1988 Force 125

[hapaspawn]

I am having problems starting my Force engine, the starter is spinning but the engine will not turn over, the engine is turning but not enough to turn it over, any suggestion will help, am i missing something, i have truoble shot this for cople of days now, just got the boat, in the military and low on cash to send it to mechanic.

 

[skibug]

Re: 1988 Force 125

I am having problems starting my Force engine, the starter is spinning but the engine will not turn over, the engine is turning but not enough to turn it over, any suggestion will help, am i missing something, i have truoble shot this for cople of days now, just got the boat, in the military and low on cash to send it to mechanic.

Are you saying that the engine turns over slowly, but not enough to start? First, is to check the battery. You didn't say that you checked it, so that is first. Second, if the battery has a full charge, then your starter is probably lost one of the internal brushes and does not have the power to turn the engine over. Unfortunately the only solution to this is a new starter. But just in case, also make sure the starter itself is tightly mounted. If its even a little loose it can cause internal binding to occur.

If the starter starts to engage then does not turn the engine over enough to start, then the starter needs to be replaced. The starter is not hard to replace and is a simple two bolts and the wire connections, but that little bugger can be expensive.

I just had my starter go south on me the night before a big planned fishing trip and I replaced it the next morning in under 10 minutes.

 

[hapaspawn]

Re: 1988 Force 125

Thank you very much, is there any way I can test out the starter to make sure that it is the starter.

 

[skibug]

Re: 1988 Force 125

Thank you very much, is there any way I can test out the starter to make sure that it is the starter.

Feel the bottom portion of the starter case after trying to start the engine one or two times. If it gets pretty hot, it is drawing too much current and making too much heat due to the bad brush in the starter and it is bad.

Also, if you pull one plug out of the engine, hit the starter and the engine turns over quickly (don't start the engine), then the starter just doesn't have the power to turn the engine over with full compression and needs to be replaced. A bad brush in the starter is probably the cause.

But check all your connections as well to make sure you are getting a full 12 volts to the starter.

 

[Bry21317]

Re: 1988 Force 125

I had the same problem with my 88 Force 125 last year. I purchased a new starter off of Ebay and put it on and it still did the same thing. Ends up that one of my batteries had a dead cell, once that battery was replaced it cranked right up.

I would check the battery for sure.

 

[skibug]

Re: 1988 Force 125

I had the same problem with my 88 Force 125 last year. I purchased a new starter off of Ebay and put it on and it still did the same thing. Ends up that one of my batteries had a dead cell, once that battery was replaced it cranked right up.

I would check the battery for sure.

Yes, Check the battery, but a dead cell in a battery will not allow current to conduct and will not supply anything to the starter. So if it turns the starter at all, just make sure the battery is fully charged etc.. before blaming the starter.

 

[clanton]

Re: 1988 Force 125

Bend the battery cables, if they crunch, replace them. There was a change in the starter later models, more power.