Need help!!!! 4.3 mercruiser just clicking

[Lou C]

Nope blown fuse means no current flow. Clicking means not enough current flow. Somewhere between the ignition switch and starter you have too much resistance from corrosion or bad terminals. Do what I advised, get down by the starter and have someone crank it while you put the voltmeter positive on the terminal for the yellow/red wire and the neg on a ground. See what you have, the hard part is you need a wiring schematic and go back and trace every connection between the stater and ignition switch. Then you'll find it.

 

[jhande]

Did you happen to buy a rebuilt starter?
Was the solenoid made in China?

Since you have been checking all connections and not finding a problem I would check the starter. Uninstall and jump it from a battery. You can also check the solenoid with either a test light or voltage meter. If they both pass the test then somewhere in the wiring is a problem cutting the amperage. You may get 12 volts at the solenoid or starter but starters can draw 250 amps under load (cranking the motor).

If you are getting clicking at the solenoid then a fuse or circuit breaker wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Lou C]

agreed some of the cheap starters sold are not worth installing. I'd use an ARCO over some of the ultra cheap stuff on ebay or Amazon. I always test starters before installing them. Its not that much of a fun job to do twice in on day, lol.

 

[Bwitter10]

I will take the new starter off here soon today and test from battery and hopefully find the problem. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys for all your input

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

rapid clicking is low battery voltage be it low charge on the battery or bad connections.

One single click when the keys turned. Can be a bad starter and its possible to have a new starter that does not work. If you still have your old starter bench test it if it doesnt work you might still have a bad new starter. Even if the starter had a tag on not to do this I still do it to them before installing them

battery cables go bad internally a voltage drop is the way to check for this. You need a volt meter. Test from the positive lug on the battery to the positive end at point it contacts the starter check this while trying to start it. A good cable thats under 6 feet long should be less than .2 volts however a cable with a. 1 volt drop should still turn The engine over 3 volts drop or more and you for sure have found an issue. Do this to the negative cable as well while trying to start it. This is the fastes way to check a cable for issues you can do the same to the wire that turns the solenoid on its positive to positive more than .5 volts here is a problem that could be the wires the switches theres a couple

And first have you tried moving the shifter slowly forward and backwards while trying to start it in case its a cable adjustment for its neutral position.

 

[Bwitter10]

Got the starter off and found these weren’t connected on the starter as good as they should of been. I already ordered a new starter. Think this is just making it click?

 

[Dr. Skipper]

I had the same problem last summer and it was driving me nuts. It turned out the problem was corrosion at the fuse panel under the dash. I.e. voltage drop from the battery through the ignition and the fuse panel. You can tell if this is the problem by "jumping" the starter to see if it engages and turns.

 

[Chris1956]

I have had the starter solenoids hang up in their tube. If you bought a rebuilt starter, that is a possibility. It shouldn't happen on a new starter though.

 

[Bwitter10]

I had the same problem last summer and it was driving me nuts. It turned out the problem was corrosion at the fuse panel under the dash. I.e. voltage drop from the battery through the ignition and the fuse panel. You can tell if this is the problem by "jumping" the starter to see if it engages and turns.

 

[Bwitter10]

View attachment 341917

I think I may of found a problem on the new starter