# Merc 25HP Starter



## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

My motor will start with the pull start but when I try to use my key to start the motor all I hear is a click. 

I have the cowling off and can see that the starter is not going up to engage the flywheel. So do small outboards have solenoids on the starters like a car or does it sound like I need a whole new starter. 

Any way to test my starter to see if it's any good?


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

the clicking you hear is the solenoid activating when you hit the key put possibly not making contact. you can jump it and if the starter is any good then it should turn over provided you have sufficient voltage so it fires up now when you pull it? and you did charge your battery right? when my battery gets weak i can hear the solenoid click but because the batts weak theres not enough voltage to turn the starter, a few checks with a multimeter should confirm this. i'm gonna be busy the next few days trying to get caught up on a project but could ride over next week with my meter if you havent gotten it figured out by then
if you follow your cables coming in to the engine the neg. connects to the engine block and the pos. connects to one side of the solenoid , the other wire/cable coming off the other stud on the sol. should connect to the starter.i replaced one last year on the motor that originally was on my mud, got it at boathouse marine on blanding blvd.


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

southbound,

Not to be nosey, but what did you shell out for the starter?? Mine just took a crap on my merc.

Weedy


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

> southbound,
> 
> Not to be nosey, but what did you shell out for the starter?? Mine just took a crap on my merc.
> 
> Weedy


The cheapest I've found them online is 100 bucks.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

> southbound,
> 
> Not to be nosey, but what did you shell out for the starter?? Mine just took a crap on my merc.
> 
> Weedy


weedy, it was the solenoid that i replaced not the starter, forgot what the soleniod cost??? think it was around 60 bucks but have since found them online for a lot less, so far my starters havent let me down, sorry for the misunderstanding


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

I bought my Starter from Boats.net for $136, it was a genuine Merc. starter.  They are very easy to replace, just expensive.

Jordan - I had the click with my starter too but it would not turn. Tried a pair to pliers to spin the gear, locked solid. If it still turns it may be the solenoid, pickup a Multimeter and check it out. Everyone needs a good multimeter anyhow.


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

> Walt - I bought my Starter from Boats.net for $136, it was a genuine Merc. starter.  They are very easy to replace, just expensive.



Thanks guys, not sure if I need the whole starter. The bolt that the wire from the solenoid connects to is stripped and I hope I can just replace the bolt and the top part.






Sorry Jordan, didn't mean to [smiley=no_derail.png] your thread.

Walt


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

1.battery check
2.solenoid check via doing a bypass jump
2a. clean all terminls and tighten
3.tap well w/ a hammer all around--rust!!!!
4.if all that fails take it apart and clean--a pain
5. find a starter place that does rebuilds to save the money


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

Just took my starter up to the auto parts store and had them test it for me. We got nothing. I'm hoping that those guys just wern't idiots and didn't know how to work the machine. Otherwise I'm off to the parts store tommorrow to get a new starter.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

well me and my big mouth [smiley=fun_84.gif] looks like i need a new starter too. i took the mud out today to work on a customers dock and after finishing up i decided to take a few high speed test runs and no el starto :-/ i could hear the relay clicking but wasnt getting anything from the starter so i tapped it with a hammer and POW !! she fired right up but noticed the starter was a little cockeyed then discovered one of the bolts had backed out which explains why i was hearing a strange rattling noise the past few times i have been out :-? she starts first pull thank god so it looks like i'm in the market for one also. on another note though, seeing as how i use this thing in my line of work occassionally maybe i can take it as a write off next tax season


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

The whole boat is a tax write off! Especially maintenance.

I still have to get a new one for mine this week. Did you find one at a decent price yet?


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

Ended up trying to replace the solenoid first because it was only 20 bucks! Put the new solenoid on and fired off first pop. 

I cross threaded one of the bolts that holds the solenoid on so I had to go out and buy a tap and die set. But other than that a pretty easy fix.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

sounds great, unfortunetly it definitely looks like i'm in the market for a new starter, i am going to pull it out to try and clean it up first tough. glad you got it going


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

ok so i took it out, took it apart and parts and peices fell out so definitely not wasting time or energy on this one


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

I think I've got voltage issues on my motor. I went all day saturday and it started up just fine with the electric start. End of the day when I was at the boat ramp it did the same thing when we were trying to start it back up to put it on the trailer. I don't know what could cause it. I guess I'm to the end of my mechancal knowledge on this one and will have to take it to a professional.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

> I think I've got voltage issues on my motor.  I went all day saturday and it started up just fine with the electric start.  End of the day when I was at the boat ramp it did the same thing when we were trying to start it back up to put it on the trailer.  I don't know what could cause it.  I guess I'm to the end of my mechancal knowledge on this one and will have to take it to a professional.


so whats the latest ? you planning on hitting it this weekend ?


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## REELKEEN (Mar 24, 2009)

> > I think I've got voltage issues on my motor.  I went all day saturday and it started up just fine with the electric start.  End of the day when I was at the boat ramp it did the same thing when we were trying to start it back up to put it on the trailer.  I don't know what could cause it.  I guess I'm to the end of my mechancal knowledge on this one and will have to take it to a professional.
> 
> 
> so whats the latest ? you planning on hitting it this weekend ?


I've done all I could to try and play with it.  I can still pull start it until I get a chance to take it to a shop somewhere.  I'm going to hit it this weekend.  Not sure where yet.  We were thinking of going freshwater fishing up close to middleburg on Black Creek.  If not that we'll probably head down to your neck of the woods. 

On another note I did get a little humminbird depthfinder used off of craigslist and am in the process of wiring it and mounting the transducer.


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