Intermittent electrical problem '06 3000 Open with Cummins

[The Kook Abides]

Hello all,

When I turn on the ignition switch to the port engine, sometimes nothing happens. No smart craft display and no fuel pump activation. Turn the key off and back on again and the system fires up. Once at idle under way I lost the port engine and had to switch on and off to start the engine again.

I have replaced the ignition switches, taken all of the connections behind the helm apart and cleaned with Corrosion X. Pulled the plugs at the ECU and cleaned and inspected.
Pretty much everything except replacing components...

Yesterday it did it again? Any ideas?

Thanks.

[trit21]

Hello all,

When I turn on the ignition switch to the port engine, sometimes nothing happens.  No smart craft display and no fuel pump activation. Turn the key off and back on again and the system fires up.  Once at idle under way I lost the port engine and had to switch on and off to start the engine again.

I have replaced the ignition switches, taken all of the connections behind the helm apart and cleaned with Corrosion X.  Pulled the plugs at the ECU and cleaned and inspected.
Pretty much everything except replacing components...

Yesterday it did it again?  Any ideas?

Thanks.

My first thoughts is check all your grounds. Behind the helm there is a ground bus that on my 3500 Open was loose, was having all kinds of problems until I fixed that. Also check ground on the engine, ground bus in engine room, starter etc etc. That is the first thing I would do as I know a bad ground will screw things up like that. While you are there, check positive connections on batteries and all 12 bus bars as well. 

[The Kook Abides]

Hello all,

When I turn on the ignition switch to the port engine, sometimes nothing happens.  No smart craft display and no fuel pump activation. Turn the key off and back on again and the system fires up.  Once at idle under way I lost the port engine and had to switch on and off to start the engine again.

I have replaced the ignition switches, taken all of the connections behind the helm apart and cleaned with Corrosion X.  Pulled the plugs at the ECU and cleaned and inspected.
Pretty much everything except replacing components...

Yesterday it did it again?  Any ideas?

Thanks.

My first thoughts is check all your grounds. Behind the helm there is a ground bus that on my 3500 Open was loose, was having all kinds of problems until I fixed that. Also check ground on the engine, ground bus in engine room, starter etc etc. That is the first thing I would do as I know a bad ground will screw things up like that. While you are there, check positive connections on batteries and all 12 bus bars as well. 

Thanks, Tom.  I'll look a little closer at those areas

[The Kook Abides]

Tom, you are my hero! I swapped the ground wire from the port grounding buss over to the starboard buss. Instantly, the fuel pump sounded different and more like the starboard engine's pump. I always wondered why they would sound different. It just wasn't getting a good ground although everything tested good with an Ohm meter.

[trit21]

Tom, you are my hero!  I swapped the ground wire from the port grounding buss over to the starboard buss.  Instantly, the fuel pump sounded different and more like the starboard engine's pump.  I always wondered why they would sound different.  It just wasn't getting a good ground although everything tested good with an Ohm meter.

Your welcome and I am glad it fixed the problem. Ground issue on a boat are such a PITA. Glad it worked.