Suspect Cables!!!

[Big-HE]

Hello!!! I just took my boat of the storage lot and it ran when I got it to the house (Johnson 85HP outboard M#85ESL73M). The first couple of times it took a while to get her going. I had just charged the battery the night before and everything looked good. When I got to the water about an hour later I got nothing but "clicking." the starter engaged the flywheel, but seemed like the "juice" just wasn't there to crank her over. The starter pinion would stay meshed with the fly wheeel on some atempts and other it would kick free fairly fast. I could definately hear a difference in how fast it was trying to turnover, kinda sluggish. I know alittle about cars, much more than boat engines and I suspect the battery cables have a lot of resistance. My question is, do outboard motors have starter solenoids or relays like cars? Aslo, if I want to replace the battery cables, do the cables in the starting circuit only run from the battery to the starter? There is obviously wires from the ignition switch. Could they be the cause? Any suggestions?

 

[JB]

Re: Suspect Cables!!!

Howdy, BigHE.<br /><br />I think you are on the right track.<br /><br />It is possible that you have a poor solenoid but it is much more likely to be cables.<br /><br />Usually, heavy cables are run from the battery to the block (-) and to the solenoid input (+). The most common failure is at the -cable connection to the block. <br /><br />Run jumper cables to the block (-) and the starter hot terminal (+). If the starter works it is okay and you have a cable, connection or solenoid problem. Now try it with the + cable to the solenoid input terminal and try the starter switch. If the starter works you have a cable problem.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Suspect Cables!!!

Big-HE..... I'm in agreement with JB pertaining to the cables. Nine times out of ten, that would be where the problem is.<br /><br />A slightly loose, tight but dirty, or internally corroded cable will cause a voltage drop which in turn causes the electric starter to malfunction. In all cases.... tight, loose, whatever, the cable will get hot quite quickly. Just crank the engine for a few seconds, then feel the cables.