Help! My outboard won't start and I'm stranded.

[gravygraham]

You say your spark plugs were checked and they work - could the timing have come out of sync? Just a thought that is - it might not be possible.

 

[Golden Time]

Did you flush the new fuel line, primer, etc. out before connecting it to the engine? If not, you may have pushed all manner of rubbish, spiders and snot that was lurking inside these parts into the carb.

Nope, didnt think about that. Although the fuel line was connected to both ends of the primer to make a sealed circuit as soon as it was made up by the chandlery and then I cut it at the required place. So I'm pressuming that would have stopped the creepy crawleys.

You say your spark plugs were checked and they work - could the timing have come out of sync? Just a thought that is - it might not be possible.

I'm getting new plugs just in case as we dont know when they were last changed, but I never thought about a syncing problem. Thats something I would have expected on a big engine with an ECU? But I will suggest it to them tomorrow.

 

[andy59]

When you first ran the engine out of the marina was the engine running on old fuel left in the carbs / fuel line . I ran my motorcycle on old fuel for a few miles once and it started missfiring .Fresh fuel didnt fix it but new spark plugs did .

 

[gordmac]

A good chance new plugs will sort the problem. One thing to do with the old plugs in the absence of new ones would be to clean them as best you can, I use a wire brush, then warm them up with a blowtorch before refitting. If there is fuel getting through (wet plugs) and the HT is ok bad plugs is normally the cause of poor starting.

 

[sailorman]

give the easy start the distance test

 

[PaulGooch]

Do not let them anywhere near the boat with Easy start. Kiss of death.

 

[Golden Time]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions yesterday.

Just fitted 2 new plugs and started her up straight away. Seems to be running smoother than ever before (in the 2 months i've had it) if I'm honest, so I suspect the plugs have been on their way out for a while now.

No need for the EZ Start or anything more heroic than the 2 plugs.

I'm glad to be motoring again.

 

[PaulGooch]

Good news then.

Please remember for the future though, no matter what, no Easy start !!

 

[Golden Time]

Good news then.

Please remember for the future though, no matter what, no Easy start !!

I sent the father in law packing with his can of EZ Start.

Even though this was a scary experience I can atleast say now that I know my way round the engine a little better and I'm going to keep some spare plugs and the plug tool on the boat. Although I suspect something different will challenge me next time. Must have been coincidence that the plugs failed right after I changed the fuel tank?

 

[PaulGooch]

I sent the father in law packing with his can of EZ Start.

Good move

Even though this was a scary experience I can atleast say now that I know my way round the engine a little better and I'm going to keep some spare plugs and the plug tool on the boat. Although I suspect something different will challenge me next time. Must have been coincidence that the plugs failed right after I changed the fuel tank?

Looks that way, a bugger when that happens, you start off convinced it was something you did (understandably).

 

[longjohnsilver]

Good news, thanks for letting us know. Enjoy your time on the water.