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Starter Issue???


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We were out last night in my 05 VLX and got stranded on the lake. I thought it was the battery going out. I charged all night at 6 amps, and it wont crank. It will try (solenoid engages) but it wont turn over. Though it did a few times last night. I swapped the battery from my pontoon and same thing. So I am guessing starter right?

Is there anything I can check that might help me stay on the water this weekend?

Is there anywhere I can buy a marine starter locally? Ideas of where to start? It's the monsoon 340

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If it turns over at all, then it probably isn't the starter. I had mine checked and then rebuilt by a local repair place. Unless there was a catastrophic failure unlikely, there is no reason to buy a new one. About a 45 min job and $90.00 at the time. It was primarily the solenoid more so than the starter than needed to replaced. 9/16, 1/2 and 5/16 wrenches to pull it.

Edited by wdr
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Just now, oldjeep said:

Any local boat place should have a starter for a 5.7. Also Napa used to carry them

Malibu dealer is 15 mins away. They claim to be able to test and have a rebuilt. 

 

 If not there is another marina on the way back from there 

 

 I guess there is one plus for being on the busiest and most popular like within 200 miles 

2 minutes ago, wdr said:

If it turns over at all, then it probably isn't the starter. I had mine checked and then rebuilt by a local repair place. Unless there was a catastrophic failure unlikely, there is no reason to buy a new one. About a 45 min job and $90.00 at the time. It was primarily the solenoid more so than the starter than needed to replaced. 9/16, 1/2 and 5/16 wrenches to pull it.

 I looked at a lot of other threads and the starter motor  can slowly go bad. Causing these issues. I ruled out batteries and wiring and the solenoid works but my not disengage. I could be wrong I'm guessing if I throw a rebuild in it will be good. 

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56 minutes ago, wdr said:

If it is the starter/solenoid this will be the cheapest, easiest and most painless fix you will ever do to this boat! Hope it is the starter good luck.Bill

 They only had one left and it was only 200 bucks out the door and looks brand-new    I will report back in 30 minutes when I have it in 

 

edit: starter was fine. Gonna keep it cause the old one was in bad shape and had evidence of water. Last ditch effort is new battery. If not that I start worrying about damper plates. Although the battery turns my pontoon over like a bat out of hell and has good voltage.

I can get maybe half a turn out of it and then clunk. 

 

Other ideas to try? Almost feels like the tranny  is engaged 

Edited by 95echelon
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Running again. Long story but the battery was dead. When trying to start the boat I must have flooded the hell out of it. Once that fuel was removed from the cylinders she got moving again. So we are back on the water.

Edit: @tvano had a great guide that went over a lot of this, but on mobile i didn't download the documents. I am going to print them out and put them in my plastic baggie of on water stuff (Manuals, etc). As a car guy I should have tested for hydrolock a lot sooner. It would have saved me 200 bucks on a starter and 140 on a new battery and box. On the plus side that old battery wasnt really dead, so now i have two batteries. See how that mistake turned into an upgrade? 

Edited by 95echelon
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Good to hear. My starter fixer guy said it needs a solid 12v to work correctly! IIWM I would take the new starter back and at the end of the season pull the OEM one apart to clean it up. The solenoid you really can't do anything with because it is sealed, but the stater is can of soup simple to clean up. So long as the windings and brushes are in good shape you starter should be good to go for a long time.

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