kjfishman Posted April 7, 2019 Posted April 7, 2019 2002 50 HP Mercury - Pulled the boat out of the garage and fired it up for the first time this year and started no problem. Shut it off came in for lunch and now doesn't turn over Battery is good gauges move when in run position but no crank. The fuse for the starter is good. What leads on the start swit5ch should I see 12v when trying to start. Any help or gestions appreciated. Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted April 7, 2019 Super User Posted April 7, 2019 I had that issue with my old 40HP Evinrude on the 14' Runabout years ago. It'd start great in the driveway (with water running through the system) then at the launch it was dead. It was the starter coil burning out. Turns out there was a short in the system. Something to check anyway. Quote
Elkins45 Posted April 7, 2019 Posted April 7, 2019 Check for silly stuff like the controller being in gear or some other interlock switch being activated. Quote
Vilas15 Posted April 7, 2019 Posted April 7, 2019 First thing to check if it doesnt even turnover is always the killswitch. Maybe the lanyard got pulled somwhow. Rule that out before you spend any money like many people have before. 1 Quote
Super User Sam Posted April 7, 2019 Super User Posted April 7, 2019 10 minutes ago, Vilas15 said: First thing to check if it doesnt even turnover is always the killswitch. Maybe the lanyard got pulled somwhow. Rule that out before you spend any money like many people have before. Right. Check the kill switch first. Quote
Super User Scott F Posted April 7, 2019 Super User Posted April 7, 2019 My motor will turn over without the kill switch, but it won’t start. By not “turning over”, do you mean when you turn the key, nothing happens? Quote
kjfishman Posted April 8, 2019 Author Posted April 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Scott F said: My motor will turn over without the kill switch, but it won’t start. By not “turning over”, do you mean when you turn the key, nothing happens? Yes it would not even turn over. Checked the kill switch. I dropped the start switch out so I could get test leads on it. Found yellow wire with red tracer went back to start coil. Had 12 volts at the switch when turned to start position but not the start coil. Reinstalled the switch in the dash and and now it is starting again. My guess at this point the start switch is intermittent. Going order a new one and hope I don't get stranded out on the water. Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted April 8, 2019 Super User Posted April 8, 2019 1 minute ago, kjfishman said: Going order a new one and hope I don't get stranded out on the water. Doesn't it have a backup recoil starter (pull handle under the cover)? My old 40 did, and a friend's 75 has one. Quote
kjfishman Posted April 8, 2019 Author Posted April 8, 2019 7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said: Doesn't it have a backup recoil starter (pull handle under the cover)? My old 40 did, and a friend's 75 has one. Yes never tried to start that way but would have to give it a try in a pinch. Always figured it would be difficult maybe fun just to give it a try. 1 Quote
Elkins45 Posted April 9, 2019 Posted April 9, 2019 23 hours ago, kjfishman said: Yes never tried to start that way but would have to give it a try in a pinch. Always figured it would be difficult maybe fun just to give it a try. My old Johnson 85 was a cantankerous jerk of a motor that liked to overheat the starter at the worst possible moments. I got pretty good at pull starting it as the rain clouds were closing in. It definitely builds upper body strength. I made myself a two-handed pull rope so I could yank it through a full rotation. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted April 9, 2019 Super User Posted April 9, 2019 Possibly the key switch, neutral safety switch in control box, or start solenoid, or starter. Take a voltage reading on the key switch side of the Starter solenoid on the engine, and see if it's getting 12V when you try to start it. If it has 12V when going to start position, then check the opposite small terminal and make sure it's not reading 12V also, that should be the battery negative (ground) side and has little or no voltage in start. If it has 12V also, that means it has lost ground and you need to find out why. If the solenoid is getting 12V in start position, it should be clicking when you try it. If it is, then check the large terminal going to the starter, it should have 12V going to it when the solenoid is energized. If there is not 12V going to starter, the solenoid is bad, it there is 12v to starter, then you have a starter problem. Possibly stuck brush. If you don't have 12V going to small solenoid wire when in start mode, then you need to check you neutral safety switch in the shifter or the wire between the two. This may require opening the shift control unit, so be careful that pieces don't fall out and you don't know where they came from. Also, while in there make sure the ignition switch is sending the 12V to the neutral safety switch before assuming it's bad. Quote
kjfishman Posted April 9, 2019 Author Posted April 9, 2019 Thanks everyone for the help. Embarrassed to say I missed the obvious. The positive terminal on the battery was really corroded. Feel confident that cleaning the terminal and lug will solve the problem. Quote
Hawghead Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 Good find...always start with the simple and start with free. Quote
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