Starter Problem??? Help Please!!!

[cmtaylor777]

Ok Boys,

Had an early end to my 4th of july today. Wanted to see if you guys can help with this one.

It seems that for while now my boat has been harder and harder to start. Once it gets going it is fine but it has been harder and harder to get it to turn over. When turning the key it acts like its got a dead battery. I turn the key back off then crank again and it struggles but it fires up. That is... until now. Today it did the same thing...did the routine I jut described, and it started up. Got to the middle of the lake and turned off the boat....thats all she wrote. I tried and tried but it wouldn't even try to turn over. I even tried to jump it but got nothing. Didn't change when jumpers were attached so I rulled out the batteries.

Does this sound like a starter issue? Should that be the first place I attack?

As Always...Thanks for the help.

[DAFF]

Try jumping accross the starter relay. Check for 12 volts at the relay too on the little wire when the key is turned to the start position. Recheck and clean all the connections at the battery and throughout the starting system.

[Supra_Comp]

Try jumping accross the starter relay. Check for 12 volts at the relay too on the little wire when the key is turned to the start position. Recheck and clean all the connections at the battery and throughout the starting system.

+1 on this. Also check the battery cables and power cable to the starter itself. Overtime these can become corroded internally and will draw huge amperage and heat up like crazy. I would say it sounds like your starter is shot.

[cmtaylor777]

Thanks for the help guys. I will try all of that. Worst case, how hard is it to swap a starter? I have don it on an old Chevy, years ago but not a boat.

[cmtaylor777]

Next question.... rebuilt starter or new?

[Supra_Comp]

Thanks for the help guys. I will try all of that. Worst case, how hard is it to swap a starter? I have don it on an old Chevy, years ago but not a boat.

Should be fairly easy, I am not familiar with your setup but should be straight forward. If I were you I would go with a new starter. It may cost you a few extra $$ but in this case it is worth it. Reliability is the name of the game in boats.

[wiatowski]

Next question.... rebuilt starter or new?
Rebuilt.... usually it's just the casing and the gear that are kept... the guts are the same as the new one without the price.
The same can be said of alternators... price difference hear in Canada is around $100... for what a casing? For all intensive purposes a rebuilt one is new.

[wotan2525]

I'd check dbelectrical.com before you find one locally. Probably half the price and I've had good luck with their boat starters (but bad luck with their jet-ski starters.)

[Salty87]

i've always done rebuilt. they can bench test it to see if it even needs rebuilding.

[Crowther]

I would rebuild it, the symptoms your having is exactly what I had and it was the starter

[DAFF]

Have it rebuilt and perhaps look for a spare starter and alt. I have been known on pulling them apart to check the brushes and simple stuff too on Sunday afternoons.

[CornRickey]

If you can have it rebuilt by a local shop (as compared to buying a rebuilt one from a store) usually you will get far superior internals.

[Salty87]

any old school auto electrical shop can rebuild them.

[wontonrunner]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! My new to me 2004 supra launch did this all spring. I was even running 2 batteries on it to help. Before you change out your starter you should consider changing out the ignition ($20 for new one with 2 new keys). Ours was pooched. If you turned the key to far it would make the sound as if it was trying to turn over...ie flat spot on your starter or bad solenoid. I thought it was the starter. Then we realized that if I wasn't so agressive and just slowly turned it without hitting the end of the key stroke it would turn over with no problem, however it would not fire the injectors, but when you let off the key it would fire and then sputter.

We then realized what was happening was that some corrosion or something within the tumbler was causing it to not split the power to both the starter and the computer until it was a hair past the accessory position.

We changed it out and voila no more starter issues!!

[cmtaylor777]

Ok guys... It was the starter. Pulled it off, sent it to an old school shop and had it rebuilt. i een talked to the local Supra shop and he said they use to have them rebuilt all the time until they found that the rebuilt ones were almost the same cost as a new one. I found a place to rebuild for 60 bucks while a new one was 260.

Went out over the weekend and it worked like a champ. Thanks guys for all the help!!!