doo elec starter question

[sleddawg007]

1999 skidoo 583 I have no starter engagemnet and the battery is charged. The starter does not turn. I put a meter on the post where the main line feeds from the battery, and there is 12+ volts there. Is the other red wire to the solenoid the feed from the switch? There is no voltage at that terminal when I turn the key to the start position. Should it not have power? How can I test the starter to see if I have a switch issue or a starter issue? How do you test a switch?

Thanks

 

[jimfsr]

Quick test for the solenoid...jump across the two large terminals on the solenoid with a large pliers or cresent wrench, just for a second, to see if the starter will engage. If it does, its the soenoid, if not, either the starter, or the battery simply does not have the amperage needed to start. NOTE---there wil be a spark when performing this test, keep flammables away!

The test for the solenoid to see if the starter switch is inop. is to jump a wire from the batt. + to the small red wire going into the soenoid. it should click if it is working. If it does and the previous starter test proves the starter is fine and the battery has sufficient amperage, but still wont engage the starter, than the solenoid is corroded or burned inside, and cannot make sufficiant contace to start. I have taken bad ones apart and found the main contact plate melted to an unuseable condition.

Jim