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jack p

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Model
Freedom 325
I have a 2019 235 Freedom with a 300 Yamaha. I finally was able to get my lift repair after hurican Milton. After i lowered the boat I tried to start it on number one battery and it did nothing. I switched it to number 2 and it started. the batteries were the originals so I decided to replace both of them. I replaced both with 27M AGM batteries. The same that came with the boat. I cleaned up the terninals with a wire brush wheel on a drill before making the conections. There was evidence of Green corrosin at the old conections. I feel the number one battery was dead because water probaly rose high enough to come in through the drain plug hole during the huricans and the bigle pump ran along time.
Now after putting in the new battereis it just clicks on battery 1 or 2. I tested the batteries and one has 12.9 volts and the other 13.1 volts. the trim also just clicks. I have checked the continuity of the positive batteriey wires from the batteries to the battery switch as well as the short negative that contects the two batteries. the main gound apperars clean and i cant tell where it goes. I also have 12.8 volts on the positive wire where it connects on the motor from the battery switch. I graetly appreciate any of help and suggestions
 
Check the connection of the "motor to battery" or "Starter" cable. The Neg will be connected to a battery and the Pos will be on the "feed" post of the Battery Switch.

A good test would be to connect the Pos and Neg motor wires directly to a battery. That bypasses all switches and jumpers. Verifies the motor is ok and/or battery is ok

If that works, try it on the other battery.
 
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At the risk of offending you and being Mr. Obvious, triple check your grounds and that you didn't miss reaattaching a ground..
 
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I will double check the grounds. i did check with a multi meter the starter wire from the switch to the motor and have 12.9 volts
 
Also, closely inspect the connections - really close. A multimeter is good, but it doesn't tell you if enough amperage is flowing through. A single strand of copper wire will easily show 12.9V... but that won't be anywhere enough to actually run things.

But based on what you've written, as noted above, the first thing to do is to check everything you touched and make it sure it's back on the right spot.
 
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For me, on more than one occasion a multimeter has shown good voltage or continuity. After banging my head into the wall I eventually discovered (like others here have mentioned) the connections weren't clean enough to carry current. On one particular occasion I would have bet the farm that the battery terminal was sufficiently clean. The lead terminal was light grey instead of silver. That ended up being enough to contribute to the issue.
 
There should be a battery cable connecting the negative terminals of both batteries together. You may have left it disconnected.
 
I had something similar, albeit on a smaller Grady White 228 Seafarer last year when I went to start up the boat in the early summer after having replaced both batteries the previous fall. Something happened to where I pushed the trim/tilt button on the motor, it went all the way up and then put the boat in at the dock, pulled it off the trailer, started it and click. Tried it a few more times and then nothing. Pulled the boat out, put it back on the trailer, took it back to the cabin, tried tightening up all of the connections on the battery to see if that would make a difference and 3 out of the 4 wouldn't turn at all. One of the connections, I forget if it was the positive or negative, turned literally the width of a hair. I figured for sharts and giggles that I'd see if that made any difference, then the boat fired right up, and didn't have an issue after that. I knew it wasn't a battery issue as they were brand new batteries from only 6 months or so before, but as mentioned above, if you have a loose connection or something isn't touching, then you can have an issue. To be fair to myself though, there are a few wire connectors that are slightly bigger than they probably should be, as well as the battery terminals have the smaller sized posts on them. So, it's possible it just wasn't making good enough contact before, and then the slight tightening of it made the difference.
 
I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a bad battery switch.
 
How did you determine it was the battery switch. i truly appreciate all of the replys. I have checked all of the battery conections.
 
It was easy. It was the battery switch for the house bank. I had my mechanic slowly turn the switch to the ON position. It provided no juice. It should have permitted a flow of current. It did not. My experience has been that the contacts within these battery switches get worn or crusty from the many, many turns they go through and thereafter, do not perform their intended purpose. You could just put a meter inside the switch to tell for sure. The replacement switch was not expensive and did solve the problem.
 
jack p said:
How did you determine it was the battery switch. i truly appreciate all of the replys. I have checked all of the battery conections.
Click to expand...
When you checked them... how thorough? They need to be pulled off, played with a bit to see the strands, etc. Then clean and re-tighten. Need to check ALL grounds - and you need to check more than just at the battery.

Battery switch... just bypass it.
 
I am not so sure it is the switch. One battery worked before you replaced both batteries and now neither works?
Turn the switch to BOTH and see if the motor cranks over.
 
I have had an intermittent bad switch caused the same clicking as you describe. The tell was that when you tightened/loosened the nut on the FEED post, the whole thing moved a little.
I have had a motor cable that was green inside that caused the same clicking as you describe.
I have had a loose connection of the battery at the the + and/or - post that caused the same clicking as you describe.

Sometimes its an obvious loose connection. Sometimes it hides.

Thats why I say connect the motor directly to a battery. Good? OK...Then start working your way back...
 
Went back to square one. Disconnectected all grounds, recleaned and reconnected all grounds and it starts on one or position two.
Somewhat tempermental I guess. I really want to thank all of the members that took the time to give me suggestions of what to do.
Great group!
Thank You.
 
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