small fixes for big problems

[Home Cookin']

I find outboards interesting--and frustrating--in that they can fail for small problems yet power through big ones, and despite the beatings they take, are vulnerable to seemingly minor issues.

Last Sunday evening I was headed out and my neighbor was lowering his lift; I joked that I hadn't run mine in a while so please come get me if I have problems. The boat was running rough and when I powered up at the mouth of the cove it ran bad then cut off. When I yelled back to the neighbor "see I told you" he said, "too bad--mine won't even start!"

So I got mine going and limped over to his, so I could start his so he could rescue me; we got his started and I made it back to my pier.

His boat: no power to starter/PTT but gas guage and radio worked. I thought about the 20A fuse inside the motor but his, a 4 stroke, was a mystery to me. I was set to jump him or jump to the starter. The solution? tighten down the ground on the battery. He had it thumb tight; the thumb screws are just a mean trick; they have to be pliers tight. I've solved many a dead boat or poorly running boat with that simple fix.

My boat: I switched out the water seperator, which was over due. Seemed to run fine at the dock even in gear (tied off) but being Sunday evening with no boats on the river I decided not to test it. Yesterday, headed out (up wind of course) and it crapped out again; made it back home.
I noticed some color in the water when I was restarting it; pulled the cover, pumped the ball and saw fuel dripping at the internal filter. It had vibrated loose but was still screwed on; I tightened it down then ran the boat no issues. So all it was, was the air leak in the fuel path from that loose fitting. Simple problem that killed the motor.

So in each case a simple 30 second fix saved the day (and from that foolish feeling if either had called in a pro). I pass this along so my experience might save others' boat trip.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: small fixes for big problems

All the more reason to "inspect, inspect, inspect," and to "learn - learn - learn" about what makes your particular engine tick. If you are not electrically or mechanically gifted, at least make an attempt to learn from someone who can give you the basics about these things. An example of troubleshooting is in your description of the loose "thumb screw". There are two electrical systems on most recreational boats. The very large battery cables between the battery and the engine power the 'ENGINE' system. That includes the engine, trim system, and instruments. Look at the battery again and you will likely see two smaller gauge wires (red and black). Those power the "BOAT" system which includes everything EXCEPT the engine, trim, and instruments. The gas gauge and radio worked because they are low current items and the slightly loose wing nut provided enough contact to operate those items but not the starter which draws huge gobs of power. So you now know which system powers what. If the instruments are dead, the fuse under the engine cover is the likely culprit, not any of the fuses in the fuse panel. No charge -- thank you.

 

[robert graham]

Re: small fixes for big problems

Well, knowing that any of these little things can ruin a day on the water, I generally remove the upper cowling and give the motor a good visual inspection for loose fittings, leaks, etc.....also a good idea to keep the outboard motor as clean as possible on the inside of the cowling so you can see problems, leaks, etc.....sorta hard to see a problem if it's coated with grease, grime and dirt.....good luck!

 

[saumon]

Re: small fixes for big problems

I just came back from a cabin up north that we rented for 2 weeks. One morning, with 1 week left, the boat, docked full time, refuse to start. Nothing. The guages all light up, showing full charge, the engine even make his self-test but the starter didn't turn, not even a click.

After checking the battery voltage (good), connections (tight) and selector switch, I take a deep breath and thought of what could cause that. Being a newer engine to me (less than a year) and of modern technology (E-Tec 90hp), to my knowing, there's only 2 things I'm sure: the kill switch and the neutral safety switch.

I remove and replace the safety lanyard and also play with the throttle lever, without results. I disassemble the starting switch and, not knowing wich one is the kill switch, I disconnected one by one each of the 6 wires, trying to start the engine each time, to no avail. I then replace everything and disassemble the binnacle control mount, on which there's 2 pairs of wires. One pair for the power trim and tilt (blue/green) and the other for the neutral safety switch. I remove the switch and, sure enough, the engine start on the first crank!

For an unknown reason, the switch stay stuck in the "closed" position, shorting out the ignition. I replaced the switch in the control box and, now, the engine start everytime, even in gears! Not really safe but, at least, that "field repair" save the week and I've been able to use the boat. Now that I'm back home, I need to fix that...