Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

A couple of firsts happened to me yesterday ...... 1st time this motor gave me any type of an issue since I've owned it. This was also the 1st time I've ever had to turn around at the launch ramp w/o the boat coming off the trailer. A very frustrating day!



Tried to take my dad out fishing yesterday for Father's day. Got to the ramp and backed the trailer in the water. While trimming the motor down, it just stopped. It was only about 3/4 of the way from being fully trimmed down. I tried to push the button again to trim the motor down (or up) at the throttle and all I heard was a "buzz" of some sort but the motor wasn't moving. I tried to lower (or raise) it using the button at the motor and had the same results (could hear a buzz coming from inside the cowling but the motor didn't trim/tilt). With the lower unit being in the water, I decided to try and start the motor. I turn the key and the motor did not turn over.

I took the cowling off of the motor and investigated. The "buzzing" I heard while trying to trim the motor was coming from the cranking motor solenoid. It seemed like the solenoid wasn't "engaging". All the wire connections are good/clean at the solenoid. I tapped on the top of it with a handle of a screwdriver (kinda like you would with a starter on a car when it won't engage) and I had power again! The tilt/trim was working and the motor would turn over. Thinking it was a glitch and that we'd be lucky and actually get to fish after all, we tried to launch again and the same issue happened again. I pulled the boat out of the water and took it home.

Got the boat home and did some further testing. The tilt/trim wasn't working again when I got the boat home, so we got out an electrical tester. We had power coming into the the cranking motor solenoid (from the batteries), but nothing coming out of the cranking motor solenoid (going to the starter). Once again, the starter will not turn over when I turned the key and the tilt/trim is not working (the buzz is still coming from the cranking motor solenoid when trying to tilt/trim). Again, I tapped the solenoid with a screwdriver and the tilt/trim was working again. My dad had the electrical tester on the positive wire coming out of the solenoid going to the starter and when I turned the key we now had power (and the motor turned over). So now we had power coming into the solenoid and power going out and everything was working (as before, we had power coming in and nothing going out and nothing was working).

After reviewing the manual I have for this motor, I found that the starter and the tilt/trim motor both get their power from the cranking motor solenoid. Multiple tests are pointing me towards the cranking motor solenoid as being the culprit. Do you agree? Could it be that I'm missing something else? Do cranking motor solenoids just go out on their own (go bad) ... ever? The "buzzing" I heard coming form the solenoid, is that usually an indication that the solenoid is going bad or is bad? Any help you can provide on this issue would be greatly appreciated!


B.T.W. - When I had no power going to the starter or the tilt/trim motor, everything else was working fine. I had power to the all the guages. The systems check would go through it sequence checks. As far as I know, I just didn't have power going to the starter and the tilt/trim motor.


Also, does anybody have a link for a replacement cranking motor solenoid? I want to get this fixed so I can take my dad out this Friday for a "make-up" fishing trip!



Motor Information:

1996 - 200 HP Oceanrunner

Model# J200TXEDR


Thanks in advance - Mike

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

What you are describing is a bad connection and or bad solenoid. However, I wouldn't rule out the switch that it operates. With battery disconnected, remove all wires to solenoid and switch. Inspect, Clean and reinstall. If it should happen again, test for power to solenoid. If power is present, replace solenoid. If no power present, replace switch. Good luck and post back.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

Monte1961 said:

..... test for power to solenoid. If power is present, replace solenoid. If no power present, replace switch. Good luck and post back.

Click to expand...

Monte1961, like I described in my original post. When the tilt/trim didn't work and the starter wouldn't turn the motor over, I tested and had power going into the solenoid (but not coming out going to the starter).

When the tilt/trim did work and the starter would turn the motor over (after taping the top of the solenoid with a screwdriver handle), I had power coming into the solenoid and obviously power going out to the starter (since the motor was turning over).


I found replacement Cranking Motor Solenoid (Starter Solenoid). The Johnson part# is 586180. Looks like it ranges from $20 to $30.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

Before going to far, you might want to check all battery and battery connections also. They can do weird things also. Post back and let us know.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

The lowest (voltage) battery tested at 12.87 volts. All connections are clean and tight.

Everything else on the entire boat worked flawlessly (that runs off batteries - GPS / Fish Finder / Radar / Bait Tank etc...)!

My gut is telling me that it has to be the solenoid! I will replace the solenoid and post on what transpires!

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

Go ahead and start throwing parts at it, stoughty, but you will probably have to remove and scrub those "clean and tight" battery cable connections shiny before you get full current into the starter and T&T motor. The solenoid has nothing to do with the T&T.

Your trouble is probably hidden corrosion in the connection of the battery ground cable to the engine block. That will prevent full current to high draw motors like the starter and the T&T motor.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

JB,

Thanks for the reply but I'm a bit more confused now by your response:

JB said:

The solenoid has nothing to do with the T&T.

Click to expand...

It clearly shows in my manual that the tilt/trim motor gets it's power from the cranking motor solenoid (top right corner of picture).

Also, if the solenoid has nothing to do with the tilt/trim motor, why would it "buzz" when pressing the tilt/trim button when I was having my issue?

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

It will buzz as long as some 12vdc or even lower vdc reading. I will have to stand by JBs comment also post #6. Good luck.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

stoughty said:

JB,

It clearly shows in my manual that the tilt/trim motor gets it's power from the cranking motor solenoid (top right corner of picture).

Click to expand...

I absolutely hate the type of wiring diagram commonly used in outboard engine manuals - a true schematic would do a lot better job of explaining how things work. That diagram does NOT show power going to the tilt/trim through the solenoid. What it's showing is that the solenoid coil picks up it's ground inside the tilt/trim relay box, and it also shows a connection on the hot side of the solenoid which powers the tilt/trim system (that's just a convenient place to pick up +12 V from, it's equivalent to running a wire all the way back to the hot side of the battery).

There's something weird going on, I'd suggest checking voltage drops around the entire starter circuit to see if you can pinpoint a bad connection. Have someone momentarily hit the start switch while you measure the voltage between battery + and + terminal on the solenoid, then across the two big solenoid terminals, then from the load side of the solenid to the starter hot terminal, then from a good engine ground to the negative battery terminal. None of those readings should be above a few tenths of a volt except maybe across the solenoid which might be as high as a volt or so. In my work as an engineer I've been dragged into troubleshooting all kinds of industrial equipment - bad connections, loose terminals, and those sorts of things can cause all kinds of strange symptoms.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

The starter solenoid and the T & T share a common ground, located behind the relay box, it attaches to one of the 2 bolts that hold the relay box to the block.

When the issue occurs, take a jumper wire, and clip one side to the ground for the solenoid (starter), and the other side to a good clean part of the block, or all the way to the main ground wire. If the engine cranks, but still tilt still doesn't work that means you have a bad ground for the relay box. Take the box off and clean the connection and the block.

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

JB said:

Your trouble is probably hidden corrosion in the connection of the battery ground cable to the engine block. That will prevent full current to high draw motors like the starter and the T&T motor.

Click to expand...

JB,

You were correct as the issue ended up being a bad ground connection at the battery!!! I had forgot that earlier in the week (prior to the trip) I had disconnected the 2 batteries to check water levels (batteries are located in a tight spot). Well, the 2 ground cables that come from the motor were not making good contact to the ground post on the battery. Cleaned the wires while I had them disconnected (again) and then reattached them properly to the battery. Everything is back to normal and functioning!!!!

Thanks for the help - Mike


P.S. - Got my dad back out to make up for the Fathers Day trip (or lack there of) and caught a lot of barracuda and sand bass on the Huntington Flats. Had a great day fishing together!

Re: Cranking Motor Solenoid Going Bad? --- 96 200hp Oceanrunner

That's the way it goes sometimes. I really miss the blue water in So. Cal. But I do like my deep lake fishing here in Oregon too. Glad you and your dad had a good time, you both are lucky people. Now take your dad out more often! Good luck.