Rplacing start button....again!

[Colin]

I have a Hunter 33.5 with the 2 cylinder Yanmar. I am on my second start button and after just one season I need to press this button very hard to engage the starter.I believe the motor has a solenoid built in so I should get good service from this button. Has anyone replced this button with a different style, or am I the only one to experience this problem.

 

[Lee Hadjiosif]

Start Button

You are not the only one, this is a common problem with most hunters. Apparently the contacts in the starter button don't like the marine environment. In my case I found that the amount of pressure on the switch doesn't affect the start/nostart. I repeat pressing it getly until it makes contact and then fires right up. I didn't replace the switch because it never failed to start after 3-4 getle pushes, and I know that I can always reach inside the pedestal and make a quick connection with a short wire or a srewdriver If I had to. What I cannot explain is why this never happens when I first start the engine when I get to the marina, but happens when I try to restart after sailing...or it could just be a coincidence. Don't see how a warm engine could affect this in a negative way.

 

[Paul]

Not the button

We've had at least three threads going on this problem this past summer. Suffice to say that enough of us have replaced the start button (including me) to confirm that the button is not the cause.Individuals have made a fairly good case for the problem being due to voltage drop between the button and the solenoid coil. I don't know if I believe that, since I think I have the problem just as often with both fully charged batteries on line as I do trying to start on a single, drawn-down house battery. I could be wrong, though.I finally convinced myself that the engine would always turn over with the proper placement of a screwdriver blade across the solenoid contacts. Once you learn to "hotwire" your boat, then you'll stop worrying about being stranded by this little idiosyncracy and live with it.