US Marine 50hp just clicks

[usmarine]

I hope someone can help. I got a US Marine boat with a 50hp on it. I gave it a once over and it is pretty clean. I put a new battery in it turned the key and the carb choke shuts when the key is turned all the way. If I turn the key to the first position and push the key in just a little there is a click back at the solenoid. I tried to jump across the terminals and nothing happens. I cheked it with a meter and I have power there. Can someone help a guy that just wants to enjoy some fishing? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[roscoe]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Sounds like the switch is wired wrong, or the switch has gone bad.

There should be 6 terminals on the back of the switch.
Take a good look at the terminals and make note of which color wires are attached to each terminal.
The terminals are labeled with letters. (b,i,m......)

 

[bowhuntrrl]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Ditto on the wrong wiring. When you turn the switch on and push it in, that should activate the choke solenoid. All the way to the right should turn it over like any other ignition switch.

 

[usmarine]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Thanks, that sounds like a cheap fix. I will try that today and let you know if it works. I appeciate any and all help that I can get from this site and all the people that reply.

 

[steelespike]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

If you go to brokeboats.com there is lots of info on wire color codes ,ignition terminals and many othe helpful hints.

 

[usmarine]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Roscoe and Bowhuntrrl you were right about the switch being wired wrong for the choke. The starter wire yellow with red strip was on the choke terminal and vise versa for the choke wire. All the other wires looked correct based upon the info I got from brokenboats site. Thands Steelspike. The choke does work when the key is pushed in but when I turn the key all the way it still just clicks back at the solenoid. Do you think that the solenoid is bad or should I start with a new switch and then move onto the solenoid?

All help is very appreciated.

 

[pitlife4me]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

if you cross the post on the solenoid the starter should turn over even though the key isnt on.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Solenoid going out is not as common as a bad battery or bad starter. That particular solenoid will not make a loud click like the choke solenoid does. Use a volt meter and check the voltage between the starter solenoid lugs. When key is in off position the two big leads on the starter solenoid should be around 12 volts. When the starter solenoid engages the voltage should drop to almost zero volts. If voltage is dropping when the starter is engaged via the switch then the switch and the solenoid are good. Your problems lie with a bad starter or battery. Typically if a motor has had a history of hard starting a person will damage the starter by running it too long and too much to attempt to start the motor.

 

[usmarine]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Ok, I am narrowing it down. I tried to jump the solenoid at the two large terminals again but got nothing. I put a meter on the two terminals on the solenoid and had about 12v when I turned the key it went down to almost zero. So, I would assume that both the solenoid and the switch are ok.

I went one step farther and tried what I read on another post. Take a jumper cable from the + on the battery to the lower side of the starter connection and it turned right away.

So I guess the question is what now.
BTW I have 12volts on a meter when I check the battery.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Either your battery or starter is bad. You can try cranking it with the spark plugs out (this will minimize compression) however you will need to make sure the plug wires are grounded or you could fry the ignition system. Problem is this wont tell you if the battery is bad or the starter.

Try this. Disconnect battery completely from motor. Use a volt meter and what do you read. 12.65 volts or greater would be a good battery 12.25 or lower is an almost dead battery. Verify all electrical connections are clean and tight. Use sand paper to clean and shine all connections. Find out if NAPA near you will test both your starter and battery for you.

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Neither starter nor battery is bad. He said he can turn the starter over by jumping from battery + directly to starter.

 

[pitlife4me]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

So you said the starter did turn right over when hooking jumper cables to it? Well if so then I would double check your grounds and + red cables on both sides of the solenoid and if they're clean think about buying a solenoid. They dont cost that much really but I would also check your engine safty starting switch to make sure its in the N possition. You should be able though to put a srewdriver across both + nuts on the solenoid and the starter should turn over. WARNING dont leave it on long and you will see a spark. The point is to see if the voltage is passing through it and if nothing then it wouldnt hurt to buy another one. I'm having problems of my own with a 50hp starter turning over slow and these are some of the things I've checked and double checked before putting out money for a new starter. I did how ever waste some money buying a new batt. when I didnt need one. I check voltage and it was low and after a couple of hours charging it still didnt crank at a higher speed. Like a dummy I took the boat to the store on the way to the water and put the new batt. in before checking to see if it fixed the problem. It wasnt until after I put it in the water and sitting at the doc that I found out it wasnt the batt........oh well thats what I get for getting in to much of a hurry.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

Ok, I am narrowing it down. I tried to jump the solenoid at the two large terminals again but got nothing.

I dont understand how if you jumper these two together the starter motor will not start but it does when you go directly from the battery to the starter. Check the wire going from the starter relay to the battery for contiunity and also the wire from the relay to the starter. From the test you did with the volt meter it sounds like the relay or solenoid is working. You may just have a loose connection or a bad cable/ wire between the battery and the starter.

 

[usmarine]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

When you say that I would need to "ground the spark plug wires" how can I do that?

I do think I will check on the price for a new solenoid and replace it if the cost is not to much. Someone told me that if the solenoid was jumped to much that you will still see the voltage there but, it would not perform like it should. I did notice some spark scaring on the terminals before I even tried to jump it.

I will however check the cables all the way back to see if they are cracked or something else is wrong with them.

Is there any possibility that the cables are crossed on the solenoid? I have no idea why that even came to mind but, I figured I would ask. My leads are as follow. If I am facing the engine from the rear looking forward and the solenoid is on the left of the motor. The positive lead is on the left side looking down at it. Is that correct?

I will say it again. I appreciate all the info. Thank you all.

 

[otec465]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

i have an 85 hp not sure if this prtains to you but mine was doing the same thing, i found a circut breaker open, reset and it cranked

 

[baxtr]

Re: US Marine 50hp just clicks

When you say that I would need to "ground the spark plug wires" how can I do that?

Yes you must ground the plug wires so the electrical charge has a path to ground, otherwise you can destroy your ign. components and then the repair becomes more than you started with. Any way you can get a ground wire from the block to the spark plug connection inside the boot will work, alligator clips and some wire. Here is what I use on mine, 1/4 inch bolts on 1/2 of a steel hinge attached to a ground wire with a clamp, I can push all the boots on the bolts and ground them with one wire this way, just clamp it to a good area on the block.