Re: Evinrude Won't start in water!!!!!! HELP PLEASE!
You had better fix the control lever because you should not be able to start the engine with the lever pushed full open -- and incidentally in gear. But then you may be talking about the"Fast Idle" lever which has nothing whatsoever to do with "Neutral". It is merely like a manual throttle on an old car. Next, never run an engine wide open throttle with no load unless you happen to like watching an engine destroy itself because it is running away and can't be shut off -- even with the key.
Now then here is the "correct" procedure (it doesn't matter if the boat is in the water or not as long as the engine has cooling water available).
1) Squeeze the primer bulb until firm. If it doesn't firm up, fix the problem.
2) Raise the fast idle lever about 1/3. If you don't know about this lever, it is the flat lever at the very top of the control box.
3) Turn the key to the RUN (not START) position.
4) Push in on the key for a count of eight to ten.
5) Release the key and turn it to START.
If the engine doesn't immediately start, push in the key until it does.
6) When the engine starts let it fast idle but for heavens sake not at wide open, and then gradually lower the fast idle lever. If the engine tends to want to die during warm up, don't rev it, simply push in on the key momentarily but don't wait until it dies.
If the engine dies with the lever all the way down, fix the problem which is likely a bad link&sync job or idle speed adjustment.
