Won't start on #2 battery

[SkunkBoat]

I know it may be a pain but if it were me I would...

pull the #2 battery and connect it directly to the start cables of the motor with nothing else in the circuit.
If it works fine (probably will) then its cables or switch

Connect #2 batt back. Test it again. Still broke?

Bypass the switch in #2 position with a jumper cable. If it works then its the switch that is the problem

If not then its a connection or cable. Loosen and re-tighten all conections if not already done.
Use a jumper cable from the #2 Neg to the #1 neg.
use jumper cable from Batt#2 pos to #2 on switch

 

[Pighunter]

Okay fuel pump goes on for a few seconds in all three positions, #1, Both and #2
I searched again for a disconnected wire around #2 battery but can't see one. It's tough though, when I installed the battery's I already had the live well removed and the 2 stroke oil tank was removed. Now that everything is in place it's not that easy to be 100% certain that there's not a wire down there? I'll do more of the suggested tests tomorrow.

 

[Blaugrana]

I know it may be a pain but if it were me I would...

pull the #2 battery and connect it directly to the start cables of the motor with nothing else in the circuit.
If it works fine (probably will) then its cables or switch

Connect #2 batt back. Test it again. Still broke?

Bypass the switch in #2 position with a jumper cable. If it works then its the switch that is the problem

If not then its a connection or cable. Loosen and re-tighten all conections if not already done.
Use a jumper cable from the #2 Neg to the #1 neg.
use jumper cable from Batt#2 pos to #2 on switch

It’s definitely a pain to take out that battery by the oil tank but it’s worth it. I wish I would have gone that route. Either do the advice above orswap batteries to see if battery or cable/ switch issue. Then go from there.

Out of curiosity, how many grounds do you have on battery #1? I assume you should have 1 from the outboard, 1 from the other battery, 1 from helm and then the fuel tanks and bilge, possibly.

 

[Blaugrana]

Here are pics of my two batteries for reference with an ox66 225. Might help you figure out if you are missing anything

 

[seasick]

I am starting to think that something is wired incorrectly but exactly what is a mystery.
If the accessory bus is fed off of battery 1, then it is possible that something needed to power the engine is not getting power but that theory goes against my earlier statement that ignition voltage comes from the motor.

If the horn sounds when you first power up the engine, I would check that is sounds both on batt 1 and batt 2.
It may have been stated earlier but I am a tad hazzy but does the motor start on the BOTH setting? I guess it should..

 

[Pighunter]

Here are pics of my two batteries for reference with an ox66 225. Might help you figure out if you are missing anything

That's a mirror image of my battery's wiring.

 

[Pighunter]

Okay so here's what I know .
All cable/wire connections are clean.
I just tried to start engine on battery #2 it turns strong with no fire.
I hooked jumper cables from battery #1 to battery #2 with battery switch on #2 selection and motor fired. I unhooked cables and motor will not fire.
Battery #2 only has 2 cables connected to it POS. & NEG just like Amamola's picture.

 

[DennisG01]

Forgot to mention this... I agree with the statements that some ECU's are quite picky when it comes to proper V. However, this particular ECU is a very basic ECU and is not all that picky. If the engine is turning over, and all other things being "normal", it will start.

Something has to be wired wrong. I'm just not putting 2 and 2 together in the proper order, right now!

OK, so we can assume (for now) that if you're hearing the pump run then you're the fuel side is OK. What about spark? Did you test that?

But, IF we assume you have fuel, then the missing variable is spark. I'm wondering if the kill switch is flaky... but I honestly don't know if it controls fuel, spark or both. Try this: pull the kill switch lanyard and try starting the engine... what happens?

Try this, too: Start on #1, then switch to #2.

Try this, three: Pull the lanyard off, then firmly push the button in and try starting on #2.

 

[DennisG01]

Looks like we were typing at the same time... forget about the kill switch stuff.

Something is wired wrong/missing - look around better... or use your phone.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Okay so here's what I know .
All cable/wire connections are clean.
I just tried to start engine on battery #2 it turns strong with no fire.
I hooked jumper cables from battery #1 to battery #2 with battery switch on #2 selection and motor fired. I unhooked cables and motor will not fire.
Battery #2 only has 2 cables connected to it POS. & NEG just like Amamola's picture.

So you jumped both pos and neg?

try jumping just the neg. if that works it bad connection or cable
if not then
remove neg jumper.
try jumping just the pos from batt1 to batt2
if that works
move jumper between batt 2 and #2 on switch
if that works then its cable from batt2 to switch
if not
then move jumper between #2 on switch and FEED on switch(the one that coonects to the pos motor )
if that works then its switch

 

[Pighunter]

Well I just went out to hook up the battery charger to top off the battery's tonight. Before I did I put battery switch to #2 and turned the key, it fired right up? So what ever it is it's sporadic??

 

[Hookup1]

Seems to me it liked the fully charged battery.

 

[Pighunter]

Seems to me it liked the fully charged battery.

No it fired before charging. This all started last Friday the battery the battery has a 95% charge I'm topping it off now.

 

[seasick]

I was waiting for that to happen, all of a sudden start working. I assume that you may have fooled a bit with the battery cables when you rechecked how many cables were connected.
I think there is a bad cable end or connection somewhere, possible a battery lug.

 

[Hookup1]

Check the POS battery charger fuses too.

 

[dbiscayne]

You've checked batt. voltage at the batteries and they seemed fine, have you checked voltage at the starter motor? See if theres a difference between when the batt. switch is at (1) vs. (2) position. Could be a slightly bad connection at the switch, doesn't take much of a drop in voltage to keep the engine from firing.
With all the pushing around of the cables you've probably been doing it might have been just enough to get a better connection somewhere within the batt. 2 cables.
Definitely check the grounds also, you might get 12.8 volts at the battery but once you put a load on it theres a chance its not providing the amps to spin the engine fast enough for the engines electrical system to fire.

 

[Hookup1]

Simplify. The engine seems fine on the other battery. As others have said you have a problem with a bad connection (positive or ground) or the battery is not good. Does the other engine start fine when flipped to the battery that gives the other engine grief? No switches? Swap batteries.

The ECU's in the engines are far more sensitive to voltage variations than the starter.

 

[Pighunter]

So yesterday I replaced the perko switch I still have the same problem. Not sure where to go from here.

 

[Halfhitch]

Load test the #2 battery cables both positive and negative.

 

[Blaugrana]

What battery switch did you get?