Outboard Starter Motor not spinning fast enough - Engine wont start

Outboard in video is Evinrude 40 HP 1985 E40ELCOB
Troubleshooting slow spinning outboard starter motor.
Starter motor turning slowly.
Camera used:
Sony Alpha a6300 Mirrorless Digital Camera
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Sony SELP1650 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens
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Sony VCLECU2 12-16 MM,f/2.8 Petal Shaped Fixed Ultra Wide Converter for SEL16F28 and SEL20F28
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Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 Lens for Sony E-Mount Cameras
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[@nmotzing]

Thanks! After thinking I've exhausted all my options in troubleshooting the same issue, videos like this give me the boost to get back out in the garage and get after it!

[@rodneyno]

My 86 70hp Evinrude did the same thing and I had small jumper cables. Your video saved me alot of problems. Thank you sir

[@BornAgainBoating]

Yup! Nice video man! If you have high resistance in the cables or a poor connection at the battery, or anywhere before the cable reaches the starter. It can get voltage all day but not have the amperage to spin the flywheel quick enough to start the engine! Good job! This will help a lot of people out!

[@mrtrizzay]

Born Again Boating like this this weekend weekend for me to come come by by then pick me off my car 🚘🚘 morning was an an hour hour or two and and and the the last one ☝️☝️ has always happened happened a a while back I I think 💭💭 has has some some good taste taste great great great 👍 I hope 🤞🤞 has has some great 👍 was that that was short short and and was was was fun fun to get get some some great great 👍👍 was that that we pwas short notice I love love 💕 was was was

[@henrycaines9599]

Cool

[@mharrisonvip]

Thank you very much! Battery died on my boat and I wanted to make sure it ran before I spent money on a new battery. Used jumper cables to test it and the starter would only spin sometimes making a grinding noise. I actually bought a new starter thinking that was the problem hooked it up and same thing. Saw your video and hooked a car battery up with out jumper cables and BAM starter acted normal. Thanks again!

[@ShipmanAdventures]

I did the same thing you were doing with jumper cables, same result. 1976 Johnson 70hp. Watched your video, so I bought a new battery. So thankful you posted, started right up!!!

[@orestislampropoulos7870]

Thank you very much for your help, i tried starting my johnson 25hp motor with cables from my car battery but the starter did not have enough power to spin the motor. I just took the battery off my car and put the engines cables directly to the battery, and then it worked perfectly, thank you!

[@cjhtas]

Spot on, thanks. So simple. My 40HP Johnson battery was down at the start of the season so I tried jump starting from another battery, and then the truck battery. The no-load starter motor current was 19A, the loaded current 140A. Which you'd think was enough. Still the cranking was very slow. After 3hrs fiddling around I found your post, connected a fully charged battery with clean terminals in place of the original and - started first time. Jump leads might start another car, but they don't work on the old outboard starter motor!

[@cenkaetaya]

I think the starters from the older motors are also more sensitive to this current drop. I have 2 1990s 40HP motors and never had any issue with jumping. This one was a late 70s 40HP.

[@robertmanuel5273]

Informative video. Saved $300 on a new starter/solenoid. Instead found out that although my 4 year old battery had sufficient volts, it had lost its CCAs just enough to prevent the starter from spinning up full speed. Going get a new battery tomorrow.

[@colehubbard3373]

Thank you so much. I have a 1977 35hp evinrude that started doing this at the end of last season. It now starts right up!

[@cenkaetaya]

Awesome! its one of those simple things one can spend way too much time diagnosing :P

[@Balkanjeros1]

Never starts the engine

[@Luke-gv5tr]

Can’t thank you enough!! Just saved me so much headache

[@titocon1319]

Thanks for the video after a hour i came across your video problem solve.

[@TheSkinman61]

Also, these old Evinrudes love batteries with lots of Cold Cranking AMPS, I went from 540 to 700 Cold cranking AMPS, huge difference for 20 bucks more... Also replaced Starter, but ran into the power cable connection for started being in wrong spot, had to take bottom cover off and re-clock the connection, watch out for flying magnets..:)

[@richardselous7219]

I have the exact same problem on a Mercury 90hp. I connected a battery directly to the starter from a running car, but still the same problem. Thanks for a very helpful video, I'll have to retrace my footsteps and do exactly what you did. Hopefully it gets cranking. Thanks again

[@michaelwright6304]

STARTER MOTOR PROBS FULL OF CARBON DUST - I had similar symptoms, and my battery had to be 100% charge, connections super clean etc, but soon even that wasn't enough and it cranked too slow, so I took the starter off because I was going to replace it, but first I took the bolts off and opened it up. It was FULL of carbon dust from the brushes and 30 years of crap. I cleaned it all out with brake cleaner and a brush, then a light bit of lube and it is now like new. Getting the springloaded brushes back in has a trick to it - you need to make a tool out of a bit of thin plastic but you can google that. So before you replace a starter motor, open it up and empty it out.

[@terrywilson1813]

My starter does the same thing and sometimes while cranking I hear a loud humming sound so I stop and crank again and it usually starts after they I'm not completely sure what the problem is yet....my boat can be hard to start too

[@JesusDiaz-xm5ct]

Right now I’m installing a starter and I had same issue. I have the model in which has the connection on the bottom just didn’t know wiring thanks

[@bluejay111131]

Did it fix it?

[@matthewhamilton1833]

So on my 81 60hp Johnson I get a clicking but no spinning at all with a fully charged battery. Do you think a bad connection cause this?

[@Lamplight33]

It’s the starter

[@matthewhamilton1833]

@@Lamplight33 actually it ended up being the starter solenoid

[@ddman-hy3dm]

Thanks I have the same problem, (70ph 1988) Jumper cable did not help...will get a new battery tomorrow and see.

[@CLPOZ]

My starter smoked a bit and spun slow and gets realy hot I’m pretty sure mine is bad

[@sandveldoff-campdrifters2174]

How about the bandix only slips and struggles to start up when the engine is hot and has been driving for a while? Meanwhile its fine when the car is cold.

[@ANDYYSHAWW118]

Hi, can i use a tilt and trim Solenoid for a Starter Motor Solenoid

[@Papaws-Hobbies]

Thanks I am having the same problem

[@billgregory9560]

good advice thanks

[@donniejennings]

How to adjust oil flow on 150 hp mercy

[@aydenmcclara4145]

My 15 hp Johnson is doing the same thing but how do I solve the problem 100% cause I have used 3 batteries already

[@SaltyMcBoatFace]

having the same problem with a 50hp mercury 2 stroke , will try this before i buy a new starter

[@JiggyC]

Did you end up fixing it? If so what was the culprit?

[@7808y]

huh. im having this problem and even replaced the starter and still happens with the new starter.

[@billobillo1147]

Rubbish starter motors can fail over time this is not the only fault mine did the same thing so I flogged it with a hammer and it worked again, until it went to shit. They foul up with shit after a while and either need a clean out or throwing in the bin.

[@cougar01100]

A starter is only as good as the wires it is built with. Keeping them clean is key! Over time, heat will melt the coating on the commutator, even though it may mot short out to other wires.. Yet. Carbon buildup from the brushes can buildup and complete the circuit where it shouldn't be completed, and poof! It releases the white smoke. As for the connection. The (brush)base of the starter is 180° out from where it should be. There is a keyed hole/air passage there. That needs to be aligned.

[@aydenmcclara4145]

I used a full on car battery and it still did not work

[@Baby_Clix69]

Excellent video ,short and to the point,and excellent advice.. thank you sir

[@lucianoingrassia8278]

Next!

[@Z-Ack]

Well fuck that starter then., dont they make some aftermarket beefcake starter that just works and doesnt need to have perfect damn connections to turn over a motor that i can spin with my hands…?? Because ive started diesels with 11 volts on a 10 year old leaky battery and a lamp cord before. So why cant a brand new set (2 marine high output) batteties with 00 gauge wire going directly to the starter and ground sanded and bolted to the motor not turn over a damn 2 stroke 100hp motor??!?!? Junky ass old crap.. makes me mad.. i dont get why it needs perfect connections when ive seen crap turn over motors i couldnt with a 4 foot breaker bar…. Just blows my mind..

[@cenkaetaya]

I think this starter is a particularly older model that is why. All the other ones I have had did not have this issue but I had like a stack of five or six of them and this came off I believe a '70s motor.

[@sibelius1980]

kzbin.infoqNuIvWMdFys?si=yxYefaKBy4gtQMTW Same problem?