I have a mercruiser I/O 4 cyl. 3.0 and was in the process of
winterizing it on the trailer. I always disconnect the battery
terminals while its on the slip between uses because it drains rather
quickly if I don't (it's my first season with this boat and I suspect
that the radio/equalizer that the prior owner installed may be
grounding out and draining the battery). Anyway, I had it on the
trailer and connected the battery, positive first, then negative, then
went forward and switched on the key to start it and warm the engine
for the oil change when I heard a "click" from the engine compartment.
I looked back and there was brownish/white smoke flooding the engine
compartment, which seemed to be eminating from the alternator, but I
didn't waste any time and immediately disconnected the battery. The
terminals were warm to the touch. It took several minutes for all the
smoke to clear, but when it did, I didn't see any signs of damage to
external wires. Can someone please help me with this?!? I don't want
to ruin the alternator or the battery by hooking it back up if I'm
missing something, and I certainly don't want a battery blowing up on
me! My only thought is that maybe it was caused by the boat being on
the trailer, and there was a grounding issue, but I've winterized it
at the end of last season with no problems and it worked all of this
season with no issues. The only thing different from last fall is that
I didn't have the muffs on the lower unit yet when I connected the
battery. Thanks!!!

-Smokey

On 6 Oct 2004 10:00:25 -0700, (?) wrote:
I have a mercruiser I/O 4 cyl. 3.0 and was in the process of
winterizing it on the trailer. I always disconnect the battery
terminals while its on the slip between uses because it drains rather
quickly if I don't (it's my first season with this boat and I suspect
that the radio/equalizer that the prior owner installed may be
grounding out and draining the battery). Anyway, I had it on the
trailer and connected the battery, positive first, then negative, then
went forward and switched on the key to start it and warm the engine
for the oil change when I heard a "click" from the engine compartment.
I looked back and there was brownish/white smoke flooding the engine
compartment, which seemed to be eminating from the alternator, but I
didn't waste any time and immediately disconnected the battery. The
terminals were warm to the touch. It took several minutes for all the
smoke to clear, but when it did, I didn't see any signs of damage to
external wires. Can someone please help me with this?!? I don't want
to ruin the alternator or the battery by hooking it back up if I'm
missing something, and I certainly don't want a battery blowing up on
me! My only thought is that maybe it was caused by the boat being on
the trailer, and there was a grounding issue, but I've winterized it
at the end of last season with no problems and it worked all of this
season with no issues. The only thing different from last fall is that
I didn't have the muffs on the lower unit yet when I connected the
battery. Thanks!!!
=================================

Sounds like either things got hooked up backwards (positive and
negative reversed), or something was shorting out. Hard to say from
long distance.

Going forward, I'd recommend installing a battery switch and finding
the leakage path that's draining the battery.

Wayne.B ) wrote:

: Going forward

[retching sound]

In the future, please.

--
Jim Hollenback

my opinion.

In article ,
says...
I have a mercruiser I/O 4 cyl. 3.0 and was in the process of
winterizing it on the trailer. I always disconnect the battery
terminals while its on the slip between uses because it drains rather
quickly if I don't (it's my first season with this boat and I suspect
that the radio/equalizer that the prior owner installed may be
grounding out and draining the battery). Anyway, I had it on the
trailer and connected the battery, positive first, then negative, then
went forward and switched on the key to start it and warm the engine
for the oil change when I heard a "click" from the engine compartment.
I looked back and there was brownish/white smoke flooding the engine
compartment, which seemed to be eminating from the alternator, but I
didn't waste any time and immediately disconnected the battery. The
terminals were warm to the touch. It took several minutes for all the
smoke to clear, but when it did, I didn't see any signs of damage to
external wires. Can someone please help me with this?!? I don't want
to ruin the alternator or the battery by hooking it back up if I'm
missing something, and I certainly don't want a battery blowing up on
me! My only thought is that maybe it was caused by the boat being on
the trailer, and there was a grounding issue, but I've winterized it
at the end of last season with no problems and it worked all of this
season with no issues. The only thing different from last fall is that
I didn't have the muffs on the lower unit yet when I connected the
battery. Thanks!!!

-Smokey



If it were me and I had winterized the year before, pulled the boat out
of mothballs in the spring, ran it all summer, ran it up on a trailer,
then IF the ONLY other thing I did before turning the key was unhooking
the battery then hooking it back up I'd strongly suspect I screwed
something up while connecting and disconnecting.


--
MikeG
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net

On 6 Oct 2004 13:36:41 -0600, (Jim Hollenback)
wrote:
: Going forward

[retching sound]

In the future, please.

======================

Uhhh, it's a metaphor...

....figuratively speaking.

Where's all the auto electricians?
I'd suggest that the alternator is toast. I'd also reckon that the regulator
(inbuilt or external?) was sticky & feeding power "backwards" & in effect
turning the thing into an electric motor? I bet you if you didn't have belts
on it (or wasn't direct drive?), it would have been spinning.
Either way I'd be getting it serviced. (or replaced now?)
BruceM


"MikeG" wrote in message
ews.com...
In article ,
says...
I have a mercruiser I/O 4 cyl. 3.0 and was in the process of
winterizing it on the trailer. I always disconnect the battery
terminals while its on the slip between uses because it drains rather
quickly if I don't (it's my first season with this boat and I suspect
that the radio/equalizer that the prior owner installed may be
grounding out and draining the battery). Anyway, I had it on the
trailer and connected the battery, positive first, then negative, then
went forward and switched on the key to start it and warm the engine
for the oil change when I heard a "click" from the engine compartment.
I looked back and there was brownish/white smoke flooding the engine
compartment, which seemed to be eminating from the alternator, but I
didn't waste any time and immediately disconnected the battery. The
terminals were warm to the touch. It took several minutes for all the
smoke to clear, but when it did, I didn't see any signs of damage to
external wires. Can someone please help me with this?!? I don't want
to ruin the alternator or the battery by hooking it back up if I'm
missing something, and I certainly don't want a battery blowing up on
me! My only thought is that maybe it was caused by the boat being on
the trailer, and there was a grounding issue, but I've winterized it
at the end of last season with no problems and it worked all of this
season with no issues. The only thing different from last fall is that
I didn't have the muffs on the lower unit yet when I connected the
battery. Thanks!!!

-Smokey



If it were me and I had winterized the year before, pulled the boat out
of mothballs in the spring, ran it all summer, ran it up on a trailer,
then IF the ONLY other thing I did before turning the key was unhooking
the battery then hooking it back up I'd strongly suspect I screwed
something up while connecting and disconnecting.


--
MikeG
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net

I'm confident that the leads were hooked up properly, as they will
only reach to the appropriate terminals, so that isn't the issue. My
only thought is that because I connected the positive terminal first,
it may have started grounding out somewhere, and subsequently
connecting the negative terminal wouldn't have corrected the issue
because it would lie "further down the line" as well as the main
circuit breaker, which didn't trip. So my first inclination is that it
grounded or shorted out through the alternator, frying it in the
process. Thanks for the input everyone, I'll just have to hook 'er up
again tonight and see if it's toast.......