Solenoid clicking.

[oxfordethan]

'96 Mariner 25hp 2 stroke. Solenoid is clicking/vibrating when pushing start button. Will not crank I've replced starter, solenoid, and rectifier. Cleaned all wire contacts. Any ideas on what to do to fix it? TIA

 

[flyingscott]

Check all the connections make sure they are shiny Brite. Also check the neutral safety switch.

 

[QBhoy]

Hi.
The mention of a start button might be a suspect and unusual diy addition somewhere in its past. Usually a key to start these on the remote box. Check the function and wiring to the button or whatever set up is there perhaps.
But perhaps if I could also add some recent identical issue and it’s cause…on my old merc v6…it was intermittently miss firing, not always cranking and trim function occasionally failing. Then latterly the bendix on the starter wouldn’t come up at all, followed by no power.
It was caused by the main fuse holder and its integrity/ability to keep continuity. New fuse holder and both battery main cables changed for good measure…never started or ram better !

 

[airshot]

Being a boat and around water, causes corrosion in the most akward, unusual places!! Especially fuse holders, battery connections and other places you might not think about... Have your battery tested, internal shorts can make them give false voltage readings. A full charged battery should be 12.7 volts and up, a reading of 12 volts is a dead battery !!

 

[QBhoy]

Being a boat and around water, causes corrosion in the most akward, unusual places!! Especially fuse holders, battery connections and other places you might not think about... Have your battery tested, internal shorts can make them give false voltage readings. A full charged battery should be 12.7 volts and up, a reading of 12 volts is a dead battery !!

Agree completely. Anything less than 12.5 at rest and it’s in question. Anything less than 10 when cranking and it’s no good or its ability to get power via its terminals or cables is no good. In my opinion at least

 

[brodmann]

The easiest test is to jump the solenoid and see if it spins. That should have been done before replacing any parts. Starter solenoid has two big terinals and two little terminals. When you turn the key, or push the button, the little terminals use a small current to make a connection between the two large terminals to send a significant current to the starter. I use the handle end of a pair of pliers to make contact between the two large terminals to do the job that the ignition switch and wiring is supposed to do. If it still doesn't spin, you have a bad battery, bat connection at battery or ground or a bad starter.

 

[Texasmark]

Agree completely. Anything less than 12.5 at rest and it’s in question. Anything less than 10 when cranking and it’s no good or its ability to get power via its terminals or cables is no good. In my opinion at least

That's 10 across the hot terminal and case of the starter. A clicking solenoid is caused by the key switch telling the solenoid to energize. It does and sends current to the starter. The starter starts sucking on that current but the battery cannot supply the necessary probably 100 amperes for your engine so the voltage across the energizing terminals of the solenoid falls to a level that can't maintain the solenoid energized.

The solenoid coil's internal spring disconnects the current to the starter. This takes the load off the battery and the voltage pops up. When it does it gets to be high enough to re-energize the solenoid and the process repeats.

Cleaning nice, bright and tight on the high current cables from the battery mean the inner material where the current flows...you have to take them apart to clean properly.

Having your battery load tested would be in order. Walmart can do that, Autozone and such.