strange starter behavior

pcrussell50

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
296
evinrude 135hp crossflow v-4, 1975, 135583e, if it matters...

the motor starts easily and runs like a champ... at least it does if the starter motor works. seems the starter motor has become intermittent on me. sometimes it works and zings the motor right to life, other times i just get a single click, not a series of clicks like you'd get with a weak battery, just a single strong click. i've tried other known-good batteries and they have the same behavior. trouble shooting process:

1] the click seems to emanate from the solenoid assembly, as when i have my wife turn the key to get the click, with my finger on the solenoid, i can feel the relay or whatever it is inside there clicking.

the following are things i have observed when it does not work normally:

2] i have observed that somtimes, the starter motor turns weakly and slowly without jumping up and engaging the flywheel

3] sometimes it jumps up weakly and engages the flywheel but can't turn it

4] sometimes i just get the click and nothing visible at all occurs with the starter motor

5] moving the starter a little bit by hand to move it off of dead spots on the commutator does not seem to have any effect on whether it will work or not, but i have not tried every position all the way around, just tried it once or twice

and finally:

6] sometimes it works completely normally, but not often enough to chance it on the lake. sometimes it works after i rotate some of the thick power and ground wires on their lugs to freshen the contact, but sometimes it doesn't

weird, huh?

what would you suggest for the next step in troubleshooting?

-Peter
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: strange starter behavior

you would be surprized what a set of new battery cables will cure.

90% of starter problems are bad connections. remove and clean both ends of the battery cables, so that they are shiney, also the cable from the solenoid to starter. check for nicks in the cables. and make sure the connectors are on the wire good. the cable tend to corrode from the inside out, if nicked, corroded wires, and connections, heat up and cause resistance to the follow of electricity, thus the starter doesn't get enough. you can also take jumper cable pos battery post to large post on starter. with a good connection, the engine should spin. then if the starter is good clean everything and retest. then trouble shoot solenoid. starters can be rebuit at a starter/alternator shop, much cheaper than a new one.

also have the battery load tested at the auto parts store, free, i've had new batteries go bad
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,392
Re: strange starter behavior

Agree 100% with the cables and connections.
 
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