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1989 Mariner 60hp 3cylinder Starter problem

G

ghardy7605

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I am having trouble getting my motor to turn over. It clicks at the solenoid, but will not engage starter. When I jump the right side solenoid, starter engages and spins motor. I have done very little marine engine repair, and am curious to why there are 3 solenoids.

What should I check for first and could someone give me an explanation on the multiple solenoids?

Thanks for the help in advance,
Greg
 
2 of the solenoids are for the trim / tilt system.----------------Sounds like the starter or the solenoid is defective.--------------These starters are easy to inspect repair.------I install new brushes ( $5.00 ) all the time.
 
When I jump across the 2 posts on the right solenoid, the starter spins the motor like it should, where would you start troubleshooting next? I found a thread that said that the switch being as old as it is, could have worn contacts, I tried turning the key switch slowly to see if the starter would engage, no luck there, still just clicks, the key switch choke works, am stuck as to where to start next. If the right solenoid is for the motor, how do I check to see if the switch is bad? I forgot to add that I have already replaced the solenoid on the right.

Thanks for clearing the 3 solenoid question up for me, since they are wired in series, is there a certain solenoid that activates the starter or are they used together? Does it take more than one to activate the starter? I have never seen multiple solenoids, especially wired in series that way.

Thanks for the help,
Greg
 
One solenoid is for the starter ( lead from the starter attached to it )---------replace it !!!!!---------This stuff is simple.-------What you are saying is that they looked to be " hooked up in series "------------they are all simply hooked up to a common 12 volt scource ( battery ) and one solenoid activates the starter ---one trim motor for " up " and one for trim motor " down "------------------They do NOT work together !!
 
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Thanks for clarifying that, I have replaced the solenoid, now what the switch? That is what I was asking, like I said, never have done marine mechanicing, thank you for explaining how the solenoids work. I pulled my control box off took the switch out of the box, used some electronic cleaner too wash the grease out of all the wiring going to the switch, after doing that now nothing happens, I am thinking now it may be a bad switch, would that be where you would start?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, and I apologize for my ignorance of marine knowledge, haven't had the need to learn the electrical until now, but thanks for the help in understanding.

Greg
 
I have been facing the same issue with an older Mariner. I had other issues with my starter motor that are now behind me and the switch activation is my next area to tackle as the starter on my boat will also start well if I short the terminals at the starter motor but not with the key switch. I will be looking at every connection and terminal from the battery to the starter, the starter to the fuse/main switch/neutral switch/starter switch on both the power side and earth side. Try cleaning every terminal or connection and making sure that everything makes a good clean contact and that the wires are securely fitted to them. Vibration and corrosion can cause problems on anything electrical. If you are able to disassemble the switches to inspect/clean the internal contacts that would be good, but if you can't they may need replacing. Check to make sure that all the wires are still in good condition without any of the insulation cracked or rubbed through. It can be hard to check the whole wire but concentrate on any area where the wires pass through/under/over another item and may have been rubbing. If all else fails try replacing the switches and or wires. It can be hard to isolate problems and I would suggest that even if you find one issue somewhere along the circuit that you keep looking to ensure that there aren't more potential problems. It's always easier to fix standing on land than drifting in water.
 
Many motors have a " start in nuetral only " switch. It may be in the control box or on the motor.-----------Check it out.
 
I think I see it in the control box, I am at a loss, what is the best way to check this, do you use a jumper, or check with a multimeter, I am not an electrical genius...

After reading where a poster said the contacts on his switch were bad, I figured after 22 years, that had to be the problem. Before I removed the throttle control box, the push in key choke worked, the trim switch worked, afterwards, neither worked, not sure if I moved something in the wiring harness, are there more than one plug in connections in the harness, it is a quicksilver control box? I replaced the switch, thinking, surely this had to be the problem, nothing......... I am at a loss now, not sure where to go from here, I am wondering if I need to pull the harness and start from scratch, I guess that would probably be the logical thing to do to make sure everything is connected, was hoping to avoid that though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, my 11 yr. old is ready to do some fishing, and I cannot afford a big mechanic bill at the moment.

Thanks in advance for the help,
Greg
 
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After opening up wiring harness, tracing each wire, took the wires off the starter, solenoids and cleaned and replaced, I found an inline fuse blown, replaced the fuse, now the new switch clicks like before, the trim now works in the up and down position. I checked to see if the neutral lockout was working, the key switch does nothing except neutral, so that is fine, I don't have a clue where to go next, I have replaced the starter solenoid, if you jump it at the big posts, the starter engages and spins the engine.

Racerone, if you have any other suggestions, I am ready and listening.

Thanks to anyone in advance for the help,
Greg
 
Look to see if the terminal that OPERATES the solenoid is getting 12 volts when you hit the key. Check for proper grounding on the other terminal as well.

Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff,

After replacing the switch, I just wondered if the new solenoid I bought was bad, so I swapped the solenoid with the one I took off and she worked like a champ, did not know that I could get a bad solenoid that was new.

Oh well, learned something new today, another lesson in electrical knowledge, thanks everyone for the help, now on to rewiring all the electrical into a fused rocker switch panel to get rid of all the inline fuses, wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again,
Greg
 
Jeff, I am having electrical issues, I accidently pulled too many wires off the trim solenoid when i was replacing the 2 trim solenoids, could you tell me how the wires go, I have a black, blue and green wire, looks like they are coming from the throttle control, with the other big wire sharing power from the starter solenoid. My question is: Is the black ground, blue & green the up and down wire? Is there a particular sequence that they need to be wired, and if possible, do you know or have a picture to make sure I get it right.

Thanks for any help you can offer, got in too big of a hurry, started raining, and was trying to get through, I will learn one day to label wires before pulling them off.

Thanks,
Greg
 
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