to it than plugged into your boat 12v source- the 110 makes sense. Thanks!

 

[GDW]

Lol of course it's plugged into the wall.

Do you have two batteries BB? And if so do you just set your switch to both and plug the charger into your boat or do you try to do one at a time and alternate?

Do you leave everything hooked up to your battery? I've got lots of experience killing batteries over the winter for various equipment.

 

[spring fever]

Lol of course it's plugged into the wall.


Brain F-rt on my part-couldn't visualize what BBruce was doing-the plugging into the 12v receptacle Without mentioning the 110v wall thing made me think his 12v outlet was the power SOURCE for his charger. Bad Friday afternoon I guess!!!!

 

[eaglemaniac]

I also thought that it was some new kind of energy source. Charge yourself. eman

 

[bigbruce]

Lol of course it's plugged into the wall.

Do you have two batteries BB? And if so do you just set your switch to both and plug the charger into your boat or do you try to do one at a time and alternate?

Do you leave everything hooked up to your battery? I've got lots of experience killing batteries over the winter for various equipment.

Yes, I do have two batteries and have my battery switch on "both". One of my Winter projects is to replace the Guest switch with a Blue Seas "Add a Battery" switch and VSR. I've talked to Blue Seas and they advise this set up will also work with the battery maintainer as long as I leave the Blue Seas switch turned on. I also leave everything hooked up to the batteries.