Starter solenoid question

I have a ’03 bayliner, with a 3.5L? (135HP) 4 cylinder merc I/O. I just got it out the garage last weekend and got it ready for the water. I put new gas in, hooked up the water muffs and tried to start it. Nothing, so I put the battery on the charger, and left it for a few hours. The indicator never went pasted 75% charged, even after several hours. So I disconnected the charger, and connected it back up. The motor turned over and started. Turned it off and back on, started again. So I put the charger away and got the boat ready to take to the lake the next day. Next day I took it to the marina and just to make sure, made sure the motor would turn over. Nothing!, 2nd turn of the key produced a ‘click’. Ok, must be the battery.
The place I am putting my boat is a marina where I will be storing it during the summer and they wanted someone from the marina present when I brought the boat in. The guy was with me when I tried to start it, and he said it’s most likely the starter solenoid. They later called me saying the battery does not hold a charge and I need a new one, I assumed that. He also said I should change the solenoid also. I don’t trust mechanics I don’t know, particularly when the bill would be near $500.00!. I told him to just put a new battery in.
Why would he say I need a new solenoid if it did start for me when I had charged the battery? Now the wife is worried the boat won’t work. Should I worry? Also solenoids do not cost $250.00 to install. The battery installed alone is $200 ( which I expected). They guy said the motor wont always start, even with a new battery, which I never had an issue with starting before.


What would I notice if the solenoid was going bad, or do they just quit?

Re: Starter solenoid question

Put the new battery in and make sure the cables are tightened with a wrench, (use real nuts not wingnuts) and see how it works. If it still clicks on occasion, it could be bad wiring, bad slave solenoid, bad starter solenoid, or a bad starter.

If it does just click then follow this thread and find out what the problem is. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167035

Re: Starter solenoid question

So if it starts, then there is nothing to worry about? (They did not even test it out, he just put a new battery in it and stuck the boat back into storage) The guy said there could be times it won't start ( just click), and you have to turn the key a second time. I never experiance that, except the one time, and I know when I charged the battery It started.

Thanks for your advice.

Re: Starter solenoid question

Nothing in life is ever 100% positive. $200 to replace a battery is outrageious. You could have done that yourself for $75 including a free load test at any auto store in town. But you didn't so that's lesson #1. Because you charged the battery and the engine started, does not mean the solenoid is 100% good and will never ever let you down at the dock or on the water. Just like our health, we feel fine one day and not 100% the next. Ignoring symtoms means things continue to deteriorate. So is it with solenoids. If you turn the key in the future and you get a click you can draw the following conclusions:
1) The problem may be the solenoid
2) The problem may be the ignition switch
3) The problem may be the slave solelnoid
4) The problem may be the ignitiion switch wiring
5) The problem may be the solenoid wiring (both of them)
6) The problem may be one or more bad battery cables.
7) The problem may be one or loose/corroded battery cable connections
8) The problem may be that brand new battery was junk (yes -- it does happen).

You trusted the mechanic enough to ask him to join you at the marina when you arrived. You trusted him when he said the battery flunked a load test (if he actually did it) and he sold you a new battery. But you distrusted him when he told you the solenoid needed replacing. You indicate that $250 was too much to replace a solenoid yet you didn't blink at $200 for a battery. Puzzled by this love/hate relationship.

Re: Starter solenoid question

the $200 included the price of the battery or $110. and I suspected the battery, so I was not surprised at that (I looked on line a a marine battery was in the $100 range) I never experiance any issues before indicating somthing else was wrong. So I am skeptical when someone tells me sonthing without explaining why. and they wanted someone around when I brought the boat in, had nothing to do with trust ( he was not a mechanic). I don't know the mechanic. so no love hate here, just skeptical.