Outboard engine choke? Any experienced outboarders on here?

Fletcher14

Fletcher14

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I've had a few outboards but now have quite a modern one (by my lowly standards) with tilt/trim etc. To do the choke, you press in on the key. Well, I've been pressing in the key and turning at the same time and had a few probs starting. I've been told I'm doing it all wrong! So what is the right way?
 
My 1988 Johnson had the same system. Pressing the key engages a cold start solenoid which diverts fuel straight into the carb throats.
You only need to press it once. If you do it with the engine cover off you can hear a click. There should be a lever on the start of the solenoid to set it manually, just in case the electrics pack up. I seem to remember that engaging the start lock-out lever turned off the cold start. But I may be wrong on that, it was a year ago.

On mine it was the black cylinder with a red lever about in the middle of the picture

motor_choke.jpg
 
Thanks. That's interesting. Should I be turning the key with it pressed in or press in and then turn key with it released out?
 
Hmm, that's worrying as I was pressing in and turning and having probs starting.....or is it that I wasn't holding it in BEFORE starting that has caused probs?
 
Like I say. If you take off the cover you should be able to hear the solenoid engage when you press the key in, without turning the key. Once engaged the engine should be in cold-start mode.
I found that in hot weather it didn't always need cold-start.
Non-starting can be a whole host of things.
 
Yes, I can hear it engage. Maybe it's just that due to the rotten weather we've had, I've not taken it out enough and got used to it. Maybe too much choke or maybe too little. On both occasions when it failed to start, it started up ok after being left for 20 minutes or so. On one occasion we were 2 miles out to sea and had just (worryingly) fitted the back-up engine up when it fired up ok.
 
sounds like you're flooding it.
try starting it without pushing the key in, then if it fires but starts to falter, push the key in briefly, to richen the mixture.
this always worked with my Evinrude 90.
they don't need a lot of choke, generally.
 
Thanks for that. One other thing, when the key is pressed in and held in, does the choke keep working longer or does it just work in the time it takes to make that 'click' sound?
 
According to the book it just squirts fuel in whilst the key is pushed in. But I was never sure about that, some of the US forums seem to think differently.

If you should need to turn the red lever on the solenoid to engage the choke manually (I'm assuming it is a Johnson/Evinrude) then it stays on until you turn it back. In the position in the picture it is OFF.
The description in the manual is confusing.
 
It's a mariner. I just wonder if I'm supposed to click it in and out a few times to apply a lot of choke or click it in and hold it in.
 
Ah, you've told us the make.
Can't help you on detail then as my experience was with the Johnson.

If you want to really confuse yourself have a browse on the Yank iboats forum. It'll be a Mercury under the skin I think.
 
I'm with LS I believe they are a solenoid operated pump One press of the key = one squirt of fuel
I also recommend the iBoats forums
You may be able to down load a manual for your engine from HERE
 
Which exact model Mariner? On some the choke was a solenoid that just closed a flap across the carb air intakes, to richen the mixture. But there were other mechanisms too, so need to know which model.

If the mechanical operation is a bit worn out and your battery not in the best of health you need to push the choke in and hear the click BEFORE turning the key to turn the engine. Otherwise the volts drop when you turn on the starter motor leaves insufficient volts to power the choke

Generally the choke goes wide open as soon as you let go of the key, but generally that's all you need on a 2 stroke outboard
 
It's the type that squirts fuel in. It does make a click sound. Battery is brand new. The battery is a small car battery, maybe I should get a bigger battery. Sometimes the starter would sound healthy and sometimes it would sound like it was struggling and sometimes it would sound like the battery was flat but would be ok again after a few minutes rest.
 
Could be a jerked battery, but check the obvious things like (after it has been struggling) feel the positive and negative terminals on the battery and the motor to see if one is overheating due to a bad connection.
2 strokes do need to turn over quite fast to get the fuel charge flowing through to the combustion chamber, but on the other hand they do turn over quite easily.

In this warmer weather you should hardly need any cold start.
 
One that has ceased to work properly.
Strangely I can't find any reference to it in online dictionaries. I've always known it as a word meaning "broken" since childhood.

It doesn't infer the the battery has been used for masturbatory purposes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
realslimshady said:
sounds like you're flooding it.
try starting it without pushing the key in, then if it fires but starts to falter, push the key in briefly, to richen the mixture.
this always worked with my Evinrude 90.
they don't need a lot of choke, generally.
Click to expand...
Flooding is the worst, engine becomes a prick ti start when flooded. Today i was pushing key in and turning and done it several times and then it took a while to start after that
 
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