I recently purchased a new starter for my 97 Bayliner Fish & Ski 135hp I/O Merc. It worked fine for two trips, only failing to start on the first crank two times. The last two trips I made however, the starter & battery get so hot you cannot even touch them (after just a little use) and the boat will not start sometimes. I was able to gently pour some cold water on the starter and get it going again, but the same thing would just happen again.

Any ideas on this one would be greatly appreciated, thanks for your help!

Perhaps a short somewhere that's feeding electricity to some part of the starter constantly?

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Save the Lake Bridgeport Hybrids!

Texas Fishing Info

A neighbor of mine had let the oil in the lower unit get low or when he changed it did not put enough back in. The top bearing in the lower unit had siezed due to lack of lubricant, and even with the boat out of gear it was putting excessive load on the starter, it woud turn over very slowly.

We isolated it by dropping the lower unit away from the engine and then trying the starter. it would spin the engine very nicely with out the lower unit. I believe it was a bearing that the driveshaft went through. The bearing had gotten so hot it had turned purple.

Great ideas! Thanks for your help...