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Kl]h%Zq%kl]hljgmZd]kgglaf_lg]dhqgmhafhgaflhjgZd]ek BY JOHN TIGER, JR.
50 Pontoon^ & Deck Boat March^2018 http://www.pdbmagazine.com
Springtime is near, and with that, boats come out of storage.
Sometimes the engine won’t start after a long winter’s nap.
Outboards for pontoon boats are no different than outboards
mounted to other boats; sometimes they just need some
attention. While today’s outboards are more complex, they still
operate on the same principles as they did before the current
wave of EFI/DFI and four-stroke technology appeared.To start and run, an outboard needs:- Ignition (properly timed)
- Fuel/Air Mixture (in the right ratio)
- Compression
- Exhaust
For most newer outboards, it’s a little more complicated than
that: kill switches, start-in-gear protection, electronic ignition
and fuel injection, computer-controlled ignition timing and other
technological advances have made even basic troubleshooting
more involved than it was 20 or 30 years ago. We’ll try to help
you isolate the problem, and may enable you to check each part
of each system and component involved in starting your engine
so that you may be able to solve the problem right at the dock.
If not, at the very least you can speak intelligently about the
problem to the mechanic who comes to work on it for you.=f_af]Ogfl;jYfc9l9dd
Gj;jYfckKdgodq!EYaf>mk]2If you turn the key to crank the engine and nothing
happens, keep the key in the “on” position and check to see if
other components operate; check
the power trim, and check to see if the voltmeter, tachometer
and other gauges come “on.” If everything else is dead too,
check the outboard’s main fuse. Typically located in a large red
holder on the engine wiring harness, it’s usually a 20-amp fuse
that’s easily replaced. EXTRA TIP: If the fuse is okay, check the
main power plug that connects the engine to the boat; oftentimes
if this connection comes loose, no power can go from the battery
to the engine.:Yll]jqKoal[`2You’ve checked the main fuse and it’s fine. If
your boat has a battery switch, ensure that it’s switched to “on”
or “both” and try the key switch again.F]mljYdKY^]lqKoal[`2 If you turn the key and nothing
happens, but other components are working, check the gear
shift to ensure it’s in neutral. Each outboard has a neutral safety
switch that only allows it to crank and run if the shift is solidly
in neutral. If you move the shifter to neutral and it cranks,
you’ve solved the problem. If it’s in neutral and it still won’t
crank, check this switch; it’s typically inside the control box
connected to yellow and yellow/red stripe wires.