701 starter troubles

[cybermob2]

first i thought the solenoid was crap. when disconnecting starter, solenoid works fine, however.

then i thought it was the starter. it may still be.

i have 2 batteries, and the starter won't run when directly connected to either battery. further, both batteries operate my other ski perfectly fine.

i assumed the starter was dead, but for giggles in hooked it up to the battery charger @ 10A charging. WHIIIZZZZZZZZZ it goes, but not long.


any ideas??

 

[Mike Serlin]

somethins fishy. Try sanding down all the connections so you have nice solid contacts on everything.

 

[cybermob2]

it is fishy... i tried different wires too... strange...

 

[Watty]

Yeah, sounds like a crook earth to me. Try earthing somewhere else on the engine?

 

[Matt_E]

No...try connecting the starter ground directly to the battery with a known good cable (continuity test!).

Then touch the positive to the positive battery terminal with a known good cable.

If it doesn't run on that, but does on a charger, you (and the rest of the EE community)'s got problems.

 

[cybermob2]

hrmm...

i was playing around with it again, and while connected to the charge @ 10A, it was chugging... not spinning normally.

after a little more playing it started all of the sudden going in short, random bursts of speed.

after yet some more playing... it seems to be spinning at the normal, constant, high speed.

i reconnected to battery, but still nothing. tried with my other battery, and it works?!

now i'm leaning towards possibly something in the starter was rusted/gummed/slightly seized, and has now freed up again, AND, now i have 1 dead/low battery. i'll throw it on the charger overnight and see what happens.

 

[gj_fx1]

The charger with only 10Amp may not supply enough current to spin it normally.
When you connect with the battery are you using battery cables, both gound and pos?

 

[Mike W]

i had a starter with similar problems. it turned out one of the magnets came loose and was jamming up the starter.

 

[wildman326]

Crack that sucker open!!!! There is almost nothing to a starter. Unless you are not mechanically inclined . . .

Could be several things, the brushes, the front bearing, the magnets, elec. connections . . .

 

[cybermob2]

oh i've cracked it open... everything seems intact.

no busted magnets, brushes are working, no bad contacts/connections, etc...


i'm gonna look again though.

its definately working on the known good battery however.

10A is good enough right now to spin it properly, however, it previously was not. even on 50A it wasn't enough. would just go in spurts.

 

[Matt_E]

10A is more than enough to spin a starter motor without a load.

 

[cybermob2]

yes 10A is PLENTY. there WAS something wrong, because even 50A would not provide normal operation.

however, now all seems well. even on trickle/2A the motor whizzes like it should.

now i'm troubleshooting what could be the originator of the problems, or unrelated for all i know: the solenoid.

pretty sure its dead... jumping terminals works, but providing direct 12V to the triggle terminal doesn't switch it (no click).