Trouble Starting In The Morning...

[Catch and Grease]

My outboard always has trouble starting in the morning, I'll put her in the water pump the bulb till its tight and choke it and then turn the key and it'll just spin and spin but never start but then like 10-20 minutes later you turn the key and it starts up right away. If you try starting it In the afternoon even if its been sitting all day this doesn't happen it will just start up with no problem, once you get it started once in the morning it runs perfect the rest of the day starting up whenever you want it to. What could be some possible causes for this?

[Glenn]

Is it a Yamaha HDPI, by chance?

[Catch and Grease]

Is it a Yamaha HDPI, by chance?

No it is a mercury.

[Way2slow]

Try just pumping the bulb until it starts to get full but not really firm, still a little sponge, don't squeeze it any more after that.

Then try starting it without choking it. If it does not start within 10-15 seconds, wait about 15 seconds and try it again, still not ever choking it. If it doesn't start the second time try bumping the choke for just a second or so, while cranking it and then stop cranking. Wait about 10 seconds and try cranking it again, without chocking it again.

The purpose of all this, it's sounds like you are flooding it with what you are doing now, so we want to try it with out giving it much extra gas to start with.

If it still doesn't want to start doing what I've suggested, my next step would be to see if it's getting enough gas. Now, you want to take a spray bottle with some premixed gas in it and give a couple squirts directly in the carburetor and see if it start then.

I have a 1982 25hp Merc, and it started getting hard to start. After some trouble shooting, I replaced the intake and reed block gaskets, they were leaking and that cured the problem, it's starts the first pull or two now. However, this is not something you would probably be able to do.

The next thing that can cause one to be hard to start for the first time is low compression. Have you had it checked. I think it should be around 125psi, but can't say for sure, it's been years since I've check mine or even looked to see what those motors should have.

[junyer357]

Over pumping/priming bulb perhaps? We usually just pump ours a few times ti l its not empty feeling not til it is tight

[cbass12]

Try just pumping the bulb until it starts to get full but not really firm, still a little sponge, don't squeeze it any more after that.

Then try starting it without choking it. If it does not start within 10-15 seconds, wait about 15 seconds and try it again, still not ever choking it. If it doesn't start the second time try bumping the choke for just a second or so, while cranking it and then stop cranking. Wait about 10 seconds and try cranking it again, without chocking it again.

 

My first thought was to say don't choke it.

[Smokinal]

Try just pumping the bulb until it starts to get full but not really firm, still a little sponge, don't squeeze it any more after that.

Then try starting it without choking it. If it does not start within 10-15 seconds, wait about 15 seconds and try it again, still not ever choking it. If it doesn't start the second time try bumping the choke for just a second or so, while cranking it and then stop cranking. Wait about 10 seconds and try cranking it again, without chocking it again.

The purpose of all this, it's sounds like you are flooding it with what you are doing now, so we want to try it with out giving it much extra gas to start with.

If it still doesn't want to start doing what I've suggested, my next step would be to see if it's getting enough gas. Now, you want to take a spray bottle with some premixed gas in it and give a couple squirts directly in the carburetor and see if it start then.

I have a 1982 25hp Merc, and it started getting hard to start. After some trouble shooting, I replaced the intake and reed block gaskets, they were leaking and that cured the problem, it's starts the first pull or two now. However, this is not something you would probably be able to do.

The next thing that can cause one to be hard to start for the first time is low compression. Have you had it checked. I think it should be around 125psi, but can't say for sure, it's been years since I've check mine or even looked to see what those motors should have.

This is the way to start the diag.

[WIGuide]

No it is a mercury.

^^^ The problem has been found!!! Haha sorry I just had to. W2S gives great advice, you should follow it. I do have to ask though, when you choke it in the morning are you doing it while you're trying to start it or are you trying to choke it and then start it. If you aren't turning it over while you're choking it has no effect whatsoever. 

[Catch and Grease]

^^^ The problem has been found!!! Haha sorry I just had to. W2S gives great advice, you should follow it. I do have to ask though, when you choke it in the morning are you doing it while you're trying to start it or are you trying to choke it and then start it. If you aren't turning it over while you're choking it has no effect whatsoever.

My electric choke stopped working so I use the manual choke by twisting a knob on the engine, then I go to turn the key and when it starts I go back and turn the choke off on the engine. I followed what W2S said and it started better but I still think I may have pumped the bulb to much so I'm gonna do it less next time.

[thomas15]

When you start the motor, do you have it in neutral but have the throttle at more than idle?

 

Does anyone know if that motor has a butterfly choke or an enricher?

[Catch and Grease]

I just have the engine in neutral when I start it with no throttle...

And does a butterfly choke make the butterfly valve flip open? Because that's not what my choke does, my choke just pushes a button in on top of the carburetor when you twist it I believe...

[Catch and Grease]

Should I have the throttle open a little when trying to start my engine for the first time in the morning?

[Long Mike]

If that motor is anything like me, it needs a good, strong cup of coffee in the morning.

[Way2slow]

If your remote control has a little black lever for cold start, it should be raised all the way up.

 

If it has a tiller handle, it should be turned all the way to the start position.

 

These should be some source for setting a fast idle for cold starts,  As for having the throttle open, the neutral throttle stop in the engine should not let you open throttle beyond it, but yes, you should have some way to set a fast idle and should be using it.  If it has a fast idle, and it does not seem to make a difference, then it may need adjusting.

[Catch and Grease]

If your remote control has a little black lever for cold start, it should be raised all the way up.

If it has a tiller handle, it should be turned all the way to the start position.

These should be some source for setting a fast idle for cold starts, As for having the throttle open, the neutral throttle stop in the engine should not let you open throttle beyond it, but yes, you should have some way to set a fast idle and should be using it. If it has a fast idle, and it does not seem to make a difference, then it may need adjusting.

Okay thank you, your a huge help...

[Catch and Grease]

Its still really hard to start this engine in the morning there has got to be something wrong...

[Way2slow]

Well, I've give you about all the info I know that you should be able to try. There's a number of things I would check but, it's starts getting more technical and I probably know a little more about them than you, and I ain't driving the 160 miles to Valdosta.

Maybe somebody else has a magic bullet they can shoot your way.

[Catch and Grease]

You sound a little agitated... I was just saying that I followed the procedure you gave me and its still hard to start, I would troubleshoot myself but I'm just gonna wait and let another family member look at it. Sorry for my whining...

[slonezp]

Carbed Mercury's are known for having morning sickness. Are you positive there is no fuel delivery issue? Fuel filter good? Fuel lines and primer bulb good?

[Catch and Grease]

The primer is really beat up and I think it should be replaced I picked one up today but haven't put it in yet. No I'm not positive there isn't a fuel delivery problem...

[Way2slow]

No, I'm not agitated, sorry if it cams across that way. It's just to go beyond the basic procedures I explained to see if flooding or not getting enough fuel on the initial startup, you start getting into technical side, of the troubl shooting, and let's face it, you are not exactly that sharp on the technical aspect. Plus I don't no that motor well enough to step you through trouble shooting it. As I mentioned, I have an 82, 25 Merc and the few times I've had to work on it has been several years ago. I just don't work mess with the Mercs much.

[thomas15]

I think you said that your boat has a console. Could you post two or three pics of the throttle at the console at different angles?

 

There should be some way to give the motor some extra RPM at start up.

[Catch and Grease]

I'm pretty sure to give it some extra RPM at start up you push in the "throttle only" button then push the handle forward, that gives it some extra throttle while staying in neutral.

I put a new primer bulb on and after I was finished I just took the top off the outboard to look and figured out one of the (what I believe is called) recirculation hose slipped off and came undone. That would explain why the engine sneezed one or two times while I was leaving the lake today...

[thomas15]

I'm pretty sure to give it some extra RPM at start up you push in the "throttle only" button then push the handle forward, that gives it some extra throttle while staying in neutral.

I put a new primer bulb on and after I was finished I just took the top off the outboard to look and figured out one of the (what I believe is called) recirculation hose slipped off and came undone. That would explain why the engine sneezed one or two times while I was leaving the lake today...

 

That is correct. When the motor starts it should then be at high idle, sat 2500-3000 RPM. You don't want to keep it there for long, just long enough to get the motor running, about 5 seconds then back down to about 1500 RPM for a short while, to get it warmed up.

[Catch and Grease]

Yeah I tried that a few hours ago at around 12, pumped the bulb, choked it, pushed the throttle up a bit and it started great with one turn of the key!

Hopefully it'll start that good during the morning time as well.