Merc 3.0 turns over hard

[richard99]

Greetings, all - <br /><br />When I used to go fising on my buddy's boat (3.0 Merc), I was always alarmed at how hard it seemed to turn the engine over during starting. Almost like the battery was dying. But it always started. <br />Now I have my own boat ('86 Four Winns, 3.0 Merc) and get the same thing - and my battery is nearly new!<br /><br />Is this a normal occurence - and should I be concerned about it? Thanks in advance to all!<br /><br />Rich

 

[tommays]

Re: Merc 3.0 turns over hard

its not normal it should spin over like any other motor<br /><br />you need to check and clean all the battery connections + and -<br /><br />if the cables look green or otherwise funky they are most likely bad<br /><br />you can hook up a meter at the starter and see how much voltage drop your geting when cranking<br /><br />i dont no the exact min thats good <br /><br />and if your starter is orginal it may just be tired<br /><br />tommays

 

[rbezdon]

Re: Merc 3.0 turns over hard

Sounds like bad electrical connections to me too, most likely at the block or starter solenoid. Follow tommays advice. One quick way to find the poor connetion is to crank the engine for 15 or 20 seconds and look for the hot cable or connection. It will get real hot real fast so be careful what/how you look for the hot part but just follow the cables positive AND negative and you'll find it, then repair/replace the connection. There is some chance it is the starter also so if all the connections are good, then you might consider rebuilding or replacing it too.

 

[richard99]

Re: Merc 3.0 turns over hard

Again, may thanks to all. These forums are the best thing to happen to newbie boaters like me!