Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

[lillbush]

I have a 89 Force 120 L drive...I know they stink but the boat was free. Anyway I put a new battery in it and the motor would turn over fine withOUT the plugs in, but if they were in it wouldnt turn over. Then all of a sudden one day the solenoid just started clicking. so I figured the solenoid was bad so I replaced it and it is still just clicking and not turning the starter. Then I thought that battery was dead so I check it and it was perfect. so I dont know what the problem is. Is it the starter? I dont want to go just buying all these parts for it and they not fix the problem. does anyone have any ideas as to why it clicks? and also why would the starter turn the motor over without the plugs and not with the plugs in?

Thanks
Matt

 

[gussbuster]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

sounds like it might be a bad ground. if your ground is corroded it wont give enough juice to turn the engine with the plugs in, but might without. I would check and clean all ground connections and try it again. hope this helps

 

[lillbush]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

well I just tried to jump the starter...I attached a wired from the battery staright to the starter and all it does is spark everywhere and the starter doesnt move. I am guessing the starter is bad???

 

[gussbuster]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

did you also run a ground straight to the battery?

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

The starter is either, real dirty or no good. Take it apart and see if the brushes are still connected to the wires. The trick with starters is getting them back together after you take them apart. You will need to tie the spring to the brush with mono filiment fishing line till you get the cover partially ove the brush then you need to cut the mono and pull it out. Use WD40 for cleaning with a lot of Qtips and rags. Clean the comutator as well with the WD 40. When you put the starter back together make sure that most of the WD40 is removed. If starter is totally trashed an aftermarket one will run about 120 dollars.

 

[scufumup]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

a couple questions for you! does it click repeatetly or does it click once and stop? before you take apart your starter the starter there are a few tricks you can try. like tapping on it with a hammer. old starters sometimes get "flat spots" so taping on it will get it going sometimes. also you can bypass the cylinoid with a screwdriver. i know its new but it could be a lemmon. jumping it the way your talking doesnt always solve the bad ground issue also. my first guess would be the bad wires. but try the others before you replace wires. your cables migt appear to be good but under that insulation might be serious corosion! let me know how it goes

 

[JUSTINTIME]

Re: Help...Starter Solenoid just clicks and its new!

time to do a voltage drop test