Engine made a "click click" sound when trying to start

[omgitzdave]

I was out a week ago and my 1988 Thundercraft Regency 120HP Mercruiser Alpha One was running great. We stopped at a few fishing spots and I started the motor about 5 times to avoid drifting into an island. Then when trying to start it for the 6th time, the motor didn't even try to turn over - it just made a "Click Click Click" sound when I turned the key. I kept trying to turn the key and it still made a clicking sound without starting. Finally after letting it sit for about 15 minutes, the motor turned over and ran fine.

Does this sound like a bad starter? I read in a couple posts that a low battery will also give similar symptoms.

 

[ozzydude]

Re: Engine made a "click click" sound when trying to start

Low battery or bad starter. A hot starter can do that also.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Engine made a "click click" sound when trying to start

Dirty Battery Cables too....

 

[chaparral442]

Re: Engine made a "click click" sound when trying to start

if it didn't start and then did start-- that points to bad connections. Clean battery connections, starter connections,

Make sure connections are secure--while you have this disconnected why not check out the battery. On a boat- if it is several years old-- I would just replace it. With a car or truck if it dies- you can get help easily. With a boat--???? I would not even risk it

 

[mckeemm]

Re: Engine made a "click click" sound when trying to start

Once you have the connections cleaned check the slave solenoid. There are two of us here in seperate strings that have experienced the same problem and found that there is an excessive voltage drop across the slave solenoid.

Basically the starter solenoid does not get enough juice to actuate fully and ensrgize the starter. Search 3.0 starting problems to see what we have been up too.

Mark