Refuled, wouldn't start, and when it did it ran slow?

[LeeZeitvogel]

I was at the dock refueling after an hour drive down the coast. I went to fill it up and I was able to pump in about 2 gallons and gas spit back out the hole like it was full. So I stopped a second and then kept refueling. When I was finished I went to crank up my boat and It was VERY hard to start, I tried about 10 to 15 times. (Note I had this problem before but not this bad so I replaced the temp sensor and put some injector cleaner in it this summer). I checked the gas cap to see if it was tight and I opened up the throttle in hopes that it might let out some gas fumes because it might be flooded. After about 10 minutes it finally cranked, after turning it over for about 20 seconds and it was not a strong start. I then left the dock and got on the throttle and it sounded like there was some slipping going on, like when you have a clutch going out on a car (rpm's but no get up and go). So I idled back at 10 to 15 mph and took her home. I checked the impeller to see if I had something in it and there was about a hand full of fishing line around the drive shaft that I had to cut out. So do you think the starting problem could be related to the propulsion problem? And is the fishing line my only worries? I haven't had time to take her out since I cleared the line out but I am dying to know because all I see is dollar signs when stuff like this happens Also when I went home to flush it out it cranked up fine but it had time to cool off too. ?

 

[Gamerse]

When you say hand full of fishing line, are we talking about a small birds nest, or something you just happened to notice was wrapped around the driveshaft? It doesn't take alot to cause pump aeration. The "(rpm's but no get up and go)".

I've had a bit of outboard experience, and alot of EFI experience, so I'll combine the two to get you started. (I'm assuming a 240EFI)

If the boat is starting fine now, I would try a bottle of SeaFoam additive on a full tank of fuel. It has proven itself to me as an awesome water dispersant, and fuel stabilizer.

If the hard start is still there, I would go with the basics first. Check the plug conditions, and visit Snipe's Korner in the "how to" forum section for the spark plug guide. You may need to go hotter or colder, you may be just right, you may just need new plugs.

If plugs don't help, you could test for compression.

I can't go into the fuel system without referencing a manual, and they cost about $10.00 to download. Mercury is apparently a real information squirrel.

Hopefully an EFI owner will be on later to help you with the long crank time. I could have been there in person to help back in June, I stayed at the Sand Piper Beacon for a week. I loved panama city.

 

[Irish1800]

Change the fuel filter first. The boat is fuel injected so shouldn't have flooded unless it has a bad injector. How much gas did you put in? Possible you got bad gas, but should've been ok unless it was empty and they had water in they're gas. I like to run additive in every tank now with all the ethanol thats in the fuel. I also have been running at least 90 octane fuel. I'm guessing you have a plugged fuel filter if it was so random like that with nothing leading up to it. Even if it was cavitating due to the fishing line you should've been able to still start it and rev it up to the limiter. You have a fuel issue if it's starting hard. It could possibly be plugs, but it should still start as well.

 

[igneous]

Check battery charge also

 

[LeeZeitvogel]

Batteries good and plugs were replaced in June so I'm thinking it will be in the fuel system somewhere. I wonder if it is in the sending unit like a filter or something or could it be a vent line on the tank being clogged up. I know there's like a vent tube on a differential of a 4x4 but is there one for a fuel tank for a boat? Cause the gas expands and shrinks in different weather so the fumes have to go some where? That's why there's a blower on the boat. So if the vent tube is clogged up could it be making the gas spit back out a little when I started to pump it and also preventing the fuel pump to pump efficiently making a vacuum in the tank? is there a vent line? I really need to just replace the filter also. It cant hurt. I think the access to the tank is under the storage compartment where I keep my skies under the bench seat in the back.

 

[Gamerse]

Hope that helps.



Pull the plugs, no power and black plugs is too much fuel or bad ignition. No power and greyish powder white plugs is lack of fuel. There is a guide here, http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?4151-Snipes-Korner... scroll down untill you see the pictures of spark plugs. It is post number 4. Read the article above the pics on how to read them.