'80 50hp Merc starter slow / hard starting

[Dee Rambin]

The starter on my Merc recently began "lugging" for lack of a better word. It spins slower than normal the first time you try starting it for the day. After cranking for a few minutes, it picks up and acts normal for the rest of the day. The battery is fully charged. Any ideas on what could be causing this? <br /><br />It has also been harder to get started than it has ever been. I have changed plugs and am using premium gas, but you have to crank on it for a considerable amount of time now to get it to go. This only happens first thing in the morning and after that, it's fine for the rest of the day????<br /><br />Any ideas would be most appreciated!<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Deek

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: '80 50hp Merc starter slow / hard starting

Check all you cables and connections to be sure they are tight and clean. Look for corrosion at the base of the lugs and if there is any, replace the cables. Other possibilities are the contacts inside the starter relay are getting burnt or maybe your starter needs to be rebuilt. This problem could be the cause of the hard starting problem.