How to troubleshoot a starter

[Bigperm]

So I got 1 motor that won’t start it won’t turn over no click from solenoid
Nothing.... I have checked the switches and both switches will start my good motor . I have replaced my solenoid & nothing changed so planing on putting a jumper wire on the solenoid & putting a jumper from the starter straight to the battery to find out what’s bad . Any other ideas or spying may be missing any body been down this road ? I Am hopping i didn’t burn up a starter ?

 

[Beachbummer]

Does the solenoid click when you try to start? Check voltage of little wires going to solenoid also, solenoid may not be receiving signal to make starter spin. Your plan will alert you to the starter condition, best of luck!

 

[Bigperm]

No click at all ... nothing so I was thinking a burnt wire or something but i the starter was bad I should still hear a click and the starter get warm

 

[Beachbummer]

You can put a 12v led or bulb or voltmeter on the thin leads on the solenoid. It should light up when you set the key to turn the starter. Your idea to jump the solenoid will tell you if the starter is OK.

 

[Bigperm]

Thanks I have a little test light prob thing
I will test them with . Stupid question are solenoid directional?

 

[Beachbummer]

If the ground or power to the solenoid coil are interrupted, that could cause your symptoms.

Switch -not it, you already check.
Power to coil?
Ground to coil?(the coil is the magnet that moves the internals of the solenoid to make contact of the two thick wires. It jumps the two think wires when it's energize.)

Not directional, but, on my boat the computer power is drawn from the same cable that comes from the battery to one of the solenoid big bolts, so the wiring of the computer must be hooked up as it was before to keep the computer energized.

 

[Bigperm]

Well I am puzzled. Put a jumper from starter to the positive on battery & nothing no spark nothing so I jumped the solenoid nothing. I put a meter on the solenoid it had voltage on the battery side and the small wire had voltage. I then ran a ground wire off the starter to the negative battery post and put a wire from the battery positive to the power on the starter & nothing no arch no sparks nothing... I guess if the starter is burnt up it wont complete the circuit? The solenoid is new out of box . But I cant get the solenoid to jump click nothing. I pulled the starter off and it’s toast totally locked up and smells of electric fire. I ordered a new starter but was wondering what else might have burnt up ? Or what can I check while waiting on the starter to show up

 

[Beachbummer]

Wires and connectivity will be easy to check now that the starter is out. Put your nifty voltmeter or test bulb where the starter goes and crank away! Both power and ground. If lights up/shows voltage when you crank, the starter alone is at fault, and replacing it will do it. If not, next step is to do the same for the little wires powering the solenoid too. put them in your "test harness" (Voltmeter or bulb) and crank. You should see 12v/light when you crank..if not you have an issue on the little wire side (From switch? ground to solenoid low current side?

It's Weird you can't hear the solenoid, there is a faint, but distinct latch/click sound when it is energized. It's mechanical, even the tiny relays make noise. It may not be super loud though... a helper cranking while you put your ear to the action in complete silence may help??

If no go, and all else looks good, maybe there is a fuse or breaker that failed?

 

[Beachbummer]

this is what the relay sounds like on mine.

 

[Gym]

Whereas you mentioned you got a burnt smell @Bigperm you may have welded the contacts on your new solenoid. It's also possible you blew a fuse in your start circuit. Not sure how that's fused in your model.

 

[Bigperm]

Still fighting this problem... I got the starter out and hooked up my meter in place of starter and cranked got nothing... I pulled my new solenoid out and tested it & it is bad .. I had put it in before I pulled the starter hopping it would fix my problem.... so it looks like I burnt my solenoid then ..... put in a new solenoid and put the meter to it nothing put the meter on the power to the starter and the negative to the starter nothing ... I got power coming from my batter and to the one pole on the solenoid I put my battery cable on but no where else my two little wires have nothing .... I pulled the solenoid out and tested it & it’s still good
What am I missing?

 

[Beachbummer]

If the relay is not getting power, you need to find where the break is coming from and troubleshoot from there. Any chance your connection from the ignition switch to the solenoid is broke? There is also some participation of other fuses and relays on the diagram. Take a look, it's enclosed.

EDIT: Auto correct got me. Hopefully diagram is still useful.

 

[Beachbummer]

And here is the location of some of the other components mentioned in the diagram.

 

[Gym]

You should have 12 v at the primary (thin wires) to your solenoid. If you dont your problem is either the 12 v supply to your ignition switch, the switch itself or the wires between the switch and the selenoid.

You may be thinking how did my switch go bad when it was good before this failure. My guess and it's just a guess. When your starter motor locked up you would hear clicking from the selenoid each time you turned the key. After several attempts or maybe holding the key in the start position for an extended period the selenoid drew maximum current from the battery, due to the locked up starter motor, causing the selenoid contacts to overheat and weld the contacts together. Continued turning and holding the key in the start position caused max battery current to flow to the primary side (thin wires coming from the ignition switch) of the selenoid. This would quickly burn this thin wire.

I would start with a voltmater at the ignition switch. Make sure you have a good 12 v supply coming into the switch from the battery. Next turn the ignition key to the start position and make sure you have 12 v leaving the switch going to the selenoid. Next make sure the 12 v is getting to the primary of the selenoid. I think, from what you say, this is where your problem is.

 

[Sbrown]

What am I missing?

Neutral safety switch(es)?