Outboard help

[macowneril2015]

So I replaced both batteries in my because I thought they may be bad which was why the engine was struggling to start or trim up or down. I eventually was able to get the engine to tilt up and tilt down then was able to start it on a garden hose. Side note I was an idiot and tried to install batteries in dim light and flipped the connections on one of the batteries but the combiner switch was off and the engine started after this.

I go to try and tilt the motors up or down the day after I installed new batteries and was able to get it to start and all I get is clicking from the solenoid it sounds I also cannot get it to start just clicking. Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

Outboard is a 2001 Nissan 50HP (NS50D2)

[Jimmyt]

Either you have discharged your new battery; you have a bad wiring connection, or your starter went 8 legs up. I'm not real clear on the exact symptoms and chronology in your post.

Do you have a volt/ohm meter?

Do you have a battery load tester?

Did you clean off all terminal corrosion when you replaced the batteries?

Post pics of your batteries and selector if you can.

Your post seems to indicate that the tilt and start issues continued AFTER you replaced the batteries. Is this correct?

Your post seems to indicate that the next day, neither the tilt nor the starter worked. All you heard was clicking. Is this correct?

If the starter doesn't crank the engine over, do not continually click the key trying to get it to start. Ditto the tilt switches.

[Jimmyt]

Also, do you have crimp on terminals at your batteries? If so, can you see corrosion between the wire strands and the crimp on terminal?

If it was me me, I'd verify the battery was not dead by putting my load tester on it. You can check the voltage with a meter, but that isn't the whole story.

If you never combined the two batteries, chances are your reverse hookup didn't harm the batteries. You indicated that it started after this, so that's what I'm going on.

If you confirm that changing the batteries did not result in immediate correction of crank and tilt problems, I'm leaning toward wiring. If swapping batteries fixed the problem, then it all went bad overnight, it sounds like you may have a short or load that isn't switching off.

Did you have all batteries disconnected at the combiner/selector switch overnight?

[Starscream]

Clicking sound is an indicator of low or intermittent voltage at the starter. Most common is poor connection at the batteries. The connection and terminal have to be clean (wire brush) and bottled down very tight.

Second problem can be the wiring gauge. The stock wiring was very light, and created a high voltage drop between the battery and the motor. If you can get a voltmeter to the starter, read the voltage at the starter while cranking, and then read the voltage at the battery while cranking. The difference in voltage is because of the wire resistance. The MacFactory running those wires through the wet bilge without protection doesn't help the voltage situation.

I had that exact problem (low voltage at the starter making me think I had bad batteries) with the original wiring and the new big motor. Too much voltage drop eventually fried the starter, or so said Evinrude. It was replaced under warranty, but I also replaced the starter wires with something like 0 gauge wire at the same time, I forget what gauge it actually was.

[macowneril2015]

Also, do you have crimp on terminals at your batteries? If so, can you see corrosion between the wire strands and the crimp on terminal?

If it was me me, I'd verify the battery was not dead by putting my load tester on it. You can check the voltage with a meter, but that isn't the whole story.

If you never combined the two batteries, chances are your reverse hookup didn't harm the batteries. You indicated that it started after this, so that's what I'm going on.

If you confirm that changing the batteries did not result in immediate correction of crank and tilt problems, I'm leaning toward wiring. If swapping batteries fixed the problem, then it all went bad overnight, it sounds like you may have a short or load that isn't switching off.

Did you have all batteries disconnected at the combiner/selector switch overnight?

Will post pictures of batteries and wiring tomorrow morning when I pick up the boat. Also i placed brand new fully charged AGM size 27 batteries in. I think it may be a wiring issue since I did have some issues in the fall/winter but I attributed that to batteries being drained. What was odd was there were times where I had to switch to "combine" in the fall to get it to tilt up.

After swapping batteries I still had some issues it is weird as soon as I go to apply load the trim sensor light fades or appears to loose its power and I only tried in short bursts to do anything as I did not want to fry the solenoids or anything else.

My wiring set up is that the perko switch is near companion way opening and there is a fuse panel for cabin lights that is near it from there the cables run to front booth seat which houses the 2 batteries I have an ACR and a negative bus bar that ties in there so everything is either off a separate fuse panel or bus bar. I do have shore power installed and a battery charge.

I appreciate your help and I will report back tomorrow my findings.

[macowneril2015]

Clicking sound is an indicator of low or intermittent voltage at the starter. Most common is poor connection at the batteries. The connection and terminal have to be clean (wire brush) and bottled down very tight.

Second problem can be the wiring gauge. The stock wiring was very light, and created a high voltage drop between the battery and the motor. If you can get a voltmeter to the starter, read the voltage at the starter while cranking, and then read the voltage at the battery while cranking. The difference in voltage is because of the wire resistance. The MacFactory running those wires through the wet bilge without protection doesn't help the voltage situation.

I had that exact problem (low voltage at the starter making me think I had bad batteries) with the original wiring and the new big motor. Too much voltage drop eventually fried the starter, or so said Evinrude. It was replaced under warranty, but I also replaced the starter wires with something like 0 gauge wire at the same time, I forget what gauge it actually was.

I think it may be poor battery connect as I said it was later in the evening after a long day working on the boat so I wonder if I did not tighten the bolts down fully. Will be my first check.

[Starscream]

Bolted not bottled. Lol. Canadian spelling?

[Starscream]

Oh, and if the tilt needed both batteries combined, my money is on voltage drop in the wires. The heavy gauge wires that I installed weren't cheap though, and I also added a waterproof conduit for the new wires thru the bilge. Starts like a charm with zero voltage drop now.

I really recommend a voltage check at the batteries and another at the motor during the same operation. That will confirm or reject the wires as the problem.

For the first two months of my problem the Evinrude dealer tried to blame my batteries. Optima bluetop AGM, like yours, and unlikely to be the problem.

[Jimmyt]

With the additional info, I'm going to throw in with starscream. Sounds like wiring.

[macowneril2015]

With the additional info, I'm going to throw in with starscream. Sounds like wiring.

So I will attach images below, the red switch is near the companionway and I have the wires run under the kitchen area to the bench adjacent where I have the galvanic isolator, shorepower panel, and charger. Then across the aisle is the batteries, bus bar and ACR. I retightened everything and it was able to start but 10 minutes later I went to tilt the engine and the weird clicking no response or no clicking at all started again, but there is power to the trim gauge. I am unsure what happened from last year when this set up ran fine to now. I did try undoing all the setup and taking the engine wire (4 AWG) and connecting directly to a battery where the trim will work then stop and not work at all.

I have no idea where to go now as the batteries are new and charged, re did my engine cable extension terminations and then checked all the wiring.

[Jimmyt]

Is it just the tilt that's clicking, or will the engine not crank also?

If it's just the tilt, it's possible that your tilt switch, or something in the motor assembly is bad.

Generally speaking, your pics show the wiring and terminals to be clean and in good shape. I was expecting a lot of rust/corrosion. So, you're in better shape than I thought.

We need to clarify whether you still have crank issues AND tilt issues or it's only tilt. Then we can start from there.

Hang in there. You'll get it.

[macowneril2015]

Is it just the tilt that's clicking, or will the engine not crank also?

If it's just the tilt, it's possible that your tilt switch, or something in the motor assembly is bad.

Generally speaking, your pics show the wiring and terminals to be clean and in good shape. I was expecting a lot of rust/corrosion. So, you're in better shape than I thought.

We need to clarify whether you still have crank issues AND tilt issues or it's only tilt. Then we can start from there.

Hang in there. You'll get it.

Tilt and crank both are not existent now (worked briefly then stopped), sometimes they will click other times they will not, looking at the gauge for tilt I can see the power drain out as soon as I try and do anything (trim or crank engine). It is odd that this year it is fighting me, last year it ran perfectly. Sidenote my boat was vandalized over the winter, someone took a hammer to part of the cavitation plate but I doubt there was any correlation due to my inspection and lack of damage elsewhere.

A lot of the wiring is new, I found some possible weak links and replaced the cable terminations I also cleaned and lubricated battery terminals. I figured the 4 AWG is big enough as I am not traveling that far and worked fine last year. Hopefully, it is an easy fix. I appreciate everyone's assistance here you all are lifesavers.

[Jimmyt]

Have you checked your terminals under the engine cowl?

[Starscream]

Wiring looks fine. 4 gauge wire should be good for 80-ish amps and less than half a volt drop over 20 feet, so the wiring and batteries are unlikely to be the problem.

I would still put a voltmeter in the motor terminals while cranking and while not cranking, just to see what voltage gets there.

Then, I'd check the main fuse, and replace it. I had the main fuse come loose on my almost new E-Tec a few years ago and although the symptoms aren't exactly what you describe, it's still a possibility. If the motor has full voltage at its terminals, and the voltage doesn't drop when you crank or try to tilt, then it's a motor problem. If there is full voltage at the motor and it drops way down when tilting or cranking then the problem is likely on the boat.

[Jimmyt]

Wiring looks fine. 4 gauge wire should be good for 80-ish amps and less than half a volt drop over 20 feet, so the wiring and batteries are unlikely to be the problem.

I would still put a voltmeter in the motor terminals while cranking and while not cranking, just to see what voltage gets there.

Then, I'd check the main fuse, and replace it. I had the main fuse come loose on my almost new E-Tec a few years ago and although the symptoms aren't exactly what you describe, it's still a possibility. If the motor has full voltage at its terminals, and the voltage doesn't drop when you crank or try to tilt, then it's a motor problem. If there is full voltage at the motor and it drops way down when tilting or cranking then the problem is likely on the boat.

Starscreams idea would be a great next step. Since you are losing both tilt and crank, we're still looking for something in the main power wiring. Narrowing the search to powerhead or boat wiring will help. Get the test point as soon as it gets in the cowl as possible.

Also, do you have the manual and engine wiring schematic? Posting the schematic may help locate it if you narrow it to the powerhead.