clicking, not starting

[jmatteo1]

I have a 1978 Wellcraft with a Mercruiser 898 (305 V8) I am just getting a clicking sound from the slave solenoid. I read several postings previously and have done the following things, but am still unable to get her to turn over. I replaced the slave solenoid, put in my fully charged battery and got her to turn over several times. I wore the battery down, so I recharged it, but now get only clicking again. I cleaned both ends of both battery cables, cleaned the connections at the starter, with no luck. I tried to jump the two large terminals on the slave solenoid, still no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe

 

[Bondo]

Re: clicking, not starting

Try Boosting it off your car........ If that don't work,+ Spin it over Freely,.......<br /><br />Pull the Starter,+ Have it looked at, or replaced........

 

[Don S]

Re: clicking, not starting

"Fully Charged Battery" ?<br />If that means you fully charged your battery for the boat, that still doesn't make the battery ok.<br />If the battery isn't holding a charge, or only a couple of the cells are holding the charge it's not going to work.<br />Charge your battery up again, then take it in and have it load tested.<br />If it's good and the cables are good (not just the ends, the whole thing) then the starter may be dragging for some reason.

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

Thanks. I'll be taking the battery in next. I did try to jump start it with a booster pack late last night but got the same results. The guy I got the boat from said the battery was "new". However, I did find that the cells were low when I got it, and it had been in storage for at least a year. I'll keep you posted, this adventure has just begun. Thanks, again, Joe

 

[Billnicole]

Re: clicking, not starting

Battery

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: clicking, not starting

Joe, Sounds to me like you need to pull the starter and test it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: clicking, not starting

Originally posted by waterone1:<br /> Joe, Sounds to me like you need to pull the starter and test it.

If the Booster Pack Didn't get that motor Spinning Freely,...<br /><br />I Agree, The Starter Needs to Come Out.........<br /><br />It's Only 2, 3/8ths" bolts, straight Up from below,... 9/16ths" Wrench.....<br /><br />Unhook the Wires from the Battery,+ Starter, Before you start...........

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

While I am at it, can you guys give me an opinion on which shop manual(s) to purchase, and where is the best place to get them from? Joe

 

[Bondo]

Re: clicking, not starting

Mercruiser's Own.............<br /><br />The Aftermarket Manuals Just Don't Compare........<br /><br />Don's always posting a link to Buy them....<br /><br />ebay is also a Great Place to Find them,.... You may need to search for a week or two to find the right 1s......

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

I took a look and found one marked Vol.1, I asked the seller via e-mail what years/models it covered. Do you know what volume I should be looking for? Thanks

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

Just got the results on the battery. It's only putting out 300 cranking amps. I'll be getting a new one and keep you posted.

 

[Don S]

Re: clicking, not starting

Do you have a Mercruiser serial number for your engine? If you have a 78 boat, you could very well have a 77 engine package. The manuals are different books for those 2 years.

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

Alright, here's the deal so far. Got a new battery, the slave solenoid is still clicking. Tried jumping the two main terminals on the slave, no change. Put a volt meter on it. I've got 12v coming in. I've 12v coming out when the ignition switch is in the start position. So it looks like the starter. I'll try to jump from the battery to the + side of the starter b4 I take it out. Does this also have to be marine specific, or will auto starter do?<br />P.S. Don, I saw the S/N yesterday but didn't write it down. I'll check that tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

[Don S]

Re: clicking, not starting

If you jump from terminals A to B, it should crank the engine. If not, you have starter problems (As long as the cables and battery are ok)<br /><br />

 

[Bondo]

Re: clicking, not starting

Does this also have to be marine specific, or will auto starter do?<br />

It's Marine Specific................

 

[jmatteo1]

Re: clicking, not starting

Don, I'll give it a try tomorrow. I guess those few cranks I got out of it after first replacing the slave solenoid had me a bit puzzled. I thought I was going to home free! Can I jump those two studs with a screwdriver, or do I have to use some sort of insulated wire?

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: clicking, not starting

While I don't think anyone would advocate using a screwdriver....I bet more than one of us has done it. I currently use a pushbutton switch (spst-momentary) that is connected to a pair of 14 guage wires about six feet long that have heavy alligator clips on the other end. It cuts down on dangerous sparks in the engine room and comes in handy for all kinds of troubleshooting.

 

[achris]

Re: clicking, not starting

While I don't think anyone would advocate using a screwdriver....I bet more than one of us has done it

Guilty as charged Your Honour.<br /><br />Chris...........

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: clicking, not starting

It also magnetises them, handy for holding screws.

 

[Bondo]

Re: clicking, not starting

I've got a Burnt Off Chinese Plastic Handle,.... That Used to be a Screwdriver..........<br /><br />I've lost count of the engines it's started, when there was No Key around...........