Starter Not Turning Over

[cwatson79]

I recently had my 88 Marathon running pretty good. Went out to start it and was completely dead, no turn over in the starter at all. Checked the battery it was reading 12v.

Next I went through and took the cable off the cylenoid and ran it to the postive post and didn't get anything. Wasn't sure what to try next so unhooked several cables coming out of the starter and rehooked them back up (hoping for a loose connection). At that point I thought I would see if I am getting fire to the plug. When I grounded the plug the engine turned over. I am thinking yes I just had a loose connection and messing with the cables got that squared away.

I put the plug back in and backed it out of the garage, went to put it in forward and completely dead again. Couldn't revive it at this time. Rolled it back into the garage to mess with another day.

Come back to it again later and still nothing even tried bypassing the cylenoid again, took the spark plug off and am not getting any spark at all. Only thing I can hear is the cylenoid making a clicking sound when I press on the pedal.

Any suggestions where to go from here, I did check battery posts they are clean grounds from the battery appear to be clean also?

Thanks I appreciate it.

[redcloud]

Take a tester and put pos on battery and do a ground check from battery to every available part of each ground wire all the way to the engine and frame leads. I had once this happen to find that the cable was on good at battery but the ground was bad inside the connector and was not going past it to frame.
Test with a meter that will give you voltage not just a light.
Other things can be in play here also like a click does not mean the limit switch is actually sending the voltage but may just be clicking. testing to find where you have voltage and do not.

[kogieblack]

If your battery just gives a reading of 12 volts, that will not even start a generator. Should be at least 12.3 volts. Charge or replace.

[pachanga90]

It will spin at 12v,even just under 12v.Take the grounds off the frame,battery,and engine and clean/inspect connections.If you have good connections,and the solenoid is clicking,test to make sure you are getting voltage out of the starter-side of the solenoid(the cable going to the starter).Next,unhook the cables at the battery,take a set of jumper-cables and hook them from the battery to the Starter/gen.(remember that if its' ok it will try to start as soon as you make the final connection,so a jack under the rear-axle helps prevent a Run-Away.If this doesn't turn the starter,remove it and have it tested at a starter/alternator shop.I know that I've had trouble on my Marathon 2-stroke with the F/R switch.The contacts get burned,and you have to wiggle the switch to find the sweet-spot that works.If thats' the case,take the switch apart and clean the contacts.Mine were wore funny,I touched them to the side of my grinder wheel to flatten them,and ran them almost 4years after that with no issues.Hope this helps.

[misterpowertools]

Might check the fuse

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