Confusing Perko Issue - 87 Cigarette
 

So I've had a weird issue since I've bought the boat. I always thought it was just weak batteries and 30 yr old starters. So about a month ago, I dropped in 2 brand new batteries, 2 new factory starters shined up all connections at starter cables, batteries, perko's etc. The person I bought boat from said just leave em switched to the "All" position, so that's how I'd always ran it til I did the work on it. Saw plain as day on the panel underneath the seat it says switch to "1", only use "All" for a dead battery, never run in the "All' position as alternator damage will occur. Soooo, figuring those were probably shot, I installed 2 new factory alternators. Set them to position 1, both engines cranked over super fast, motors hit on first turn of the key. I figured - problem solved.

Fast forward 1 weekend, my port engine will not start unless I switch the perko for that motor to "All". It started a few times in the 1 position, now I just get a starter click. Alternators appear to be charging per the gauge. Even pulled them off to test, they're fine. Checked the batteries, both read 12v per the gauge in the perko panel but I have not truly tested them out of the boat. Needless to say, it's annoying as hell to switch it from 1 to all every time I want to start the damn thing. Also noticed neither motor cranks anywhere close to as fast as what they did when everything was fresh. I leave the perkos set to off when we cover it each weekend.

I wondered if I had a bad switch, but that seems rare considering it worked in the 1 position when battery, starter, and alternator were fresh. I pulled some diagrams of perko installs and all of them show a ground wire between the negative posts of each battery, connecting the batteries. I'm 99% sure I don't have that. Could that be the missing link? I'll admit I'm an idiot when it comes to how these should be wired. I redid the outdrives and transom assemblies myself, can tackle anything motor related....but anything above and beyond simple wiring I refer to people that know.

Any ideas? I know there's probably a number of things it could be, but when it was all new a month ago.......it worked like a brand new boat. Seems that I have something sucking voltage somewhere to cause this, or is it possible that since that ground wire is missing, it's discharging a battery or possibly overcharging one? I just want it to crank over like it should as I've got almost $1000 between batteries, starters, and alternators.

Thanks for any help!

You need to look at your Grounds ....

On my Cafe, there isnt a direct wire between each of the ground battery posts. If i remember right, the grounds ran up to a large terminal block, & then from there over to the engine block. Going by memory of when i stripped out the bilge months ago. So logically they are connected, just not in a physical battery to battery run.

There should be a large ground cable tying the two blocks together ?

had a simiular issue, turned out to be the cable end was not crimped well and only thing kept it on was the heat shrink

Would like to hear what you find. I am having the same problem with my port motor in my 33 Outlaw.

I would double check all your cable ends. I had an issue where I moved a cable a little just to clean up the look in the bilge. Ended up that the ends were so badly corroded that the copper cable had turned to dust in the cable end. When I moved it the dust must have weakened and had no start. I replaced a starter and battery that were perfectly fine until I found this.