D3 ignition switch blinking twice, won't turn on

B

bawerner

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
24
Fluid Motion Model
R-21
Hull Identification Number
FMLC2618A515
Vessel Name
SADEE
I stupidly forgot to turn off the engine battery switch a month ago. Now the ignition switch just blinks twice every 3 seconds or so. Thought maybe the battery ran down, but it's reading 13.5 volts. Anyone know what it means or how to fix it?
 
bawerner said:
I stupidly forgot to turn off the engine battery switch a month ago. Now the ignition switch just blinks twice every 3 seconds or so. Thought maybe the battery ran down, but it's reading 13.5 volts. Anyone know what it means or how to fix it?
Click to expand...
Just random thoughts:

Have you tried turning the ignition Off/On with the keyfob?
Is the keyfob battery flat?
Are you in gear? (sorry if that's too obvious.)
Are there any faults showing on the little screen at the ignition?
 
I went through a similar scenario with the D4 a few years ago. The red flashing light was simply the EVC saying it is now locked. I bought the boat without receiving the FOBs. Boat EVC locked itself due to low voltage on the engine battery and thus I suddenly had no ability to start engine. My boat had also not gotten needed software updates, and nothing would correctly load, to include programming a new FOB. Diagnostics showed a bad throttle quadrant, replaced - then the EVC would not work correctly, replaced that too. Hopefully your issue will be resolved with simple programming, not part replacement.

One important tidbit my mechanic articulated to me. If you don't lock your engine with the FOB, the EVC is simply going into a "sleep mode" - and turning off the battery while the engine electronics are just sleeping (vice being turned off by the FOB) is not healthy. So, it is not just about locking the engine so the boat can't be stolen - it also impacts how the electronics boot up and he highly recommended locking out the engine with the FOB before turning off the engine battery switch.

Good luck with your fix.
 
Chimo said:
Just random thoughts:

Have you tried turning the ignition Off/On with the keyfob?
Is the keyfob battery flat?
Are you in gear? (sorry if that's too obvious.)
Are there any faults showing on the little screen at the ignition?
Click to expand...
Key fob? I don't have one! 2015 c26. My only key is for the door. It's not in gear, I checked that. Little ignition screen will not turn on.
 
RMarkSampson said:
I went through a similar scenario with the D4 a few years ago. The red flashing light was simply the EVC saying it is now locked. I bought the boat without receiving the FOBs. Boat EVC locked itself due to low voltage on the engine battery and thus I suddenly had no ability to start engine. My boat had also not gotten needed software updates, and nothing would correctly load, to include programming a new FOB. Diagnostics showed a bad throttle quadrant, replaced - then the EVC would not work correctly, replaced that too. Hopefully your issue will be resolved with simple programming, not part replacement.

One important tidbit my mechanic articulated to me. If you don't lock your engine with the FOB, the EVC is simply going into a "sleep mode" - and turning off the battery while the engine electronics are just sleeping (vice being turned off by the FOB) is not healthy. So, it is not just about locking the engine so the boat can't be stolen - it also impacts how the electronics boot up and he highly recommended locking out the engine with the FOB before turning off the engine battery switch.

Good luck with your fix.
Click to expand...
That's helpful info, sounds like there might be some clues there, but I don't have a key fob. Never had one.
 
bawerner said:
That's helpful info, sounds like there might be some clues there, but I don't have a key fob. Never had one.
Click to expand...

bawerner said:
That's helpful info, sounds like there might be some clues there, but I don't have a key fob. Never had one.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you received your boat with the EVC unlocked - and did not provide you the FOB. Turning on/off the battery switch does not necessarily lovk the EVC but low voltage will cause the EVC to lock itself. I had to tow my boat to a boat ramp and take it to a Volvo Penta mechanic to program some new FOBs. A year later I found the original FOBs tie-strapped to the backside of the garmin unit wires. To use the FOB to lock and unlock your engine you simply wave it immediately in front of the EVC screen. When it locks the little flashing red light happens. When unlocked, the EVC springs to life and the start/stop switch works as advertised. Recommend first looking all around your boat for an existing FOB.
 
Nice - glad to help. It happened to me at five weeks - otherwise I was clueless too. Ignition lock is a great thing - if someone gets into your cabin, they can't just drive away. My engine battery health when I bought my boat was poor - so part of my fix was replacing that battery. You might consider the same - a month for your battery to go down when there is likely little to no draw (maybe a bilge pump) should have not taken you down to where the EVC lost its mind. Finally, a Captain that does not have a few lessons learned stories along the way likely never left the dock. Cast off and let the stories be told!
 
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