We get these calls most weekends, and a decent proportion of them turn out not to be the battery at all. Before you write it off, work through this — it takes two minutes and it occasionally saves you buying something you didn't need.
Five things to check, in order
- 1The isolator switch. Obvious, and it catches people constantly — especially on a boat that's been sitting since the last trip.
- 2The terminals. Loose or corroded connections behave exactly like a flat battery. Wiggle them. If either moves, that's your problem.
- 3The kill switch lanyard. No lanyard, no start, no matter how good the battery is.
- 4The gear selector. Most outboards will not crank out of neutral.
- 5Whether it clicks. A rapid clicking is a battery with some charge but not enough current. Total silence more often points at a switch, a fuse or the solenoid.
That's the classic signature of a battery near the end of its life — enough charge to start turning the motor and not enough to keep going. A jump start will get you out today, but plan on replacing it. It won't improve on its own.
When it is the battery
If it's the battery, the useful question is why. A battery that's three or four years old in Perth conditions has had a fair innings. One that's eighteen months old and flat has usually been asked to do a job it wasn't built for — running a fridge or a sounder on a cranking battery — or the boat has been sitting for months without a charger. Replacing it without fixing that just resets the clock.
We come to the ramp. Fremantle, Coogee, Woodman Point, Point Walter — call us and we'll bring the right unit and test the charging system while we're there, so you know whether it's the battery or the thing that killed the battery.
Common questions
Can you come to the boat ramp?
Yes — ramps, pens, hardstands and driveways. We're mobile out of Fremantle, so wherever the boat is sitting is where we come. Free callout within 10km of Fremantle.
Will a jump start fix it?
It'll get you going today. Whether it holds depends on why it went flat. If the battery is simply old, a jump start buys you one trip, not a season. We'll test it rather than guess.