Sorry if this is a previously covered topic, I couldn't find anything exactly like it.<br /> I have a 1997 15 HP Evenrude 4 stroke. I use it quite often, but only for short distances (I've only filled gas tank twice since it was new.<br /> 99% of the time, when I go to use it, it starts up very quickly. However recently, if I run it at high speed for just a few minutes, it will often instantly cut off, as if the key were turned off, ie no rough running or sputtering, just instantly off. When I try to restart it, it will crank fine, but won't start. I keep trying to start it, for maybe 5 or more minutes, then it starts right up, as if nothing was wrong, and usually works fine. Also, I can generally run the thing at low speed for long periods of time, and it runs fine.<br />Also, if I run for a period of time, then stop for an hour or two, I often have trouble starting, but if I wait overnight, it starts right up.<br /> I thought it might be getting a gulp of water in the gas, so I completely drained the gas tank and put fresh gas in, but the behavior was the same. I noticed that the gas bulb doesn't always pump up firm, and I saw a response to another post suggesting that migh mean a sticking carburator float valve, so the last time the motor cut out, disconnected the fuel line, and the thing started right up.<br /> I had originally thought that I wasn't getting fuel, but now I'm wondering if I'm getting too much fuel and it's flooding.<br /> Is it possible that a stuck float valve would cause the engine to cut out instantly when running at high speed, but not when running at low speed? I'm not even sure if my motor even has a carburator / float...I'm having a hard time recognizing anything on these new motors. I've worked on older motors, but I'm intimidated by this thing. <br /> I've had problems in the past, with mice chewing through wires when stored in the winter. Is there a likely culpret for a wiring problem that would cause the symptoms I described? <br />thanks.
