94 175 Fast Strike Intermittent Starting Problem

[got_musky]

Model: VJ175GLETG

Installed a 3rd graph w/ mega 360 this spring. Saw that my battery (3yr old flooded) was not keeping up w/ all the electronics - they were cutting out on low voltage towards end of day. However the motor always fired right up (battery is 830CCA).

Fast forward to this week, I got a new X2 Group 27 AGM battery.

https://www.batteriesplus.com/produc...YaAnr0EALw_wcB

Electronics now never read below 12.3V after fishing all day and starting/stopping motor to move to different spots all day (motor fires up first crank all day). Then, after fishing into the evening, the motor would not start. Starter engages but sounded weak, however voltage on graphs all read 12.3V.

Trolling motor in, put batteries on charger overnight. Go out in morning and everything fires right up again and did so the rest of the week until last night where I got stranded again. This time starter sounded strong but motor would not turn over.

What gives? Being an intermittent problem, but always at the end of the day I thought it was related to the battery. But, after seeing good voltage readings I'm at a loss.

[danlaboucane]

No answer for you sorry but i have a 1997 175 and installing second graph now and a third w/360 later so will be in same ''boat'' soon !
I read on this forum that our motors are made to charge only lead batts ? agm maybe not ? can't wait for answers for you and me !

[got_musky]

Yeah, I have been trying to research and finding same thing. Wish I knew that before dropping 400$ on an AGM! Once I get back up there I am going to take my old lead acid (flooded) battery and reinstall it for cranking and original boat electronics (nav lights, trim, motor, etc.). It will take some Tetris skills but then I'll take the AGM and use it as a house battery for all the electronics (3 graphs, M360, power poles, etc.).

[danlaboucane]

yup was thinking to add a house batt too , i'd have space if no oil tank ! looking at moving something around to make space .
i use lead batts for my troll motor from caterpillar and those are pretty good and if you look around at big rig parts store or dealers that carry them can be cheap ! thats what i will try first but tight squeeze to replace the start batt. 175-4370 is the carterpillar starting/deep cycle .i am in Canada so maybe not the same in US .

[Simply_M]

I would suspect the battery is the issue. No problems-changed the battery- now a new problem.

[BigFishSteve]

I'm not expert, but it could be a wiring corrosion issue. Once I changed my cranking battery and found so much corrosion under the main wire crimp, that when I pulled on it it almost completely fell apart. Most of the wire end was gone. I had to cut it back and add a new terminal. So, double check that everything is good and tight and while someone is cranking it, do some serious wiggling to the connections. Could be a connection issue.

[got_musky]

Hey bigfish, I for one can rule that out. That was the first thing I went to check after getting stranded out there the first time. I am leaning towards the compatibility issue between AGM and/or maintenance free lead acid batteries and the stator/voltage regulator. I just do not have a logical explanation as to why it works throughout the day until packing up from my last fishing spot. The battery is not depleted so I am thinking it is somehow an issue on the motor/stator/regulator side after starting and running so many times during the day?

I do know that at night/dawn I was moving around A LOT to go pick off topwater fish moving up on rock flats. Maybe could be related to the number of times its been started/run in any given period?

[BigFishSteve]

Got ya. Hope you figure it out. It's very frustrating. Years ago I went thru "heat soak" type issues. Finally got the vapor sep all fixed up and no issue. Motor has been good for a long time. Now I have missing/erratice spark to #2 and and sometimes #6. Motor still starts and runs well, just not quite as strong as it used to be. I've don't everything except replace the Stator. I've got the part, just not the guts to do it.

Get that motor well and go fish.

[got_musky]

I will know in ~a week when I get back up and switch out batteries. I am pretty confident the battery is the issue. As Simply_M put it: old batter: no problems; new battery: problem started.


I too have been through a handful of "problems" but what else do you expect from a motor that is almost 30 years old! I like having something I can for the most part mechanically work on and is not reliant on all kinds of computers and chips like everything new these days. If you've got an erratic/missing spark double check your coils and spark plug cables too, manual will tell you how to do that. You could also try changing them around, see if the no/erratic spark follows the coil or cable.

[ChampioNman]

It is a 93 not a 94 what color is the sleeve of your power pack? The G model has a Grey sleeve. The 1993 has two different packs based on the suffix letter.

[got_musky]

Champ you are correct that's my bad, it is indeed a 93

I believe I went through the sleeve color roughly 4 years ago w/ Jerry. Interesting to say....the P# for the power pack is 584990 but the sleeve is blue.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=842583&page=3

Posts #41 & 42

The motor has been running flawlessly since I made those adjustments, replaced coils & plug wires back in 2017.

[got_musky]

Update: the X2 AGM battery has been deemed faulty. I am going to Batteries Plus to get it replaced today. However I am going to use the 2019 flooded cell battery for cranking battery so there are no questions about compatibility. I'll use the AGM as a house battery for the electronics. Will report back later today or tomorrow with results.

[danlaboucane]

Thanks for the follow-up , have a good day .

[got_musky]

No more starting issues with the new battery setup. Now I'm just a little slower out of the hole with an extra battery and bigger 4 bank charger

[BigFishSteve]

Good to hear it's fixed. Thanks for the follow up.