I have an 18 horse outboard on my pontoon. When I bought the pontoon back in March the previous owner fired it right up no problem. It sat in my yard up until a few weeks ago when I decided to put it in the lake for the season. Before we left I decided to just crank it over to make sure the battery had a charge, I turned the key and heard a faint click and nothing else. Turned the key again and not even a click. Checked battery with a meter and showed 12 volts but dropped to 0 with the key turned. Hooked up the battery to jumper cables and the car and it cranked. I had the pontoon trailer rented so we needed to get to the lake. On the way I picked up a new battery. Got to the lake put the new battery in. Again, a little click and then nothing. I took the battery out of my truck and jumpered it to the new battery in the boat. A little click and then nothing. I then pull-started the motor just to get it to the dock where I park it all summer, Brought the new battery home and charged it. Went back the next weekend and hooked it up. Same thing, little click. I don't know anything about outboards. The motor is so clean under the hood that it looks new. I can't see where there could be anything wrong. It's obviously somewhere in the starting sequence between the key and the motor. I don't know why it cranked the one time at home when it was jumpered to the car but won't crank now with a fully charged battery. Any ideas?????? I want to go fishing!
