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Automatic Start 360

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gonnabe

New member
Hello! Found site while searching for a solution to my current problem and it seems this site is full of highly helpful and knowledgeable participants. That is greatly appreciated

Brief history- Boat has a 360 late model (90-92ish) Chrysler inboard with approximately 100 hours on it. I purchased boat seven years ago and everything ran fine. Boat has been stored for the past five years. Pulled it out of storage, put new battery in, poured small amount of gas into carb and it fired immediately. Hooked up water hose, on deck gas tank and attempted to re-start and Nothing! No solenoid click, no grinding starter, just plain Nothing!

Changed solenoid still nothing. Key switch seemed "worn" in that it doesn't have crisp detents between run and off. Thought maybe the switch had gone bad. This is where it gets weird.

Begin to change key switch, remove two of the three wires on the switch and the engine begins to crank, I turn off the battery to get it to stop cranking. Re-group, hook everything back up, still cranking. Unhook everything (no wires connected to switch, they are sepearted from each other) and it is still cranking over by itself!!!

Now I need some advice- what is going on?! I'll be the first to admit I'm an Electrical idiot so please bear with me if I can't properly answer your qusetions on the first try.

Thanks in advance for the help
 
I'm assuming that this is not a Bendix Drive starter motor.

The only way for the starter motor to engage and crank the engine, would be if somehow the solenoid circuit became energized.

IOW, the magnetic switching portion of the solenoid would need to be energized in order to pull the contacts together.
As the contacts are closing, the lever arm kicks the starter motor pinion gear into the flywheel ring gear.
(the Bendix Drive starter motor works a bit differently, but there is still a solenoid involvement)

Your Marine key switch should have three terminals at the rear of it.

14106.jpg


One will be for the POS connection.... often labeled "+" or "BATT".
One will be for the Ignition circuit..... often labeled "I"
The one that is momentary, will be the solenoid circuit..... often labeled "S".

Are you using that style key switch????
 
Yes that is the style key switch. What would suddenly energize the solenoid and keep it energized? Seems it wouldn't energize before, now it won't de-energize
 
Sounds like you may have a stuck solenoid to check this use a digital multimeter and set it to check for continuity place the leads on the two main studs( the one where the battery wire hooks up and the one where the wire to the starter hooks up) with the battery turned off if you have a continuity reading on the multimeter the solenoid is stuck and needs replacement. if there is no continuity remove the wire going to the starter and turn the battery on. Set the multimeter to D.C. voltage connect the black lead to the neg. post on the battery and touch the red lead to the small stud on the solenoid ( the one that comes from the ign. switch) and see if there is a voltage reading. if so you have a wire that is shorted to power and causeing the solenoid to stay energized.
 
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