SN2000 GT40 won’t crank, just click, click, click

[ghost skier]

Hope someone can help, I've gone through the forums for a couple days and tried everything suggested but still can’t start my boat.

I’m between sets on the lake the starter stopped working. When I go to start I hear the fuel pump prime and then when I press start all I get is a continuous clicking from the starter area of the boat and all the dash gauges jump around. It had been acting up over the past week with acouple starts that would stay engaged for a second after start button released but it always started.

I have checked all connections, replaced the battery with identical1045 amps group 65 car battery, replaced the starter slave solenoid (Sierra 18-5801 Solenoid)
, and replaced the starter (solenoid/starter unit -Sierra 5923). still get the same clicking sound when I press the start button.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[Fast351]

This is usually the solenoid but since you've replaced this, let's go a different route.

At the starter, measure the voltage from the battery cable coming into the starter to the engine. It should register 12.6 or a little higher. If it's below that, you have a battery cable problem somewhere.

Assuming you have 12.6v there, measure the S terminal on the starter to ground. Should measure 0v. Now press start, and see if you get 12.6V on that terminal, or something above 0 there. If not, there is a problem with the starter relay (18-5801). If it has 12.6V there but the starter doesn't crank, it's a problem with the starter. If the voltage drops to below 10V, you have an issue with your battery wiring.

[ghost skier]

Fast351 thank you.

I checked all the voltages and they were 13V except for the voltage to the stater when start button was pushed, only 2V. I started checking the battery terminal connectors and while they looked OK a mechanic friend said I need to change both and have solder connections. The positive had been changed before and was a screw connection so I changed that. The ground was original and looked perfect but I was running out options so I cut the original solder end off and found a surprise! About 3/4 of the 2 gauge copper wires were corroded and loose! There was enough of a connection for continuity but not enough for full amps start. I replaced with a soldered connection and the engine started.

Should have ensued 100% that the battery and connections were good.

[Fast351]

Had something similar happen on mine, that's how I knew to check it. Had the original molded lead battery clamp on the positive cable. Looked perfect. When I started checking connections I noticed the cable wiggled in the clamp. Pulled a little and it pulled right out, just a bunch of green dust inside.

I'm an EE during the day, and even that one had me stumped for a while.

[Pngutom]

Thanks for the helpful thread, having the same issue right now with my 1997 CC Nautique... Will post what the solution will be...!