Need help trouble shooting Starter

I just picked up a new to me Worldcat 246.

It has twin Honda 130 hp 4 strokes with 350 hrs.

yesterday was the first launch and I ran into issue.

Both engines started first turn of key.
i let them warm up and the port motor died with no alarms or warning.

It then would not turn over.

I had new battery at house so I swapped it and still no go.

I turn on key get lights and tones like the good engine.
when I turn key I hear a click like a relay but engine does not crank

I tried jumping Heavy Wirer on solenoid to by pass starting circuit and no movement of starter.

it sounds like the starter might of went but not sure.
any help trouble shooting would be appreciated.

Made a little more trouble shooting progress.


I tested the Postitive Wire going to Starter on the other side of the 90 AMP Fuse and there was 12V

I tested the Starting Relay and the device worked as expected passing 12 V to the starter Solinoid when key was turned.

The Solinod and Starter seam to be all one unit so I am assuming the next thing would be to replace the starter.

Is there any other things I should look at before replacing starter?

I took the starter off the engine, only 4 screws so went really quick.

Placed it in a Vise to Bench Test it.

I used Jumper cables and a fully charged battery.

I attached:
Black Cable to Unit Frame for Ground
Positive to the Heavy Wire + Post on the Solinod
Placed a jumper from Pos to Soliniod Trigger wire.

Attached other end to Battery.

Result was the Gear popped out of Starter as Designed but the Motor did not Spin.

My Conclustion is Solinod is Functioning and Motor is Seized.

I ordered anouther Starter today and will get it Thursday.

You are probably right, the starter motor picked your first outing to take a dump. Although, I wish I had seen your post before now so I could walk you through some additional checks. But, if the new starter does the trick, it's a moot point.
I hope that is the case and you are on your merry way.
Good luck.

PS. make sure that when you install the new starter, you use a "backup wrench" when tightening the connections to the solenoid and or starter terminals. Many a new starter has been ruined when someone tightens a terminal and the post starts spinning....breaking the internal connection to the post on the other side of the housing.

Good luck....again.

So it gets worst.
installed new starter and that went well.

put engine in barrel of water to test.

Started first turn of key. Smile.
Let it run for 10 mins and engine shuts off no warning Alarms.

Turn key Click no starter again.

Bench test starter and no go on piñon gear or motor.

Just do not get what can kill a starter in less than 15 mins.

I requested a refund via Amazon tonight for the Starter incase it was faulty. Ordered a replacement will be here Thursday.
what should I be looking for prior to installing starter this time.


i was told to look at ground wires for resistance.
honda dealer said at least 2 weeks before they can look at it.

kimcrwbr1 said:

Ground out all the plug wires and then try and start it normally if the starter keeps spinning when you let off the key you need a new ignition switch. Actually you can test it without the starter connected. Isolate the start wire from the key to the starter and turn the key to start and let off like normal and see if you still have power to the start solenoid?

Click to expand...

To test if the Key is sticking on, couldn't I just use a Volt meter on the Led going from the Start Relay to the Trigger on the Starter Soliniod and see if the 12 V comes and goes after turning the key?
Also would I not hear the Starter motor runing I would think it would be a different sound then the Power head.

I was also told by a friend that is a Mechanic to check for a bad ground as the engine should not be stopping/stalling once it is running unless I am experiancing Voltage Drop.
I am going to Test the Resistance on the engine + and - Wire Harness to make sure that I am getting good clean flow of power.
I told him if the Starter was burning out due to excessive AMPS wouldn't the 90 AMP Main Fuse Pop and protect the Starter? He was not sure he just found it strange that it started, ran for 10 mins fine and then Died and then the starter would not start and was non functioning. He said there is something else that is the cause most likely since it happended twice in a week now.

I do not think this related as the Starboard and Port Batteries and Motors are 100% Isolated today, but I ran into anouther problem this weekend while running with the one remaining engine. We where out for about 4 hrs fishing when the Boat died on the other engine after running well for 4 hrs. I tried to start the motor and it just Clicked. Sea Tow determined that it was a dead battery and tried jumping with Jump Box. It did not work. Sea Tow got me back to the dock. Back at home my Charger kept erroing out when trying to charge the battery. The Battery was shorted out and that is why the Jump Box did not work. Spoke to a Honda Dealer and he told me since the batteries where starting only not deep cycle all my Equiptment but to much strain on the small starting battery and fried it. Does not seam correct but either way My Radar, Deck Lights, LED Red Lighting, a Larger Radio and other Electronics should be running off a Deep Cycle battery. Stupid me to upgrade and add tons of new toys with out thinking do I need to upgrade my batteries. 2 New Starter batteries Wasted.

After some research I I decided to Go to a 3 Battery system as I will be offshore a lot.

I picked up 2 Interstate Marine Deep Cycle/Starting Group 29 SMR 29 Batteries to replace the Fried Starting Battery.
I will be getting a One Larger Interstate Deep Cycle House battery this week and can add a Second house battery if needed at a later time to extend the House AMP/Hrs if needed as I have room for 4 Batteries in the battery compartment.

I am going to add a BEP 117 Battery Combiner and a House Battery as I added Radar, Deck Lights, LED Red Lighting, a Larger Radio, and really want the ability to isolate but at the same time charge the 2 Starting and House batteries without worrying about Perko Switches to day the batteries are 100% Indpendant

This should at least clean up the Battery Issue.

I am going to try to get it installed Thur/Fri and try again this weekend.

Is there anything else I should be testing before adding the new starter into the mix?

I am hoping to get a chance tomorrow am

That BEP setup is a good one. Be sure to connect all of the negative terminals together. I am sure the instructions will show that.

Once you get that in and test the switch, instead of measuring resistance of the power leads, measure the voltage drop as the engine is attempting to start and while it is running (if it starts). The reason for that is...one little strand of wire can show very little or no resistance (zero ohms). Once that one strand tries to carry any significant current, the voltage drop will be very high. If the cables are good, they will have many good strands and the voltage drop should be pretty low.

Also, the 90 amp fuse protects the charging circuit. The positive battery lead goes directly to starter....so there is no fuse protection there.

I did not read that you had a charge warning light on, so the engines must be charging. That may be something to check once you get the motors running....check the current output from the alternators.

Mike

So I am back. Over the holiday weekend I did a little more investigation.

I checked the keys and would you belive both if the keys where very sticky and did not like to spring back to ON after starting. I put the new starter in and teste dit and the starter just kept running. I replaced both keys and tested the motors at home in a Buket and Hose and they ran great. Took the boat out for 4 hrs and had no issues with the starter.

I will be out again this week for more testing but fingers crossed that issue is resolved.

And the BEP 3 battery setup instalation went well.
The Alternaters are putting our 14+ Volts when at Speed and VSR's seam to be charging all 3 Batteries as I used the Winlass, Radar, and Lights last trip a lot and the batteries did not drain at all.