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2007 Mercury 250hp ProXS shut down on plane, won't restart.
The boat is a 2006 Triton TR21X.
Engine: 2007 250HP ProXS - S# 1B736789
The engine has a new powerhead that had 12 hours on it, and his been running flawlessly since I picked it up three weeks ago.
Went out for a few hours yesterday, and the first three startups were fine. Idled well, no rough or jumpy sputtering on idle or on plane, water pressure was perfect. On my run back to the dock, I was at about 3/4 throttle and the motor just shut off. No weird sounds, no warning signs, no alarms, no smoke, just...off...and then wouldn't start. I get a beep when turning the key to "on" and the motor cranks, but won't turn over.
After priming on the initial startup, I did notice that the fuel pump wasn't running when turning the key to "on" after shut down, but there was a single click around the time that the pump normally shuts off, so I'm sure that's either the problem or a symptom. I did have the alternator in-line fuse harness replaced when I got the boat (it was blown), and was wondering if maybe the fuse for the Fuel Pump was damaged whenever the in-line fuse blew and finally popped last night. The pin-valve on the VST spewed no gas when depressed, and the bulb was as tight as it could be.
Planning on opening her up this afternoon, and would love to hear any advice on where I should start and/or what I should look for. Thanks!
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Check battery voltage.
Do you hear the fuel pump when you turn the key to the ON position?
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Not to insult your intelligence in any way, but check your lanyard (since you didn't mention it). Sometimes it looks as though it's still connected but the connector moved the switch ever so slightly as to cut the motor off. Try to reset the kill switch and restart to see. Again, no insult intended.
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Sorry, I checked and rechecked the kill switch...not the issue.
Battery is brand new and was fully charged. Solix was showing 12.9v.
Fuel pump does not run when key turns to "on" position.
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Check the Main Power Relay.
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Welp, part one was easy. Blew a 20 amp fuse... melted it pretty bad. Replaced it and she turned right over. Now I’ve just got to figure out why that fuse blew in the first place.
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As I was looking for exposed wiring I noticed that I was getting a very faint shock every time I touched a metal part of the motor inside the cowling with highly exposed skin. (The one time biting my fingernails may have paid off)
Anyone know what may cause this?
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You can do a ohm test engine to ground at battery but voltage drop test would be better. And you are sure you didn't inadvertently have one hand on a power source when ya placed your hand to ground?
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It going to blow again. Which 20amp fuse was it?
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It was the one for the fuel pump, et all.
I wasn’t touching a power source, and as soon as I cut off the charger for TE cranking battery, the shock through the engine disappeared.
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Let us know what you find. I'll be following this 1..
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I'm thinking (hoping) that the charger (off-board smart charger) was backfeeding to the engine, and that constant current flow slowly cooked that fuse. I'm going to give the on-board charger a shot today and see if that current still runs through the engine. If not, then I'll start using it instead of the smart charger. Then I'll head to the lake with a couple extra fuses and see what happens.
I've read that some people have had similar issues when charging their cranking batteries on Opti's. Not sure how to eliminate that issue without disconnecting the motor every time I charge the battery, though.
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You might describe your battery wiring and charging setup in detail. I've never had an issue charging my batteries whether using an on-board charger (all I use anymore) or stand alone off the boat and have never disconnected my engine to charge batteries.
_______
Phil
'09 Hewescraft ProV
'09 150 Optimax
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Charging the battery did NOT cause that fuse to blow.
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Hooked the battery up to the onboard charger and no shock occurred when touching exposed metal on the motor. Headed to the lake now to see if that fuse blows again. All wiring and motor connections look good.
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You have a failing fuel pump, or a short ground in the fuel pump wiring harness. I repeat this is not a charging problem.
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Savage: When I got the boat a few weeks ago, the alternator harness with the in-line fuse was blown and had to be replaced. So, at some point this motor had received an abnormal amount of current (perhaps a battery hooked up backwards), and I think that *may* have damaged the fuse, meaning that it's at least possible (???) that the backfeed from the charger could have broken it down over time...Or the fuse may have had a bad connection, because it didn't just pop, it was melted.
I replaced the fuse yesterday and everything worked perfectly, including my gas gauge and RPM gauge (which hadn't accurately worked since I got the boat). I'm taking it to the shop next week to have my electronics guy install the can lines and NMEA 2000 gateway, so I'll be sure to talk to the Merc tech and see what he thinks.
I'll be running her again today for a little trail classic practice on Cherokee. I'll continue to update. Really appreciate all the feedback.
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The blown fusible link was due to reversed battery cables. I would carry a bunch of spare fuses, so maybe you don't get stranded out on the water.
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Yep, got a variety pack stowed away now.
Here's a look at the fuse upon discovery:
IMG_2467.jpegFullSizeRender.jpeg
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