Outboard won’t start

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mdonnelly

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New Parson 2.5 4 stroke last year. Always started faultlessly. Has been sitting on push pit last number of months and been started periodically with no problems though not in at least 4 months. Changed the fuel in the tank. Not even a suggestion of trying to start. Where do I go from here?
 
Quickest, and least complicated way to check the basics is to get a can of easy start and give it a decent squirt into the air intake. If it fires and runs for a moment then you know its a fuel issue. Often doing that a couple of times is enough to get some fuel flowing and it sort of fixes itself, if not then you need to strip and clean the carb. If it doesn't fire after a few attempts like that then start pulling plugs and checking for a spark.

Incidentally what fuel did you leave in it? Regular unleaded has a fair bit of Ethanol in it these days and that's not good for stored engines. Putting fresh fuel in the tank won't help if it's spent the winter with the carb full of old rubbish. If you're going to lay an engine up either drain all the fuel, or put some fuel saver in the last tankful and make sure you run it right through the system.
 
If you try to start it a few times and the plug ends up wet with petrol, it's most likely an ignition issue. Check for a spark, buy it a new plug.
If the plug is dry, check the fuel side
 
You say you changed the fuel...is that for pump fresh fuel or canned fuel that's been sitting around?
 
Outboards sitting on pushpits are a bad idea. I've had trouble with water in the tank and and carb. Drain the carb, throw away the old fuel. refill with fresh fuel. If it still wont go I'd suspect your fuel in the carb has evaporated left some crud and clogged up the jets or float chamber,
 
Pour a litte bit of fuel (or spray some WD40 or Easystart) into the air intake. If it tries to start, then it's fuel
 
MartynG said:
Old outboard have issues too.
Is it the emission controls that cause outboard to be so troublesome?
Click to expand...

I can't actually speak from any experience with modern outboards but if it's anything like motorbikes then yes they do...... In order to get cleaner they make them more complicated, especially with regard to electrics and carburettors, and this provides more opportunity for things to go wrong.

Personally I think I'm really lucky to have a 25 year old two cylinder two stroke that is so simple it's untrue, especially now I've removed the electric start and electric choke. Third pull yesterday, and that was after sitting for over seven months......
 
MartynG said:
Old outboard have issues too.
Is it the emission controls that cause outboard to be so troublesome?
Click to expand...

Partly, so I'm told. The emissions limits mean you can't just let the engine run a bit rich at idle, so you have to have carbs with jets which are only just big enough and more prone to clogging.
I suspect spending too much time near the water has a lot to do with it as well. Humidity, condensation, water in the carb.
 
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