F150 starter relay issue? Rodbolt??

[TownsendsFJR1300]

06 F150, (about 200 hours and looks it). Never had a starting issue (short of a failed battery years ago). No Perko switches, engine battery harness goes direct to battery.

Went to go out today on the boat. All loaded, floating in the water.

Turn the key on, check voltage, 12.4 on the Yamaha gauge. Turn to start, ONE click from the engine, voltage stays at 12.4. Does NOT drop, F....! Dash gauges all stay normal, lit...

Pull the safety kill swith "U" clip and put it back it, no change.

Do this 5 times, exactly the same. Check tightness of battery cables, all fine, (spotless actually) again, ONE click, NOT several clicks (sign of a dying battery, volatage stays at 12.4).

Pull the cowl to start checking relays (power to starter,etc) and find the "click" which I think is from the port side (fuse panel side). Pull the cover off for the fuses and relays. All looks good.

Have one of passengers crank it so I check for the "click" and start diagnosing. Motor starts right up as normal..

I know I have a spare relay (from Yamaha under the cover, its the same for the starter and main relay).

Turned it off, pulled the stater relay, prongs/contacts) nice and clean. Re-install.. There was a regular smaller fuse(red, 30, I think, near that-forgot what it was for but it was fine too)

Ran the boat the rest of the day, maybe 25 miles, 5 hours fishing, numerous re-starts without ANY issue(more so than usual just for checking). Engine ran great... Charging 14+ volts

Its never done it before, I strongly suspect the starter relay is the culprit. (just plugs in adjacent to the main relay?)

Unfortunatly, once the cowl was off, engine decides to run so I can't do any diagnoses (as its running/working god now).

Sound like that starter relay/fuse just got stuck/crappy connections inside?? If so, go ahead and replace it (if its pretty certain its faulty- its getting changed even thou I have a spare)

Rodbolt??

Thanks ahead of time..

[rodbolt17]

its a relay, easy to test.
easy to bypass.
would be better if its in failure when you bypass it.
but they do fail.
the only reason they use a relay to trigger the start soliniod is current draw.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

With it working right now, its likely going to pass all tests correct???

Also, I can't seem to find it in the parts fisch, nothing on here looks like it, F150TXR

Do you see it here, maybe electrical section #2, part #4(starter relay)? From what I'm seeing, it looks like there several different versions(same part #'s thou)..??

2006 and Later F150TXR Yamaha Outboard Parts

Just want to get the correct part.


Thanks again for your help..

[rodbolt17]

that is indeed the start relay.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Thank you sir,

After checking the shop manual and some digging I found it. Just finished installing a new one, of course the old one bench tested fine.

For others, I believe that relay is used in a bunch of different engines. Should you get stranded, get ONE CLICK, full voltage, simply hot-wiring/jumping the 10 mm head bolts will get you cranking W/O turning the key.

On my F150, that starter relay is located under the plastic fuse cover on the port side.

The old relay, the larger two threaded holes are where you would jump from if needed..They do have rubber covers over the heads.

Once again, thanks Rodbolt, (I trust my Yammie to get me home again..)

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Just an FYI / update to my starter relay failure.

For S&G's, I cut open the old, failed relay, to check the contacts today.

Sure enough, here's what I found (not good);