Sticky ignition?

[connorflyer@aol.com]

First start after a few days of no use I crank engine and nothing happens. All accessories come on, just the "start" doesn't turn engine-doesn't even try. If I go off a few times it will crank and have no problem the rest of the day. '06 Monterey 214fs. Merc 5.0 mpi

 

[alldodge]

The possibilities are the key switch, slave solenoid/relay, neutral safety switch, or bad connection.

If your hearing a click but nothing happens then this would leave the key switch out of the mix. Your year motor could have a relay or slave solenoid which powers the starter. If you have three square looking relay's next to the PCM then its a relay, if not there will be another solenoid on the other side of the motor on top.

Have you tried wiggling the throttle handle while holding the key to start and see it starts cranking?

 

[shhnappa]

Sounds like a classic example of the "Slave Solenoid" failing. I had the same issue, turn the key and nothing, sometimes I might hear a click, other times I got nothing. Apparently these "Slave Solenoids" go bad more often than you think. They are also typically the same part number as your Up & Down Outdrive Trim/Tilt solenoids. I will caution you on replacement parts, only replace them with genuine Mercruiser parts. I bought 3 of them from Amazon, one for the starter and the other 2 for my Outdrive Trim/Tilt, 2 out of 3 were defective out of the box, I installed them and they would only click, I took them out and bench tested them to see that they would work after I tapped them, so back they went. Good Luck

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,...... Sounds like a classic example of dirty corroded wirin' ends,....

Clean 'em all to shiny metal Clean, 'n try it, from the battery terminals to the solenoid's terminals, to the slave solenoid terminals,.....

Many times changin' a solenoid is enough to clean the wirin' connections, leadin ya to believe the solenoid was Bad, but ain't really bad,....

Cleanin' the wirin' ends costs nothin' but yer time, 'n a little piece of sandpaper,....

 

[Scott Danforth]

3m scotchbrite is my tool of prefference, or a wire wheel chucked in a drill.

You want the contacts and connections shiney and clean enough to eat off of. Then when everything is good to go, seal the connections with marine electrical varnish

 

[connorflyer@aol.com]

Thanks so much guys!!!! Bean a rainy hot week so I'll jump on it this week. Keep y'all posted. Thank you!!!