seloniod clicking but no start

i just purchased a 1978 70 johnny. bought it with out hearing it run as the guy i bought it from had the batt and tanks with the boat it came from. i got everything hooked up at home just to give it a crank, but the selonoid clicks but starter does nothing. connections are all good and clean and batt is charged. what should i be looking for and if it involves a volt meter, plz be specific, just starting to learn that piece of equipment. thanks, scott

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

scott68 said:

i just purchased a 1978 70 johnny. bought it with out hearing it run as the guy i bought it from had the batt and tanks with the boat it came from. i got everything hooked up at home just to give it a crank, but the selonoid clicks but starter does nothing. connections are all good and clean and batt is charged. what should i be looking for and if it involves a volt meter, plz be specific, just starting to learn that piece of equipment. thanks, scott

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Connect your voltmeter's black lead to an engine ground. Connect red lead to starter terminal. Attempt a start. If you have near battery voltage, but starter doesn't run, starter if bad. If no voltage, do the same test except with black test lead on negative terminal of the battery. If you have voltage now, you have a bad engine (cable) ground.

If no or very low voltage with either test, probably a bad solenoid. To find out, check voltage at battery cable post on solenoid when attempting to start. If it falls to no or very low voltage, you have a bad battery cable or connection, or battery. If it stays high but you had no voltage at starter, the solenoid is bad.

Sometime when you have some learning time check out a library book on basic electronics and learn to read a schematic diagram and do voltage checks. It's nothing but common sense and knowing what to expect.

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

90% of starter problems are bad connections. remove and clean both ends of the battery cables, so that they are shiney, also the cable from the solenoid to starter. check for nicks in the cables. and make sure the connectors are on the wire good. the cable tend to corrode from the inside out, if nicked, corroded wires, and connections, heat up and cause resistance to the follow of electricity, thus the starter doesn't get enough. you can also take jumper cable pos battery post to large post on starter. with a good connection, the engine should spin. then if the starter is good clean everything and retest. then trouble shoot solenoid. starters can be rebuit at a starter/alternator shop, much cheaper than a new one.

also have the battery load tested at the auto parts store, free, i've had new batteries go bad

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

F R has given you excellent instructions. Voltage drop tests are the best way to identify electrical problems in a low voltage system. I would suggest one additional test. Connect the red lead of your volt meter to the battery side cable of the solonoid and the black lead to the starter side cable. You should observe 12 or more volts, try to start and when the solonoid clicks voltage should drop to zero. Anything higher indicates resistance in the solonoid and need for replacement. Final shade tree test is to get a jumper cable, connect the red lead to the battery positive terminal and the other end of the red lead to the terminal on the starter itself. Starter should spin.

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

i would like to give a quick thanks to you guy's. i followed the advice given and it was the selonoid, swapped from my old motor as it was the same part #, gave a little gas and fired right up.... better than my old motor ever did. now to replace impeller, plugs and rebuild the carbs. 100 #'s across all cylinders too. now my next step is getting it on the boat. my old set up was a 84 johnson 70 with power trim... what do i have to do to set this motor up for the trim and can i use the throttle controls from the 84 motor as the trim button is on the throttle ?? the controls that came with the motor appear to be the same, just looks a little different. sorry for the long post

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

Randybeall said:

F R has given you excellent instructions. Voltage drop tests are the best way to identify electrical problems in a low voltage system. I would suggest one additional test. Connect the red lead of your volt meter to the battery side cable of the solonoid and the black lead to the starter side cable. You should observe 12 or more volts, try to start and when the solonoid clicks voltage should drop to zero. Anything higher indicates resistance in the solonoid and need for replacement. Final shade tree test is to get a jumper cable, connect the red lead to the battery positive terminal and the other end of the red lead to the terminal on the starter itself. Starter should spin.

Click to expand...

what if the starter doesn't turn after you jump it, what would that indicate?

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

Bad starter motor ... often you can get an auto/electric shop to rebuild it way for way less than a new or rebuilt one.

Re: seloniod clicking but no start

If you jump the starter directly and it doesn't start you have a bad starter. This is assuming all connections are good.