Starter relaysolenoid problem50 Force 1989

[bowhuntrrl]

"I went to start my '89 50

"I went to start my '89 50 Force today before a prospective buyer came to look at it. It started just fine, in fact almost too easy. A bit later, it started acting weird when I tried to start it, no click at all from the relay and the voltage would drop from 12.9 when trying to start to 0 V. After some trouble shooting, I think I have it narrowed down to the solenoid. If I jump directly across the 2 big terminals, nothing happens. I metered the solenoid and I only get 3.7 ohms resistance between the 2 small terminals. It seems to me that this should be higher and that it must be shorted, that would explain the huge voltage drop when trying to energize the starter. Does anyone know what the resistance between the two small terminals on the solenoid should be ???

I'm pretty sure that's the problem because when I took the solenoid out, I crossed the 2 big terminals (bat and starter)and the starter turned over. Thanks."

 

[galamb]

"Rich, it sounds a little more

"Rich, it sounds a little more like your starter motor has given up on you.

Jumping the main posts effectively bypassed the entire solenoid. The severe drop in voltage indicates that the starter is just "eating" all that power and not turning over.

To be sure, disconnect the main wire from the solenoid to the starter (at the solenoid end) and try jumping that directly to the positive on the battery.

If the starter still doesn't turn over, then that's your problem...."

 

[bowhuntrrl]

"Found the problem today. I bo

"Found the problem today. I borrowed a solenoid from a friends Mercury outboard and things worked as they should. I tapped my solenoid and could not hear the plunger, so banged it good and hard until I could hear it. Put it back in to test and it worked ok. I will just order a new solenoid since if it stuck once, it will stick again."