Starter bad?

[Cousin_Jeff]

Yesterday I went out on the lake. My wife drives the boat off the trailer and when I get in the boat she tells me that it was making a clicking noise for about a minute and then it stopped. She said the boat started fine just was clicking.

Later in the day I noticed that it made a single click one time when I turned the key to start it. It still started fine.

Then, of course, as we were about to leave I turned the key and nothing. No click or anything. I tried that twice and then it fired right up.

Is my starter going bad? All the dealers are closed on Sunday and Monday so I can't call and ask the service department.

Your help is greatly appreciated. It is a 2002 197 as pictured in my avatar. 240 hours.

[bigmac]

Do you mean it clicks while it's cranking, clicks after it's running, or you turn the key and instead of cranking it just clicks?

Assuming adequate battery voltage, if I turned the key and it just clicked once or several times - release the key, turn it again and it cranks - I'd assume a bad solenoid and I'd head on down to Autozone to get one.

[Brent]

I agree it is probably a bad solenoid .¥ou have 2 solenoids , 1 at the back of the block & another attached to the Starter! I'd have the starter reconditioned next week . A real killer of starters is low voltage ,keep the battery fully charged & the starter should last a long time! I've learnt that the hard way.

[Cousin_Jeff]

I would turn the key, click, motor starts. The exception being that it didn't do it every time. Sometimes it started just like normal with no click. Two times it made no noise and did not start at all.

[MCPS205]

I would test the solenoid on the back of the engine before having the starter re-done. A simple test of that solenoid could save you the re-con on the starter. Use a volt meter and ground it to the block. Take the positive wire and hold against the post with the wire leading to the starter. Have someone turn the key. If you have a reading, this solenoid is good and the problem is in your starter. I have had severl of these boats and they just wear out once in a while. Napa should have one in stock and they cost $20-30 or so.

[h20_skidog]

Yesterday I went out on the lake. My wife drives the boat off the trailer and when I get in the boat she tells me that it was making a clicking noise for about a minute and then it stopped. She said the boat started fine just was clicking.

Later in the day I noticed that it made a single click one time when I turned the key to start it. It still started fine.

Then, of course, as we were about to leave I turned the key and nothing. No click or anything. I tried that twice and then it fired right up.

Is my starter going bad? All the dealers are closed on Sunday and Monday so I can't call and ask the service department.

Your help is greatly appreciated. It is a 2002 197 as pictured in my avatar. 240 hours.
Cousin_Jeff if this happened at all this past Saturday when we saw each other I could have easily answered your question! Yes. I just replaced my starter two weeks ago.

My wife and I experienced very similar problems where the solenoid would 'click' one time and the starter would not engage. I would cycle the key on/off a couple times and then it would start! I went like this for about 2 weeks before I decided I had better get this resolved before it completely does not start when we are out on the lake!

I removed the starter and... some water did leak out! Yeah, I am embarrassed to admit it, but my wife and I have forgotten to put the plug in a couple times over the past few years!!!:o None the less, I removed, cleaned and tested the starter. But when I placed the starter back into the boat, nothing!

When I called MasterCraft of Charlotte for some help and once I said that we have forgotten to put the plug in a couple times...he said to stop all further testing it was the starter going bad.

I had traveled all the over to our local MC dealer (WaterSports Central), and they did not have any starters at all! So I highly recommend calling MasterCraft of Charlotte, they are very helpful and most importantly they had the part!!! And they worked to have the starter shipped next day air so my w/e plans wouldn't be canceled!!! :dance:

[Cousin_Jeff]

H2O, I didn't even think to ask you about it. I took the boat in today and they said they started it 20 times and never had a click or a failure. I had purchased an extended warranty and they are going to pay to replace the starter anyway since it had some corrosion on it.

What did you think of the courtesy ramp at Carter's that was 10 feet in the air?

[yzwiley]

I had the same problem and a new starter fixed the "click". Often mine was bad at the start of the day where at the end of the day there wasn't any clicking.

[h20_skidog]

Cousin_Jeff, did they have any starters? Or did they have to order one?

As to the courtesy ramp, I have watched it grow the past couple months to 10 feet in the air! It's good that the lake is deep! However at the end of the cove we were in and at lunch at, I could stand on the bottom of the lake and the water level was at my shoulders!

[Cousin_Jeff]

They had one in stock and have already put it on. I pick it up tomorrow. I had an extended warranty and it was covered. I am only out $25.