Clearwater1950
New member
Our 1999 Mariner 150 Magnum III has been bullet proof except...over the years it occasionally and randomly won't engage the starter motor. This is a little disconcerting when 30 - 40 miles away from launch point. There is no sound when key is turned to start. Zero click. This has only happened three times but, by happy happenstance, I have had mechanics on board twice when this has happened so I had great help and good knowledge and traced the power to the solenoid and through the soleoid to the starter...but it remains a mystery to all as to why this happens and why it seems to corrects itself once we get it started....and why it occurs so randomly and at such wide intervals....sometimes a year and 40+ starts apart. In the two instances with mechanics on board, after spending an hour scratching our heads, we were able to pull start the motor with the emergency rope....once started and then shut off....the starter worked fine for the rest of the year. It has never happened at the dock on a cold start...and we live in Northern Idaho and use the boat during quite cold (below freezing temps) often in the late fall and early spring months. The last time it happened, after pulling off the cowling, I rotated the starter just a bit...and then it started as though nothing was wrong...again and started like new the rest of the day (fishing). The last time I took both the starter and solenoid off and had them checked and both check out fine. So..I decided to purchase aand install both a new solenoid and starter and have our local Electrical Spe******t shop rebuild the old starter and keep it for a spare.
So...here is my question. I went online to purchase a new starter from Mercury and I the Marine site noted Merc OEM starter was no longer available and listed several replacement options....which are really, really inexpensive as compared to the Merc OEM starter. I am skeptical...but are these replacement starters durable and reliable? Anyone have any experience with them?
So...here is my question. I went online to purchase a new starter from Mercury and I the Marine site noted Merc OEM starter was no longer available and listed several replacement options....which are really, really inexpensive as compared to the Merc OEM starter. I am skeptical...but are these replacement starters durable and reliable? Anyone have any experience with them?