1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

[greatestfisherman]

Hi all, before i start, i would like to say that I have search and found nothing similiar to my starting issue. This forum has been a great help and this is my second ever new post so please do not give me a hard time ....

well, about a week ago, i decided to take my boat out after a long 2 -3 weeks of not using it... (it was working fine before then)... when i went to start the engine, it would not start. The engine would turn over and crank but nothing...however, this is not the problem... the problem is now, ever since that day and incident, whenever I try to start the motor, the starter will not engage. Here's the tricky part... after a fully charged battery and a couple days of sitting at my driveway, i decided to start it to see if it would work... and yes it worked... i tried a couple of times and it would work on and off, (the start will sometimes engage and sometimes not)... any ideas to what the problem is? I thought it would be a bad sticky starter so i sprayed some brake cleaners onto it to clear out any grease... still no luck.. symptons are still the same... it would engage on and off... randomly...

thanks alot...

 

[robert graham]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

Sounds like a weak or marginal connection somewhere in your starting circuit, first place to look is the battery cable connections. Each connection needs to be removed, inspected, cleaned and tightly replaced. Check connections on the side of the starter and the ground connection also. I use a 3M Scotchbrite scrubbing pad to polish the surfaces, then a drop of oil or grease to keep out moisture. Also double-check your battery cables for internal corrosion which may or may not be obvious. Good Luck and let us know what you find!

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

i did check the cables but i will do again... whats the symptons for a bad starter and or solenoid? but could a bad ground or pos be the cause for randomly engaged starter??? Sounds very unlikely but if you say so... the starter does spin and very fast in my opinion but just that it wont pop up to engage the flywheel...

on a side note, can an overheated starter have these symptons? I did test it out a bit to see the cause so I might have over heated it...

 

[robert graham]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

I still believe you have a bad electrical connection in your starter circuit, remove, inspect, clean, tighten all connections and grounds. You may want to just remove the starter to inspect and clean, especially the bendix gear which could be sticky and/or worn. Good Luck!

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

man.... i can kiss you on your lips... but i wont... yes, it was the wire connections... i guess the corroded contact points were not letting enough juice to the starter.... after the sanding and scrubbing, it started every time... thanks again for you reply...

 

[robert graham]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

That's great!, an outboard on the water with the heavy, moisture-laden atmosphere causes electrical connections to corrode a lot more than on a car. Good Luck!

 

[greatestfisherman]

Re: 1994 yamaha 130 hp starter problems

i cant say how much i appreciate this forum and people like you Robert... i appreciate the help and just want to say thanks again... from one boater to another...