2006 optimax won’t start in cool weather but starting better after it gets warmer out

[Kbvancwa]

1B229303 serial #2006 mercury optimal 225 hp I have read all the posts about batteries and voltage and have all the right equipment. Here is how it goes. I go to the ramp in the morning and pump the ball turn the key on hear the Injector pump prime itself and try to start it crank it for 10 seconds or so and nothing repeat this many times. Get tired of waiting and head out to fishing with my trolling motor fishing till the weather gets warmer try to fired up a few times here and there in between waiting for the weather to warm up and after say 11:30 in the afternoon sun beating on the motor and it fires up and runs great the rest of the day. I have a service manual checked the air and water temperature sensing sensors with an ohm meter and they’re right on target with what the manual says they should be at each temperature so I’ve kind of eliminated those and I’ve cleaned all the 12 V terminals negative and positive all over the motor replaced the spark plugs and wires .I have a new map sensor coming. If anyone has had similar issues with this opti motor let me know what you think. Thanks Ken

[EuropeanAM]

What is the voltage at the power stud on the engine (from that post to block):

-Before cranking

-WHILE CRANKING (COLD)

-After attempging to crank (cold)?

Checked the stop-bumper on the starter to make sure it's intact?

[Kbvancwa]

13.24 volt just pulled it off the charger. Cranked it and it dropped to 10.75 and started and its warmer outside which is true to form. After rechecked voltage and sitting it was 12.30. I will try and start it again in the morning when its cooler and again check the voltage and report what I find

[Kbvancwa]

Is there any tricks to having a cranking battery and a separate battery to run the ECU and the injectors? Seem like I may be at the bare minimum for voltage to run the whole system. What is that minimum?

[Kbvancwa]

Also not sure what the stop bumper on the starter is.

[Kbvancwa]

I assume its a bendex gear stop. But is it in the starter or external

[apdriver]

Minimum cca for your engine is listed in the FAQ’s up at the top of the board. I’ll post a link for the battery stuff for you. Good luck with your motor.

https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread...batteries+meet

[JOE54]

^^^^^^ +1 what is MCA age and cold cranking voltage for your batt

[SilverFox579]

13.24 volt just pulled it off the charger. Cranked it and it dropped to 10.75 and started and its warmer outside which is true to form. After rechecked voltage and sitting it was 12.30. I will try and start it again in the morning when its cooler and again check the voltage and report what I find

12.3v static doesn't tell you what the battery's cranking capacity is, fully charge your battery then have it load tested. Only 10.75v after cranking is a telling sign.

[Kbvancwa]

The voltage dropped to 10.75 while cranking the motor and back to 12.30 after I stopped cranking it, but I will have it load tested thanks

[Kbvancwa]

2yrs old MCC 1000A CCA 825A. Heading to battery store to load test them. Seems like they spin the engine good. But may not be giving enough volts to electronics…… using 2 full throttle model FT 825s-34 batteries and still strange that these batteries will fire the engine after the weather warms up and cranking the engine many times in the morning and not charging in between….. update the batteries load tested good

[EuropeanAM]

2yrs old MCC 1000A CCA 825A. Heading to battery store to load test them. Seems like they spin the engine good. But may not be giving enough volts to electronics…… using 2 full throttle model FT 825s-34 batteries and still strange that these batteries will fire the engine after the weather warms up and cranking the engine many times in the morning and not charging in between….. update the batteries load tested good

BARELY meets requirements for the engine alone. Look at the battery post link provided above- you really should be up there in the 950 CCA range MINIMUM for a fishing application. 975+ CCA is even better.

IGNORE the "MCA" or "CA" ratings. They're often misleading (or just outright "fudged").

The Bumper/Stop is a small, rubber triangular stop that affixes to the upper endcap of the starter, then indexes into a recess in the engine block. If this is missing or damaged, it can cause the starter to bind.

[Kbvancwa]

I should’ve stated that I run this motor on 2 batteries in parallel.IMG_6517.jpeg

[JOE54]

so voltage dropped to 10.75 with batt parallel ????

[Kbvancwa]

When cranking it over yes

[EuropeanAM]

2 batteries in parallel is only helpful if they are BOTH good, and the connections are made to ensure the ENGINE has "first dibs" on any available output from the batteries.

Engine cables should both be on the SAME battery.

[Kbvancwa]

2 batteries in parallel is only helpful if they are BOTH good, and the connections are made to ensure the ENGINE has "first dibs" on any available output from the batteries.

Engine cables should both be on the SAME battery.

The batteries are both good and wired correctly through a Perko switch and I can select one battery the two batteries or both batteries for the starting. So I think I can eliminate batteries and voltage as the problem. But headed to a marine mechanic on Thursday hopefully they can figure out why it won’t start on a 60° morning but will start on a 75° afternoon.

[Bryanmc57]

The batteries are both good and wired correctly through a Perko switch and I can select one battery the two batteries or both batteries for the starting. So I think I can eliminate batteries and voltage as the problem. But headed to a marine mechanic on Thursday hopefully they can figure out why it won’t start on a 60° morning but will start on a 75° afternoon.

Have you tried eliminating the perko switch from the equation?

[SilverFox579]

Have you tried eliminating the perko switch from the equation?

^^^^+1!

[Kbvancwa]

^^^^+1!

I will go ahead and try anything at this point, so I will remove the Perkins switch and wire it directly in parallel to the two batteries
and report back if it starts this morning. thanks for good suggestions. I will be very interested to find out what the mechanic says the problem is , never had a motor That wouldn’t start in the morning but with Run so amazingly in the afternoon start on the first piston up and perform real well. I guess the bright side of doing all of the suggested items from here help to shave off shop hours I will be paying a mechanic to do on Thursday, so again thanks for that.