Picture this: You are about to launch your boat into the water at your local lake, and all of a sudden, before the fun can begin, you realize your boat won’t start. Your kids and the other dozen people at the boat ramp are waiting. Has this happened to you before? As boaters, we have seen this happen many times, and plenty of times to ourselves. With this list of three common reasons we see that cause this, we hope your problems can be self-solved rather than calling Skier’s Marine and having you wait for one of our service technicians to arrive. Here are three common reasons your boat won’t start and what you can do to fix it.
One of the first things to check if your boat won’t start is the battery charge. Every boat has a battery switch, but its location depends on the make and model. Make sure the switch is positioned to “on.” Once it is, check your display for the battery voltage. If your battery voltage is showing over 12 volts, you’re in a good position. If the primary battery is dead, you can switch to your backup battery. In some models, like our MasterCraft boats, there are toggle switches located below the rear seats. Other models may have knobs that allow you to choose between battery one and battery two.
The next thing to check is to make sure your boat is in neutral. For safety reasons, the boat will not start if it is in foward or reverse. The best way to do that is by give your throttle a slight shake back and forth. Very simple to do, but belive us, we have seen it.
The last thing to check is your kill switch. The kill switch is a safety device designed to power off the boat if you were to ever get thrown overboard. On most boats, it can be found near your thottle. Look down to your right, you will find the kill switch and pull it out, then replace it, and start your engine.
If you are still having trouble find your local Skier’s Marine dealership and have one of our marine technicians diagnose your boat either at our dealership or dockside.