replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

[oliverrussell]

Maybe someone could help with a problem I'm having on my 2001 90hp Mercury. After thanksgiving I went to pull it out of the water but could get it started. It would just click. I though maybe it was the starter and replaced it... still just clicked when I would turn the key. That brought me to replace the solonoid...then it would turn the starter just a little and make a fast clicking sound now... w/ the key engaged all the gauges and voltage seemed good, as soon as I would turn the key to start... the volts would shoot to zero and again a fast clicking... I then replaced the battery (just in case) and nothing but the same. I cleaned/ lightly sanded the connections @ the battery terminal as well as all the hook-ups on the starter and solonoid... don't know what to do next. still in the water, and only getting colder. <br /><br />Matt

 

[Laddies]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

It sounds like starter troubles, us a voltmeter to ck from the started post to ground with the key engaged to start position

 

[LubeDude]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

Can you turn the engine over by hand, (by the flywheel), to make sure it isnt locked up????

 

[oliverrussell]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

I can turn it with the rope, but its tough... like its in gear.<br /><br />do these symptoms sound like it siezed??? The last time I had it out it ran fine....

 

[oliverrussell]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

Lube, how can make sure its not locked up?

 

[TxShorty]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

The clicking indicates a voltage problem somewhere, even if your voltmeter didn't drop to zero. If the motor was seized, the starter would still fully enguage. <br />You have replaced the starter, solenoid, and battery. What's left is the cables. Use a voltmeter and find the voltage drop.....

 

[Texasmark]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

Agreeing with and adding to Tx: You should maintain around 11 volts at the starter terminal when the starter is turning the engine over. A 90 hp should be hard to turn over with the crank rope. A 40 is bad enough to try to crank by hand. (I have an '02 90 hp)<br /><br />The clicking is the starter solenoid dropping out due to low voltage. The reason it clicks is that you key it to energize and when it does it applies 12v to the starter. But something (probably a shorted starter)pulls the voltage down low enough to allow the solenoid to release (probably around 8 volts or less). Once the solenoid releases, the load is gone from the 12v supply, voltage pops back up, solenoid sees it and again energizes, repeating the cycle.<br /><br />If the starter is not shorted, then maybe something in the wiring between the output post of the solenoid and starter input power post is shorting to ground (engine block or something).<br /><br />As Tx said, even if the engine is frozen, the bendix should slam against the ring gear on the flywheel when you hit the start button........then load up the elect system, dropping voltage.<br /><br />Good luck and Merry Christmas.<br /><br />Mark

 

[Daibheid]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

I had some trouble like this last year and traced it to the battery isolator. I've the simple red hey type that just pushes the contacts together and when I went to buy a new one I was told 'Yeah, they often give trouble'<br /><br />I found it by running a jumper from the battery positive to the the starter positive and then after confirming the starter was spinning up OK, moving back to the solenoid terminals and then onto the downstream side of the isolator until the only thing left in the system was either the cable run or the isolator. I'd sugest you veirfy your starter first with a jumper and then jump the isolator.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[MercFan]

Re: replaced starter solonoid & battery...just clicks

It should be possible to bypass everything and use jumper cables directly from your battery to starter and bendix solenoid. If the bendix kicks in and the motor cranks over (It won't start though), it gives you that much less to worry about.<br /><br />Then the fault lies from the battery to the starter exclusive.<br /><br />If it was a car you're talking about, I'd say check your negative to chassis, it's dirty. Check your starter relay, it's not contacting properly. Check your battery, it's shot (You did that already). Clean the big contacts at your bendix that are supposed to give power to the started only after the bendix has kicked in, the do carbon up after years of service.<br /><br />Also, to confirm the motor isn't seized, remove all your spark plugs and use your rope start. That should be very easy to pull. I don't havde a lot of experience with L/U's but if everything is working, and your L/U is in gear the prop will turn while you crank it. This you don't want.<br /><br />On that note, some pro's here can comment on standard safety devices that will prevent you from starting in gear?