How do you start a 2-Stroke Mercury?

[RHuff]

I'm afraid I've been doing it wrong. I saw an article and it says to do the following steps in order...

1 Tilt motor all the way fully down

2 Prime up the bulb to firm

3 Hold in choke for 8-10 seconds

4 Move throttle to Neutral 2/3

5 Push in choke and turn ignition

Immediately kick throttle back to N after starting to let warm up for 3 minutes before kicking into gear

 

 

 

Anyone that has a Mercury 2-stroke, how do you start it? Mine is a 2008. I tilt the motor to level. Pump the bulb. Choke the key in for about 5 seconds and start cranking. It usually takes 4 or 5 turns of the key to fire, and sometimes stalls out a few seconds after starting. Once I get it started and kick it into forward it runs good. Carbs are clean. Fuel lines and bulb is clean. Does it need an idle adjustment or am I going about the starting process wrong? Once I run it, it starts up fine the rest of the day. It's just the initial start. 

[J Francho]

Do you have a high idle throttle beside the main throttle? It's been years since I've dealt with a carb'd Merc.  Mine have all been EFI.

[gulfcaptain]

Mine is an EFI, so I don't choke it, just lower the motor, primp the ball, and start the engine. Then let it warm up.

 

[Bass Turd]

Assuming this is not a tiller but a throttle by the steering wheel. Look for a button (mine is square and is on the side of the handle where it pivots up and back). If you push the button and hold it you can move the throttle without having it in gear to increase gas to your motor. You can move it forward or backward it doesn't matter. Move it just a little bit and not full throttle. As the motor warms up you can move the throttle back to neutral and then engage gears forward or reverse.

[Robeng]

I have a 2 stroke, 4 cylinder, oil injected 40hp Mercury that is a 1991.

After motor is in position, I squeeze bulb 2-4 times (bulb is firm but not rock hard).

Primer is by turning key (then it beeps) push key forward to prime, hold for 2-4 seconds and turn key to start.  I do have the throttle and sometimes use it on first start in the water.  If I use throttle, I just raise it a little to increase RPM's after starting motor, then I move it back down all the way after a few seconds, wait a few more seconds for engine to return to idle speed then engage forward or reverse.  

I have had the low idle stall problem and have just returned it to my mechanic (he just did some work for me on the head that I could not do) for him to adjust.  Hoping it is just a carburetor adjustment as I did not have the low idle stall issue beforehand.  My gas is fresh with an ethanol additive.

Note: I let the engine warm up before going into gear.  Usually a minute or two.

You can get the original Mercury owners manual online somewhere.  I forget where I got mine.  It has the recommended startup procedures along with recommended maintenance etc.  Not bad to have as the WORD from Mercury.  

 

 

 

 

 

[crazyjoeclemens]

I pretty much follow the directions on the article you read.  I usually just give it 1/3 to 1/2 throttle.  It doesn't take much to get it going.  Mine is pretty cold blooded, so it does take a while to warm up before I can drop it in gear and move.  As mentioned, once its been run that first time, all it takes to start is a quick touch of the key.

[RHuff]

I have never noticed a button before, but I will check. What does this 1/2 to 2/3 throttle mean when starting? I have never touched my shifter during a start until kicking it into forward or reverse. 

[slonezp]

The button is in the pivot of the throttle lever. Push the button and hold it while you push the throttle lever forward. This disengages the shifter. Another thing to check/replace is the fuel lines. There's a good chance they have been compromised from the ethanol.

[rangerjockey]

I ran a XR6 for years and here's the best I could ever come up with..

1) prime the bulb

2) trim it level

3 ) hold the enricher in for a count of 7 or 8

4) crank it, mine would usually hit and die . then give it a little hand  throttle and it should start..

once mine would warm up it was great the rest of the day but that first cold start was a bear.

[RHuff]

Ok my boat has that button, lord did that ever make a difference! Put it to about half and it fired right up with a good strong idle..now i feel dumb that ive been trying to rack my brain as to why it was idling so weak

[Robeng]

I am updating my original post on this:

Original:

After motor is in position, I squeeze bulb 2-4 times (bulb is firm but not rock hard).

Primer is by turning key (then it beeps) push key forward to prime, hold for 2-4 seconds and turn key to start.  I do have the throttle and sometimes use it on first start in the water.  If I use throttle, I just raise it a little to increase RPM's after starting motor, then I move it back down all the way after a few seconds, wait a few more seconds for engine to return to idle speed then engage forward or reverse.  

I have had the low idle stall problem and have just returned it to my mechanic (he just did some work for me on the head that I could not do) for him to adjust.  Hoping it is just a carburetor adjustment as I did not have the low idle stall issue beforehand.  My gas is fresh with an ethanol additive.

Note: I let the engine warm up before going into gear.  Usually a minute or two.

Corrections:

Squeeze bulb till very firm.

Turn key (get beep) push in key 2-3 times to prime by "squirting".

Turn key.  If it does not start - turn key and "crank over" motor.

Once started, I raise throttle lever to increase RPM's and leave it there for a few minutes to warm up engine.  I do not raise throttle arm all the way up and have the engine at very high RPM's during warm up.  

Lower throttle arm to home position.

Wait for idle speed and then put in gear.

My mechanic adjusted each of the two carbs with a 1/8 turn to get it running a little richer by rotating each carb screw counterclockwise. 

I realized after above post that I did not correctly state what I did during starting.

Regards.

 

[J Francho]

Did the adjustment work?

Cold starting a carb'd Merc is more art than science....

[Bass Turd]

27 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Did the adjustment work?

Cold starting a carb'd Merc is more art than science....

 

19 hours ago, RHuff said:

Ok my boat has that button, lord did that ever make a difference! Put it to about half and it fired right up with a good strong idle..now i feel dumb that ive been trying to rack my brain as to why it was idling so weak

 

[Alex from GA]

My last Merc, '74 85 HP, had no choke.  I'd pump the bulb until hard and pump it a couple more times, increase the idle and crank.  It started immediately and kept running.  My present one, '88 45 HP, is completely different.  Put the fast idle up some, crank it with the choke and it starts now.  Put it in gear and go.  I don't pump the bulb.  Every 2 cycle Merc is different.

[WRB]

4 1/2 years late on this response.

[RHuff]

On 9/29/2016 at 2:01 PM, Robeng said:

I am updating my original post on this:

Original:

After motor is in position, I squeeze bulb 2-4 times (bulb is firm but not rock hard).

Primer is by turning key (then it beeps) push key forward to prime, hold for 2-4 seconds and turn key to start.  I do have the throttle and sometimes use it on first start in the water.  If I use throttle, I just raise it a little to increase RPM's after starting motor, then I move it back down all the way after a few seconds, wait a few more seconds for engine to return to idle speed then engage forward or reverse.  

I have had the low idle stall problem and have just returned it to my mechanic (he just did some work for me on the head that I could not do) for him to adjust.  Hoping it is just a carburetor adjustment as I did not have the low idle stall issue beforehand.  My gas is fresh with an ethanol additive.

Note: I let the engine warm up before going into gear.  Usually a minute or two.

Corrections:

Squeeze bulb till very firm.

Turn key (get beep) push in key 2-3 times to prime by "squirting".

Turn key.  If it does not start - turn key and "crank over" motor.

Once started, I raise throttle lever to increase RPM's and leave it there for a few minutes to warm up engine.  I do not raise throttle arm all the way up and have the engine at very high RPM's during warm up.  

Lower throttle arm to home position.

Wait for idle speed and then put in gear.

My mechanic adjusted each of the two carbs with a 1/8 turn to get it running a little richer by rotating each carb screw counterclockwise. 

I realized after above post that I did not correctly state what I did during starting.

Regards.

 

 

 You can also put the throttle arm into neutral by pushing in the mercury button below the arm and pumping it forward a couple of times to give it a little extra gas if it’s having a hard time starting... 

[OnthePotomac]

Amazing how many with carbed engines never knew they start better with the carb floats level.

[John O]

My 150 XR6 is very cold natured at initial start up. Level the motor up, pump the primer bulb, choke for 10 seconds and crank. Once it starts and warms up it runs like a raped ape and starts immediately every time. The XR6 is the work horse of the 2 stroke, carbed Mercury line up. I love that motor...