Electrical help please!

I tried to start it, but it appears the battery is dead. I tried to jump start it with the jumper, but it would not start. The voltmeter on the dash indicates 0 bolts. Usually when you hook up the jumper cables, the voltmeter will jump to 12 volts as soon as the wires are connected.

I replaced the battery - same problem. I sanded the connectors to remove any oxidation - made no difference.

Turning the key, nothing either.

The stereo turns on and plays music, but the marine radio will not. I checked all the fuses under the dash and they all seem ok.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I am a novise boater and bought a slip for the first time, but need to get the boat going before putting in the water. I've trailered it the last 3 years with little problems. PLEASE HELP! my e-mail is jamezynj@aol.com Thank you!

I would be concerned with your statement, "usually when you hook up the jumper cables...." If you "usually" have to start your boat with jumper cables, you have at least two problems here. If you have got power to the stereo, etc, but are reading "O" at the voltmeter you may have tripped a breaker to the ignition switch circuit and dash panel. (Maybe when you slapped on the jumper cables?) If you only have one battery, corroded connections could be a problem but not as likely as an open circuit since the accessories are working and a dirty connection would usually show something more thna "0" on the voltmeter.

Once you get the boat started, figure out why your battery isn't holding a charge. The most you should have to do would be to hook up a trickle charger for a couple of hours before leaving your driveway to top off the battery after a winter's storage on the trailer.

-Inline fuse on the main (starter) wire from the battery. -Bad ground -Dead man switch (is that what it's called?) -A short -Corroded terminal(s). Sand them, too. The file on your leatherman tool will work well. -Got wing nuts? Throw them away and get some nylon lock nuts. Get a can of CRC electrical spray while your at it. Very good stuff.

If all is lost, get a cheap, portable, voltmeter from Radio Shack or just borrow one from your neighbor. Start at the battery and go from there.

Dan