# Yanmar 1GM10 won't start



## Sometimesbrilliant (May 8, 2008)

Good day,

So I'm aruging with this engine. It's about 15 years old, but has been maintained very well. I just bought the boat last year and at the end of the sailing season here in Toronto (when else of course?) the engine failed to start. I'm pretty sure the battery was near dead when I first tried to start the engine. The starter sounded like it was trying to start the engine and then nothing. After charging the battery, then replacing the older battery I was still getting no response from the starter or engine. 

So the boat goes away for the winter (after I winterized the engine of course). I bought a new starter / solenoid and waited for spring thaw. I've now replaced the starter and am still having problems. When I press the start button on the control panel I can hear the solenoid "click" but that is the end of it. I've read through the shop manual for this engine and followed the diagnostics, checking the power cables are secure and clean, etc.

So here I am. Suggestions or thoughts?

Thanks!

Dan


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## captainrizzo (Feb 24, 2008)

I was struggling with my Yanmar 2GMF and asked a mechanic to take a look. He spend 10 minutes and told me what was wrong and which tree to bark up. I was fortunate as it only cost me a tip for the guy. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and ask a professional to take a look. 

-Riz


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## rperret (Apr 11, 2003)

sounds like a bad battery to me. although you charged it how do you know it is really good? did you check the specific gravity - only real way - also check amps from battery to the starter.

the 1GM10 is difficult to start in best of circumstances. also - try two batteries and see if she'll turn over.

visit www.yanmarhelp.com for more info - good site. also google "1GM10 hard start" at least a billion web pages on the topic..>


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hello,

Can you turn the engine over with a socket at the end of the flyweel? I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but if a new starter and a new battery won't spin the engine you may have a serious problem....

Of course, the starter could be bad, or not installed properly, or you may have a wiring problem. If you do have a wiring problem between the start switch and the starter, changing batteries and starters won't solve the problem.

At this point there are too many variables for me to really offer meaningful assistance.

If this were my engine I would manually turn the engine with a socket on the flywheel and the decompression lever set. If you can spin the engine, then check power to the starter. As a test you can use a jumper cable from a fresh battery right to the starter. If that spins the engine then you have a switch or wiring problem.

Good luck,
Barry


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Hopefully you didn't try to start it last fall for an extended time with the sea water cock open... if you did, the engine may be hydro-locked (and may have sat full of water all winter)

If, as Barry above suggests, you can hand crank the moter, then with luck all you have is a voltage issue...


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## Sometimesbrilliant (May 8, 2008)

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I had not found the yanmar site before, I will have to do more research there as well thanks!

I complete agree with batteries being suspect. I also tested with a "known good" battery from my pickup. I have not tried two batteries, maybe that will be the next test.

Thanks also for the suggestions about the engine being seized. Thankfully the engine spins smooth with the hand crank (and the compression lever open of course). No salt water sitting in the engine all winter either, I drained all water from the engine before putting her to bed for the winter. Lake Ontario water might even be worse then salt water ;-) 

I'll keep at it and keep everyone up to date on what I find. Thanks again for the assistance. I'm at the point where I will probably do the smart thing and seek a professional to take a look.

Dan


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## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

Bypassing much of the wiring and running straight to the starter using jumper cables is a good suggestion. What do the battery cables look like? Are the ends in good shape, shiny and clean? If any of the cables or ends are bad, or if you have a battery selector switch that could be corroded also, the starter will not spin the engine. If you do not have the proper testing equipment to measure the resistance, or the knowledge to do it, you could try the following. Attempt to start the motor by leaving the key or start switch on for 30 seconds, or so, and then quickly put your hands on all of the cable connections, battery terminals, solenoid and starter. If you can find a very warm or hot spot that could be where you are having problems getting enough power to the starter. A low tech ohm meter so to speak.

The odds are against it, but I have had "new" starters that did not work. It might be worthwhile to pull the starter off the engine and run some power from the battery that is on your boat to it and confirm that it is functioning. Be careful, the starter can jump a lot when it first spins. 

Good luck.


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## capn_dave (Feb 17, 2000)

*It just might be*

The battery cables. It is not uncommon for the battery cable to be bad at the terminal itself. Remove the cables from the batteries and ohm them out. We had one at the marina that would make contact and show good 12 VDC. but when you tried to start the engine the mechanical connection between the battery cable and terminal would break down. 
It can drive you crazy.

Fair Winds
Cap'n Dave


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## rperret (Apr 11, 2003)

hopefully you're engine is not hydrolocked - i hydrolocked my Saab 9-3 when i drove thru a shallow puddle - the air intake in the Saab is low. what a fiasco that was.


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## Sometimesbrilliant (May 8, 2008)

rperret said:


> hopefully you're engine is not hydrolocked - i hydrolocked my Saab 9-3 when i drove thru a shallow puddle - the air intake in the Saab is low. what a fiasco that was.


Nope not hydolocked. Still working on it. Ugh! It's no wonder we refer to these boats as "her" and "she" ;-)

Dan


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## bubb2 (Nov 9, 2002)

This thread may be of help to you. For those of us that have Yammar's your problem is not unheard of.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/33771-yanmar-2gmf-starter-solenoid-2.html


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## donhallmon (Nov 25, 2007)

*Check the plugs*

No' not the spark plugs. 
Until about three years ago , I had a Yanmar 1GM, the earlier version of your engine, I fought a yearly battle with the control harnes that ran to the engine. It wasn't a very weather tight connection. When the plug that connects the starter switch to the started selenoid would come loose, it would do nothing. Even if it looked good, I sometimes had to clean it before I could get a response from the starter.


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## Sometimesbrilliant (May 8, 2008)

*Conclusion... ?*

As per bubb2's suggestion I read through the thread at: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...olenoid-2.html

There was a lot of discussion about the ability of the power cable leading from the control panel back to the solenoid to provide enough current to operate the solenoid.

What a few people suggested was putting a solenoid in place between the start circuit and the starter solenoid. Whoa... wait, huh? Yeah, a solenoid to power a solenoid. Crazy I thought. I still think it is crazy, but I think it will work. Rather than spending a good chunk of change on the solenoid I figured I would first confirm or disprove this solution. I ran a 10ga wire direct from the battery, through a properly sized fuse, to a properly sized off/on toggle switch (momentary would have been better, but this is just for testing) and then 10ga to the solenoid where the start button would normally feed to.

Well what do you know? The starter spun up with no problem!! I repeated the test a couple of times (allowing proper time during test of course). Yep. it works. Unreal!

So now I'm torn between re-wiring back to the control panel or going the "stepper solenoid" route. I'll probably go the re-wiring route first since it would not cost anything to try.

Thanks again for everyone's assistance! You guys (and gals) rock!

Dan


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## billymc38 (Jan 24, 2013)

same thing happen to my ysm8 rebuilt didn't fix turned out head had rusted through replace running like a champ now
good luck


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## billymc38 (Jan 24, 2013)

had similar problem on ysm8 yanmar after rebuild still same problem put new head on running like a champ 
good luck


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

Yanmar engines are NOTORIOUS for failing to start ... usually caused by corrosion in the primary circuit wiring of the starter solenoid circuit and most often corrosion in the wiring of the in-line FUSE holder that protects this circuit; but, can also be carbon build-up in the starter button switch, etc. 

How to test: find/identify the battery lead from the battery that connects to the STARTER. Take an old screwdriver and 'short'/jump the Batt terminal on the starter to the center connection on the solenoid. Make sure your necktie and clothing dont get 'wrapped up' in the engine vee belts when youre leaning over the engine when 'jumping' the starter/solenoid!!!! If this engages the solenoid and the starter turns freely and with power .... repair the solenoid primary wiring circuit - keyswitch, starter button, FUSE holder, and all the connections between the starter switch and the solenoid.

Yanmar still uses non-tinned wire, non-tinned connectors and non-tinned switching components in their engine control panels, which are readily subject to corrosion (corrosion leads to high resistance and HIGH amperage draw) .... best is to 'rip it all out' and replace with TINNED wiring and components.


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## billymc38 (Jan 24, 2013)

also check if you have battery selector switch could be bad and only letting enough current through to kick solenoid in had that happen to mine make sure you have continuos 12v to starter side when trying to crank


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