Starter

[Bozol]

90hp 1992 Johnson. I had to have a starter bolt retapped into the block (totally stripped from the previous owner; not the problem here however) and when the boat came back the starter doesn't even raise or anything anymore. We tried using a power pack but to no avail and while I don't have a volt meter, the battery was charging for a solid 2 hours before I reconnected it and it lifted the tilt on the engine no problems. I can hear the solonoid clicking, so I'm assuming its ok. And the starter itself was a little warm (not hot) during all of this, making me think it might be pulling a load from the battery (now its unplugged).

Possible problems:

1) The starter was on its last legs and when the mechanic took it off, he knocked something around that has caused some wires to cross or touch or something - does this mean the starter is buggered?

2) He rewired the starter incorrectly from the solonoid

3) The solonoid is done

4) The starter is dirty and needs a clean

A mechanic suggested taking the power line from the solonoid to the starter off and seeing if it sparked when touching metal - if this is the case (i.e. there's power being drawn from the battery) what does it mean? New starter? New solonoid? Rewire?

Any help appreciated,

Bozol

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Starter

Run a heavy jumper wire from the starter connection to the pos side of the battery. If the starter works properly then it is either the solenoid or wiring to the battery.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Starter

in my experience, 97.4% of all boat electrical malfunctions can be fixed by cleaning and tightening the connections. Battery to solenoid to starter and battery (-) to engine block. Make 'em shine. In fact, without a voltmeter, there's no point doing any further troubleshooting until that is done. And use a known-good fully-charged battery.

Solenoid clicks but starter motor don't spin, do just what bhile says.

Starter motor ground is the housing where it bolts to the block...I don't suppose some grease or something could be interfering with that? nah, not likely.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Starter

Take a file to those connections like stated. Wire rot is hard sometimes to diagnose since they rot usually from the inside out. Did your battery spark at all when you hooked it up? A multimeter is a must for troubleshooting your outboard and are so cheap now they are a must. If you get one a good test to trouble shoot your battery wiring if you are unsure if you should replace it or not is as follows:

Testing the Positive Battery Cable to the Engine

1. Select the DC Volts position on the meter.
2. Connect the Red (Positive) lead on the meter to the positive battery POST.
3. Connect the Black (Negative) lead on the meter to the starter solenoid terminal where the positive battery cable is connected.
4. Using a remote start switch, activate the starter solenoid to spin the engine and observe the reading on the meter. A reading above 0.6V indicates a bad cable or bad connection.
(a) If the meter reads above 0.6V, move the Black lead on the meter to the positive battery cable terminal on the starter solenoid and retest. If the reading drops to below 0.6V, the cable connection is bad.
(b) If the meter still reads above 0.6V, move the Black lead on the meter to the positive battery cable terminal on the battery and retest. If the reading drops to below 0.6V, the cable is bad or undersized.
Service Note: A bad power connection to the ignition or battery charging system can be found by connecting the Black lead on the meter to the power connection of the ignition system or charging system; then working your way back to the battery positive post. At no time should you see a reading above 1V.

Testing the Negative Battery Cable to the Engine

1. Select the DC Volts position on the meter.
2. Connect the Black (Negative) lead on the meter to the negative battery POST.
3. Connect the Red (Positive) lead on the meter to the engine block where the negative battery cable is connected.
4. Using a remote start switch, activate the starter solenoid to spin the engine and observe the reading on the meter. A reading above 0.6V is an indicator of a bad cable or bad connection.
(a) If the meter reads above 0.6V, move the Red lead on the meter to the negative battery cable terminal on the engine block and retest. If the reading drops to below 0.6V, the cable connection is bad.
(b) If the meter still reads above 0.6V, move the Red lead on the meter to the negative battery cable terminal on the battery and retest. If the reading drops to below 0.6V, the cable is bad or undersized.
A bad ground connection to the ignition and battery charging system can be found by connecting the Red lead on the meter to the ground connection of the ignition or battery charging system; then working your way back to the battery negative post. At no time should you see a reading above 1V.