www.iFourWinns.com

Background info.
Last year (first year of owning this boat) I had problems starting. Every time I was launching the boat I would turn the key and nothing.
Engine would not turn over.
Had to try many times and then suddenly it would start.
After that (during cruising, stopping and starting again) it would start fine on first try.
It was always a problem just the first start of the day.

In October I winterized the boat, removed the battery.
This year I got a new battery (just to be sure), cleaned wire contacts at battery, engine, and alternator.
Blower, bilge, radio work well.
When I turn the key I hear one click and nothing else.
From researching online so far, the prime suspect is the solenoid.
Does my boat have one or two solenoids? I forgot to look when I was at the marina last weekend.
What do you think?
Any good place to order one from?
Can't wait to get on the water

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GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

It could be the solenoid on the starter; I'd check for voltage at the ig terminal on the starter solenoid, when someone tries to start it with the key. Small terminal yellow stripe wire, one probe of voltmeter on it, one on a ground. 12V there tells you the ig switch, neutral safety switch and the assist solenoid and wiring are working. If that's all good then it pretty much has to be the solenoid on the starter or the starter itself.
If you don't have 12V at the ig terminal on the starter when you have someone try to start it with the key, then you have to work backwards from the starter to find where the problem is. It could be the assist solenoid (if it has one), the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch in the remote control. The fact that you are getting a click suggests either the assist solenoid or the starter solenoid. If you have 12V at the starter terminal like I said, that pretty much isolates the problem to the stater.

One other thing, although you cleaned the terminals, take a look at the cables themselves. You can have green corrosion travel up the cable and cause high resistance which can cause the problem you are having.

I also advised people not to use wingnuts on the battery terminals because they easily get loose. That will cause high resistance at the connection and can overheat the cable/terminal. Nylock nuts are better, I like to use marine quality automotive style battery clamps bolted to the crimped on battery terminals. The stater circuit draws a lot of amps to crank the engine over. High resistance will cause chronic starter problems. The other system that is a high amp circuit is the power trim system, this also requires clean, rust free tight terminals.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

like louc said check the voltage. clean the connections of the power feed and jumper wires from the solenoid to the starter you can check to see if the solenoid is working by jumping a screwdriver across the s terminal on the solenoid to the power feed if all you get is a single click the starter is bad

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1989 245 vista
5.7 cobra

Thanks for the help guys.
I'll be going to the marina this weekend to test the solenoid and starter.
So I'll post my findings and how I fixed after.

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GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

Ok, so went to the marina and tried to test stuff.
I don't think I did it right but since the "click" is still there I decided to take out the slave solenoid first.
That's where I hit a snag.
The two screws (marked with the red arrows) just keep turning and are not coming out.
Anyone know how long these screws are?



Not sure how to test the starter, where to hook up the voltmeter?



It has the main solenoid on it's top side and two sets of wires.
I'm thinking the boat doesn't want to go in the water
Sigh

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GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

You don't need to remove either one to test them. You need to know how they are wired up in order to do so. I don't have a wiring diagram for your engine so I'll have to go by what I have in my old 88 OMC shop manual...
OK here you go...
That assist solenoid, has 2 large terminals and 2 small ones. One of the large terminals gets battery voltage from the starter solenoid. There is a big red wire (battery cable, 2-4 gauge) that goes to the starter solenoid from the battery and there is a smaller gauge (10 gauge) wire that goes from the starter solenoid to one of the big terminals on the assist solenoid. The other 10 gauge wire that is on the 2nd big terminal on the assist solenoid feeds battery voltage to the alternator and the tilt/trim solenoids. One of the small terminals on the assist solenoid has a yellow/orange stripe wire that comes from the ignition switch, the other also has a yellow/orange stripe wire that goes from the assist solenoid to the starter solenoid. Keep this in mind, the big 10 gauge wire from the starter solenoid supplies 12V to this assist solenoid all the time. BUT the solenoid must be grounded!
When you turn the ignition switch to start, it sends 12v through the yellow/orange stripe wire to the assist solenoid. The solenoid is energized and sends 12V to the yellow/orange stripe wire that goes to the starter solenoid. The reason they use an assist solenoid, is because of the distance that yellow/orange stripe wire might have to travel from the ignition switch way up at the helm all the way back to the starter. It prevents voltage drop in that circuit. So the way to test it is as follows: find the 10 gauge wire from the starter solenoid to the assist solenoid. Touch one probe of the volt meter to the terminal for this wire and one to a ground. You should have 12v there. Then hook up one terminal of the the volt meter to the yellow/orange stripe wire on the assist solenoid, and one to a ground. Have someone try to crank it with the key. You should have 12v at that yellow/orange stripe wire. If not the ignition switch is defective or the assist solenoid is not grounded. Next, hook up your voltmeter to both of the small terminals for the yellow/orange stripe wires. Have someone crank it with the key. If you don't get 12v between those terminals when cranking it with the key, the solenoid is bad. If its good there, then move to the starter solenoid. Do the same thing, check for voltage at the yellow/orange stripe wire at the starter solenoid (hook up one terminal to that terminal on the stater solenoid, the other to a ground) when some one tries to crank it with the key. If you have voltage there and it still doesn't crank, its the starter solenoid or the starter itself.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks LouC for the detailed explanation.
I'll try to follow the directions and test the solenoids on Wednesday since I'll be near the marina.

In case it's the assist solenoid, I'll have to figure out how to get those bolts out. But I have a few ideas.

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GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

See if you can find an engine wiring diagram for a Merc 3.0, that way you can verify exactly how the wires are hooked up. But basically its the same idea, the ig switch energized the assist solenoid and then that energizes the solenoid on the engine. If you have a problem with the switch (not too common) or either solenoid you can have this problem. Keep in mind also that the assist solenoid has to be grounded for it to work. If the area its bolted to is all rusty then that could be the problem. These things get fouled up often from water dripping right on them.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Regarding losening the mounting bolts for the assist solenoid:

Are there nuts on the backside of the mounting bolts?

If there are nuts, you'll need to hold them with a wrench. If you can't get to these, then you will need to remove the plate that the asst. solenoid is mounted to...then work them free.

If there are no nuts then I would force a flat blade screwdrive between the asst. solenoid mounting tabs, and the mounting plate and turn the bolts counter clockwise while exerting force on the screwdriver.

Even if the part tests to be servicable, you might want to remove it and make sure it has a good ground. There is enough rust in your pics to motivate me to check as many ground/electrical connections as I could find.

Good luck!

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to update this thread ( I know, a bit late) but might be useful to someone troubleshooting similar problem.
So in the end it was the assist solenoid.
About a $40 part and once connected, the engine turned instantly.
I have it mounted on one of the hoses with plastic ties for now as I never did get the old bolts out to remove the old solenoid.
When I have some spare time and energy I'll have another go at the bolts.

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GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline

Great that you found it and it was something simple you could do yourself. When you get a chance see if you can get a Merc wiring manual and save it for future reference.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I did get the shop manual with all the wiring diagrams (off the net as a pdf file). I'd had been lost without it as I disconnected a few wires and didn't remember which wire went to where.

_________________
GalacticWaterman
Boat: Four Winns H180 2006 3.0L Mercruiser 135 hp with Alpha I Gen. 2
Tow Vehicle: Honda Ridgeline