Pontoon & Deck Boat Magazine – March 2018

http://www.pdbmagazine.com Pontoon & Deck Boat March (^201851)
:Yll]jq2If you turn the key to crank the engine and nothing
happens, or the starter engages and cranks slowly, your battery
may be low or nearly dead. With a voltmeter, check between
the positive and negative terminals; a minimum of 12-volts is
needed to adequately crank the engine. If it’s discharged, and
you have a jumper box or spare battery, try jumping it (carefully
connecting the positive and negative cables, of course, in an
open bilge).
:Yll]jq[YZd]kYf\[gff][lagfk2 If your battery’s reasonably
charged and there are no other problems you can discover,
check the battery cables from the battery to the engine. Often
the positive and negative connections loosen over time and/
or become corroded; tightening and cleaning them restores the
connection. The cables themselves can also become so corroded
over time that they won’t carry enough current to start the
engine. Examine them closely; if the cables under the plastic
coating are “green” (corroded) or feel soft/broken inside, you
may have to replace the cables.
KlYjl]jKgd]fga\2 If you hear a clicking sound or a low whine
but the starter won’t engage the flywheel when you turn the key,
the starter solenoid may be the culprit. Some advise against this,
but often I’ll tap lightly on it with a small hammer as a helper
turns the key. That’s sometimes enough to get it to engage and
send current to the starter. Replace the solenoid whether or not
this process works, as it indicates that the solenoid is corroded
and/or failing.
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CaddKoal[2A simple thing to overlook but so many do. Check to see that the emergency shutoff switch cap is in place. If it is, the engine won’t fire. KhYjc;][c2Your outboard needs spark at the spark plugs in
order to start. This is a tricky check and requires a bit of skill.
Remove one spark plug wire and spark plug. Reconnect the wire
to the plug and lay the plug against the engine block so that the
metal of the plug is firmly touching the engine block (to ensure
that it’s grounded). Have a helper crank the engine while you
check the electrode (firing end) of the plug for spark. Be careful!
Don’t hold the plug with your bare hand or with a bare metal
tool. The spark will shock you, though not enough to hurt you—
but it may cause you to recoil enough to hurt yourself. Check
each plug and wire individually. If you see a strong blue spark,
the ignition system can fire the engine.
If you don’t see a spark on one or more of the cylinders the
culprit is typically the key switch, kill switch or ignition power
pack (ECM/EMM on EFI/DFI engines). At this point, call your
dealer unless you’re a seasoned outboard technician.