Intermitent starting problem

[MH Hawker]

I have a 1996 mariner 9.9 / 15 hp 2 stroke, 0G119661, When the motor is cold it starts fine but after it has ran awhile and is shut off when you go to restart it was acting like a low battery, You can hear the solenoid clicking. I would have to turn the key a few times to get it to kick in and start. First thing I did was to fully charge the battery and clean and polish the terminals and connection points. Took it back to the slip and same thing for a few trips out. Took it back home and ran a solenoid test and it passed, so I pulled the battery and had it load tested and it passed fine. Even added a solar panel to keep it topped off. So I put on my spare starter and back to the lake. Same thing. So I got a new solenoid and replaced it just because, the one I replaced is less than a year old so I didn't think it could be bad all ready. On a short test run it started ever time even after a 2 mile run and shut down. Thats about where I am at the moment and due to 14 straight days of rain I haven't been back out to use it. Right now I am thinking that the solenoid was breaking down due to heat soak off of the motor, But I will see tomorrow I am planning on using the boat awhile.

I thought I would throw this out there, most starter problems are a control circuit or a power problem and are a simple cure.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Intermitent starting problem

I think I got it sent right carholme and yes you never have enough information

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Intermitent starting problem

Well after spending a day out on the lake its now working just fine, Apparently the new one I replaced last year slipped by quality control. Normal a solenoid last for years and years, just goes to show even a new part can be bad.

 

[gm280]

Re: Intermitent starting problem

Not knowing your solenoid setup could it have been possible to have a suspect ground? And once you changed it out the new one worked because you made a better ground as you installed that one? Did you reinstall the bad one again to verify it is still bad? You could easily see if it is bad from a heat issue with a hair drier and a volt meter. Just a suggestion.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Intermitent starting problem

Not knowing your solenoid setup could it have been possible to have a suspect ground? And once you changed it out the new one worked because you made a better ground as you installed that one? Did you reinstall the bad one again to verify it is still bad? You could easily see if it is bad from a heat issue with a hair drier and a volt meter. Just a suggestion.

I had cleaned and polished the terminals and connection points 2 weeks before when it first started having problems and also ran a solenoid test, and that test is to use a ohm meter and read across the power contacts and any reading but 0 ohms is a fail condition and I opened it and closed it about 20 times, but it was on a cold motor, and being as I had replaced it last year I was sure it was good. It was ever a merc part so this time around I got a sierra after market part. And today I started it least 30 times and ran the boat about 4 hours and it worked like it should of so its not really worth the effort to change it back out.