1998 Mercury 40hp 2 stroke - no crank (most of the time)

[Sonicsunspot]

- 1996 Mercury Tracker 40HP ELPTO
- Checked and batteries are good
- Connections all look good
- I replaced the ignition switch
* about 95% of the time, when I try to start, I can hear a click but the motor does not turn over. I keep trying and magically, eventually it cranks on maybe the 10th or 20th try. I assume it’s the starter which is the original “1997” vintage. Anything else I should try before replacing the starter?

 

[fishforthedish]

I had a similar issue. do you have power tilt? is that working? first it was that the bendix gear from the starter was stuck in the up position. fixed that then, went and bought a digital multimeter- relatively cheap and has proven most useful! battery wasn't charged enough to get cranking amps and needed replacement after charging it failed. After I replaced the battery, we also found a fault at the solenoid. another cheap and easy replacement. there are a lot of tests that can be done with the multimeter for troubleshooting.

 

[Sonicsunspot]

Yep, my Fluke meter has saved me a lot of time troubleshooting.

yes, I have power tilt. And it IS working.