No Start again...

[straightleg]

Had to wiggle my handle, shift in and out of forward to get the engine to fire. Everyone hear pointed me in the direction of stretched lower shift cable.
Being I was a not confident enough to do the cables and belows, took it to a shop.
They did bellows, cable, trim pucks while they had it apart per my request. $1400 ouch
Also needed an alternator for that price.

Ran perfect first time out. Started in nuetral with some gas like it should, did not stall in reverse like it was doing on ramp getting off trailer. Was Happy
Second time out, had to play with handle in and out of gear some to get it started, third time out same but a tad worse.

Hooked up last Sat to go fishing, thought I better put muffs on and warm it up first. Double check it.
Can barely shift in reverse with engine off
Wont start in Nuetral
After holding key on and wiggleing handle back and forth, engine fired.
Going into reverse there is a clanking noise, like it is not fully engauging.

Very hard to find the place with handle to get a fire, and reverse feels like something is going to break if I try to shift it with engine off

Waiting for the place to open to take it back...

ANy thoughts
Why did it go south?

Also when I pulled my top fill plug to see if they put gear oil in it was 1/4 to 3/8 below hole.


Thanks
Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

Had to wiggle my handle, shift in and out of forward to get the engine to fire.

Fire or crank over? The Shift control has a neutral safety switch that allows the starter to crank over or not. But it has nothing to do with the ignitions system and the engine actually firing or not.

Have you called the shop that did the work and explain the problem? Sounds like something may have been left loose, or a new problem has cropped up.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

If I hold the key on and wiggle the handle after a few tries it cranks and starts in neutral
WHen I pull the handle out and give it some gas to start when cold nothing. No fire

The shop said bring it back, sounds like the problem is in the handle, or a selonoid. Just weird this all happens after a big repair, I have new problems

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

Doesn't sound like it happened after the big repair, you had the problem before the repair. The just thought it was fixed, and it did work for a while.

WHen I pull the handle out and give it some gas to start when cold nothing. No fire

No fire??? Does that means it cranks over ok but the engine doesn't start? Crank and fire is two different things.

Could be nothing more than a defective, loose, or corroded neutral safety switch in the control.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

Don

Maybe I had the problem, before like you said. It would start after playing with the handle but stall when I put it in reverse.
You said lower shift cable. I did that, and bellows it needed it, and pucks while I was at it. Its 23 years old, first time for all that. The mechanic said I almost did not need bellows. Must of been some good rubber

Why it worked perfect after the repair who knows. Just sitting in my garage from the last time I used it, the shifter is hard to shift and nothing happens at the handle unless I play with it.

I guesss it is probably like you said the neutral safety switch. No reason that control should not glide back and forth. That puzzel's me it just went bad sitting in the garage.

Any ideas how much new controls and 2 new cables going back would cost to be put in, worst case senerio?

Thanks Don for all the help you give people.




Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

Probably nothing wrong with the control, just needs a neutral safety switch. Find out what's wrong then ask the people that will be buying the parts how much.

 

[Bondo]

Re: No Start again...

Don

Maybe I had the problem, before like you said. It would start after playing with the handle but stall when I put it in reverse.
You said lower shift cable. I did that, and bellows it needed it, and pucks while I was at it. Its 23 years old, first time for all that. The mechanic said I almost did not need bellows. Must of been some good rubber

Why it worked perfect after the repair who knows. Just sitting in my garage from the last time I used it, the shifter is hard to shift and nothing happens at the handle unless I play with it.

I guesss it is probably like you said the neutral safety switch. No reason that control should not glide back and forth. That puzzel's me it just went bad sitting in the garage.

Any ideas how much new controls and 2 new cables going back would cost to be put in, worst case senerio?

Thanks Don for all the help you give people.

View attachment 172832View attachment 172833


Gerry

Ayuh,.... 1 question 1st,... When it won't shift into reverse, easily,... is the motor runnin',..??
Is the drive, Down,..??

Ya started out with 2 problems, the lower shift cable was pooched, 'n needed replacin', 'n the neutral safety switch was goin' Bad...

The lower shift cable was the stallin' goin' into reverse issue/ fix...

Now, somebody's gotta pull that controller apart, 'n see if the neutral safety switch is dyin', dislodged, or loose wires...
That's the Why of when it won't turn over/ crank issue...

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

Ayuh,.... 1 question 1st,... When it won't shift into reverse, easily,... is the motor runnin',..??
Is the drive, Down,..??

Ya started out with 2 problems, the lower shift cable was pooched, 'n needed replacin', 'n the neutral safety switch was goin' Bad...

The lower shift cable was the stallin' goin' into reverse issue/ fix...

Now, somebody's gotta pull that controller apart, 'n see if the neutral safety switch is dyin', dislodged, or loose wires...
That's the Why of when it won't turn over/ crank issue...

When it wont shift motor is off, drive is down
It never was hard to move lever at any point since I owned the boat until I just tried to take it out last Sat. Also wierd

Sounds like it was going bad, as the shift cable went bad. Both you guys make sense on what is probably wrong with it.

Thanks for getting it straight in my head.

Guy at shop said what you guys said after we talked about it. Hope it does not cost much after putting in $1400




After having something 23 years, it is a weird feeling in the gut not to have the boat in the garage slip


Gerry

 

[Bondo]

Re: No Start again...

When it wont shift motor is off, drive is down
It never was hard to move lever at any point since I owned the boat until I just tried to take it out last Sat. Also wierd

Sounds like it was going bad, as the shift cable went bad. Both you guys make sense on what is probably wrong with it.

Thanks for getting it straight in my head.

Guy at shop said what you guys said after we talked about it. Hope it does not cost much after putting in $1400




After having something 23 years, it is a weird feeling in the gut not to have the boat in the garage slip


Gerry

Ayuh,.... I can't believe ya got 23 Years outa the bellows, 'n lower shift cable.... Amazin'...

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

Ayuh,.... I can't believe ya got 23 Years outa the bellows, 'n lower shift cable.... Amazin'...

Must of been some good parts. I never knew I had to replace those and when i read about it last year on here, i was nervous about using the boat with out getting that done.

The boat never sleep outside. That probably made a huge difference. You can eat off the engine, always been a clean vehicle, clean engine guy with my stuff. I clean my engines 1-2 times a year
Wipe all rubber down with armour all.
All the hoses on boat are original, I did put in new white face gauges, others were fogged over.

Thanks guys for answering all my questions on getting my boat updated. Have had 6 problems or so and been working through them all.
Forum is a big help.

I try to buy some of my things through this site.
Hope that helps.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

Took it back to mechanic. He said control was full of gunk, old grease. He took it apart cleaned it out. Shifts real easy now. One problem is it does not start.
I asked about the nuetral saftey switch. He said old controls and they dont make parts for it. He said just have to find the right spot to start it.
He said most all boats are like that.

I said I never had to wiggle my handle to start my boat. Once in a great while shift into forward and back to nuetral to start it . Brought it home today from shop put water to it. Started it 5 times but really had to work on the handle to find that spot.
Last time today could not find the spot. That would put me on the ramp for 10min trying to start my boat, instead of in my driveway

I spent $1400 for bellows work and shift cable, new pucks, alternator. I Live with that even though the quote was lower.
$240 today for 2.5 hours of labor no parts.
Shifter works good, but no start, no contact at all. Mechanic said bring it back.
I am thinking I found a problem in 2 minutes in the driveway. Why was that not done there. He said he started it 10 times. But did he play with the handle each time in and out of gear like I was on the lake? Apperantly not.


Damm what to do.

He said new controls means new cables and no guarrentee you wont have to wiggle the handle to start the boat. 6-7 hundred more dollars for that.


My gut feeling, dont go back there even though he sounds like he knows what he is talking about.

Any advice


Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

That control isn't even a Merc control. Just an old Teleflex control.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

That control isn't even a Merc control. Just an old Teleflex control.

So Don what should I do.
The Teleflex controls my 4.3 mercruiser.

Its got to be the safety switch or maybe the selonoid before it gets to starter

Just disappointed it was not troubleshot before i got it back


Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

If it was mine, I would be taking it apart and finding out what's wrong. But since you are having someone else do the work, well, I am not going to spend your money for you. I also don't know the people that have already worked on your boat. Talk to them, not at them, to them and figure out what you're are going to do. Don't expect people that only have a job for 5 or 6 months a year to be perfect in everything they do. Things get missed or overlooked some times.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

Don
Not sure how i came off in email, but my conversations with the mechanic are pleasant. I am just trying to figure it out with him. Just disappointed it was not shifted in and out of gear before the next time the key was turned to see if all was well.

Can I get a neutral saftey switch for that old control? If that is the problem

If not are all new cables and controls in order? If so what brand should I go with

The cables and control are working so good now. Can the neutral switch be changed out in that old control if defective? Mechanic says no.
Just like a second opinion

Thanks
Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

I have no clue if you can get parts for that control. That should be posted over in Boat topic, as it's not part of the engine package from Mercruiser.

 

[straightleg]

Re: No Start again...

I have no clue if you can get parts for that control. That should be posted over in Boat topic, as it's not part of the engine package from Mercruiser.

Will start a new thread in that topic area. Just the multiple fix's have migrated from engine parts to controls.



Thanks again
Gerry

 

[Don S]

Re: No Start again...

That's because the boat manufacturer doesn't build all the parts like a car manufacture does. All the engine, drive, all lights, pumps, blowers, etc. are all from other manufacturers. That is why it's so hard for a marine tech to know everything about every item on every style of boat.

 

[rlrobian]

Re: No Start again...

Have you look into jumping around the neutral switch. Your mechanic will not do this because of the liability it opens up for him and his shop. But you can.