Starter Problem?

DayCruiser

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Sep 24, 2004
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3.0 Merc Cruiser. Last year I had the starter rebuilt by the Marina. So I am not sure if it is the starter. YOu turn the key and sometime it starts and sometimes you just hear the celinoid click. YOu always here the celinoid click if it doesnt start when you turn the key. It been doing this from the beginning and now has gotten worse. The starter went under water and had to be rebuilt. But before that you could turn the switch once and it would click and then turn it again and then it would start.<br />HOw can you test a starter without taking it out? So as to narrow down the problem? I think it could be a short in the throttel and else where but i would like to rule out the starter.<br />Thanks in advance for any help you can give
 

tommays

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Re: Starter Problem?

looking at a 3.0 wireing diagram the only clicking could be the solienod which is part of the starter<br /><br />the fact that it allways clicks narrows it down to something on the starter<br /><br />it could be a bad connection not alowing power to the starter a bad solienod or the starter <br /><br />tommays
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Thanks tommays! I think I will start with the starter and celliniod. I wish the mechanic had just put a new one on. I dont see on the work order that he put a new cellinoid. Maybe he rebuilt that --not knowing that much about either. <br />BTW- New battery installed last week<br />I have put starter on car engines but cant figure out how to get this start off. The celliniod is on top. I see a bolt attached to a arm on the engine frame...?
 

Don S

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Re: Starter Problem?

You could be hearing the slave solenoid click but no power is going through it, or the solenoid on the starter may be bad.<br />a = ignition switch<br />c = slave solenoid<br /><br />
3.0%20Start%20wiring.jpg
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Cool a diagram :) Thanks Don S!. Now I dont have to ask where the slave Celliniod is lol That looks easy to replace
 

tommays

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Re: Starter Problem?

i missed the slave sol on the diagram <br /><br />there are two bolts on the bottom of the starter holding it to the block realy hard to get to<br /><br />i would not rush to change it with out getting out a meter and following the wireing diagram don posted as the starter may not be the problem <br /><br />so check to see that power is getting to the starter from the slave sol and that the batery connection on the starter is also good.<br /><br />tommays
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Will Do tommays. Thanks again. I hope an auto parts place can match the part(s) found defective cuz all the boat places close here after 1. I guess they want to go boating too LOL :(
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

i went out and looked and the red line going into the slave solenoid is rusty at the nut connection. I will clean that and put it in the water tommorrow and test it with a meter
 

Scaaty

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Re: Starter Problem?

Originally posted by DayCruiser:<br /> Will Do tommays. Thanks again. I hope an auto parts place can match the part(s) found defective cuz all the boat places close here after 1. I guess they want to go boating too LOL :(
You DO NOT USE AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL PARTS IN A MARINE ENGINE BAY. They spark, and you blow your boat and you into little pieces!
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

OK I cleaned the post on the slave solenoid. The problem is the yellow larger nut post turned second bolt and all. I guess shorting out the slave cylinder completly. Because the volt meter show nada and the rest of the gauges are all over the place. Strange thing is the engine turned over fine without clicking. But I didnt want to crank it with the guages like that. <br />I did turn the loose connection and all the guage went back to normal--until I turned the fan switch and they went hey wire--fan doesnt work nor does anything else.<br />A new slave cylinder I presume?
 

tommays

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Re: Starter Problem?

rule 1 dont work on connections with out disconecting the - neg on the battery to easy to turn tools into welding rods<br /><br />rule 2 allmost every connection has 2 nuts on the post use a thin wrench on the nut under the conection and you wont turn anymore posts<br /><br />at this point i would replace the slave and check all the fuses the guages going wackey sounds like a bad connection or bad ground<br /><br />the fan(bilge blower) should allways be able to run <br /><br />tommays
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Thanks tommays. Where are the fuses to the guages?<br />I think the rust was all that was holding the post in lol<br />The blower worked before I messed with the seliniod. The horn, pump light ect dont work now either<br />I thought about disconnection but didnt... I will when I put the new one on
 

tommays

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Re: Starter Problem?

the fuses could be anywere but most likely under the control pannel somewere every boat builder does it different<br /><br />tommays
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Thanks again tommays.<br />Amazing that the local dealor had the solenoid in stock. I am so use to--"We got to order that IF we can find it" yada yada<br />I am going to start with the solenoid and move go from there to the fuses if the soleniod dont fix it--- and I am going to unhook the battery cables FIRST this timelol
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

The Solenoid didnt do the trick. I found a retangular box on the side of the engine. Is that where the fuses are? I see white plastic looing boxes un the control panel is all. One big one and the rest small.<br />I had the pump straight wired to the batteryit doesnt work. The amp guage jumps (all the guages jump and then goes back to nadda. A full tank shows a quarter for example. So the soleniod must have blown out fuses? The blower doesnt work.
 

DayCruiser

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Re: Starter Problem?

Ok this is what I did. I had pulled a wired on the blower to clean it from corrosion before the short happened. Pulling that connection must have brought the other connections out or half way out with it. So I push all those connections in. I pulled apart all the black cylinders around the engine looking for fuses. NO fuses in them and I plugged them back together. I hooked back up the battery again and voila! everything is working fine! Soleniod was shorted too so it needed replacing to stop the clicking and get the power to the battery.<br />Man working on the "Love"(boat) of your life sure is stressful LOL. GF thinks I love this boat more than her--well........<br />Thanks for all ya'lls help on this problem
 

tommays

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Re: Starter Problem?

thanks for the follow up and glad it worked out <br /><br />each time you do a repiar it will get easery because you now understand how it works a littel more <br /><br />they sell a bottel of stuff called liquid electric tape at boat places it goes on like nail polish and will protect the connections you fix from corrosion<br /><br /><br />tommays
 
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