I'm an idiot, don't be me!!!! LOL

[jbsoonerfan]

So as a teacher I was looking forward to Spring Break so I could hit the water. Well, mother nature decided she did not want to cooperate. I was able to go Monday and the water had really cooled from our blast we had last month. I fought the wind and managed one dink. The wind blew 20-30 mph on Tue, Wed and Thur and I just don't care to fight the wind. Today was going to be decent for the wind but we had a big drop in temp yesterday but I was going to fish no matter what. I waited till about 11 AM thinking the water might warm a little and give me a better chance.

 

Preview to the last few trips (think of this like a movie LOL) so I had been having some fuel issues with my boat. It would start fine and run fine on the first run but by the third or fourth run it wouldn't start and I would have to prime the bulb again. I talked to a buddy and it said it was possible the the buld had developed a crack or something since my boat sits outside and it did get down to like -14 degrees. I had ordered a new one and I put it on Wed. 

 

Today I arrive to the lake (new primer bulb) and back down in the water. Takes a little bit longer than usual but it starts up and runs great. I park and get in the boat. It is about a 300 yard idle till you can get on full plane. I usually throw my life jacket on before I get to there and hook my kill switch up. I put my life jacket on, start to trim my motor down, turn to check it out and the boat dies. I take my life jacket off and go prime the bulb.....nothing. I put my TM down and troll back to the ramp. I beach it as beast I can and put my poles down. I take my cowling off and check that I am getting fuel to the motor, and still.....nothing. It just cranks and cranks and cranks. So I decide I am going to just put it on the trailer and bring it home since I live close and see what is going on. I was about 3 ft from solid land so I really jumped out there as not to get wet. I get in my truck and start backing down the ramp. Well I suppose my fat butt jumping off my boat caused it to swing free and the poles were no long holding it down, it is now floating away. It was about 30 ft from the bank so I just took off after it. It only got to about 4 ft deep so I was able to jump in. Trolled it back over to the bank and made sure to pull it up with me when I just hopped out since I was already wet. Back it down and trolled over to the trailer and just bailed out again to load it on the trailer. I bring it home and change the primer bulb again and still nothing. I take the fuel filter off and it is good. I checked the hot foot throttle assemble and noticed it was some what loose and not engaging properly so I was certain this was the problem. I had my son press the hot foot while I got everything adjusted, this should do it. Still nothing, just cranked and cranked and cranked. So I decide it has to be the spark plugs. I had ordered some plugs a while back so I got them out and pulled the old plugs and put the new ones in. This HAD to be it right, crank, crank, crank, nothing. So now I am trying to find a mechanic that I can get it in to Monday morning or even tomorrow, I need this fixed ASAP. 

 

I then had an epiphany, maybe when I put my life jacket on I hit the kill switch. I flip it and VROOOM, fired right up. I can't believe it will still try to crank with the kill switch flipped. I obviously had no idea it would do that, but now I do. I know the first thing to check from now on. Yes, I AM AN IDIOT!!!!

 

Maybe I can get out the tomorrow and catch a pig!!!!! 

[Way north bass guy]

Haha, I’ve never done that in the boat before but have done it a few times on the snowmobile. All you can do is just shake your head and be thankful that it didn’t cost you too much in parts or a needless mechanic visit. 

[Shimano_1]

Was putting new graphs on my rig a month ago. While I was under the console I thought...ull probably trip the kill switch so remember that. Grt everything done an hr later and hit the key...just clicks and nothing.  We think it's the battery,  plug it back in and full charge in like 5 minutes. I'm freaking out thinking we've screwed something up. My buddy gets up in the boat and as he's crawling under the console looks at the kill switch and I immediately realize what I've done. I knew a few lines into ur post where it was going lol. Happens to the best of us!

[E-rude dude]

kill switch

Fuel 

spark

compression

 

Yep I’ve done it. Even left it in gear and spent an hour try to figure out why it won’t start.?

 

[GaryH]

Been there done that. Guess we’re all in the same club. ?

[Deephaven]

Thanks for making the rest of us feel human too.  Sorry for you plight.  Sucks to lose a day, but at least you will never have that problem again

[Biglittle8]

It's seems it's always the last most simple thing you check! ?

[Dwight Hottle]

Bought lessons are always more meaningful than taught lessons. I had a similar experience one time only. 

[Bluebasser86]

If you've never done it yet, you will. Everyone who owns a boat with a kill switch will accidentally flip it at some point and feel like an idiot when they figure it out.

[Way2slow]

The kill switch and drain plug are two easily forgotten to do things.

I run my motors in a tank or on a hose every couple of months when not using them.  A while back when trying to start my bass boat, it wouldn't start.  It was fairly cold that day and wasn't spinning as fast as normal, so I stuck a 1050 CCA battery in, but still wouldn't start.  I connect a timing light to one of the plug wires and it's not firing.  I put it on one of the injector wires (DFI motor) and it's not firing.  Checked voltage going to the ECM, it's good.  Checked the kill wire going to ECM and it's grounded (meaning the ignition is off).  I go to the console to check the key switch, looked down on the floor and was wondering why the red, coiled cord for the kill switch is laying down there.  Pick it up and the little clip that goes on the kill switch is still attached to the cord.  So, after about a 1/2 hour of trouble shooting, I put that clip back under the kill switch where it goes and it started right up.  How it got in the floor, don't have a clue, it had only been a couple of months since it was last run and I didn't take it out and had not touched the boat since the last run.

[Jigfishn10]

On 3/20/2021 at 3:52 AM, E-rude dude said:

Even left it in gear and spent an hour try to figure out why it won’t start.?

 

Guilty!!! ?

[TonynswAR]

Been there.... Done that

[Way2slow]

Usually, the neutral safety switch goes to starter and the motor won't crank over when it's not closed.  The first thing I do when it won't crank, is to work the shifter back and forth a couple of times and wiggle it in the neutral position when it won't crank.  The kill switch will let it crank, but it won't start/run when it's in the kill position.  No crank problems are a whole lot easier to trouble shoot than not start problems.

[lo n slo]

On 3/20/2021 at 3:52 AM, E-rude dude said:

Even left it in gear and spent an hour try to figure out why it won’t start.

 

i did this the first or second time out after i bought my Javelin. we’d idled into a cove to fish and when we were ready to leave, nothing. my heart sank while my cousin sat there laughing. i was just about to swap the batteries over when it dawned on me. i pulled the throttle back and “click”, she fired right up after that.

 

lots more laughter.

[Bird]

Yep, I've done it.

Actually had to get towed back to the ramp after the wind killed troll motor. 

 

AND....I've got more stories of stupidity. Lol