When starting my 1996 Mercury Mariner for the first time this yr, it makes a clicking sound but the engine will not start.I have charged the battery and it hasn't helped.I have tried to use battery cables to start it and it still just clicks.Is there anything I can check, or do I have to get someone to replace the starter or something else?
Hi Lisa.Use your jumper cables to the engine block (neg) and the hot stud on the starter motor. If the starter engages you have a good starter.Now put the pos cable on the solenoid input (from battery) stud and try your starter. If the starter engages you have a good solenoid.That leaves the connections in the high current starter circuit (BIG wires). Remove, clean and reattach every one. The most likely culprit is where the ground from the battery connects to the engine block.Good luck, and let us know what you find.
I just went through that mess. Boat on the ramp, in the water...click click. 4 hours later back at the house with starter off the boat, found out the little wire with a flat blade connected to the solenoid had slipped off. I was so pissed.
We replaced the solenoid and we had the starter rebuilt. My husband put it back together and it does the same thing.Could he have connected the wires wrong?