Maiden voyage not so good!

[floatfisher]

Well I took the family out this morning to Cayuta.  Wanted to go out on a small lake the first time and I think that was a good choice.  Got everything on the boat, launched it for the first time and all went as planned.  Hopped in the boat and could not get it started!!!  FRUSTRATED to say the least.   pumped the bulb up, choked it, would not turn over?!?!  So we shoved off and gave the new trolling motor a work out, Thanks solgrande!!!  It worked great for our first time out.  We worked our way up the lake a little and fished and swam, was glad to see the kids were into swimming as the fishing was not very fast.  I could not concentrate on the fishing as I was a little pissed about the boat not starting.  Tried starting a few more times after it set a while as I was not sure if I flooded it or not.  After trying a few times it sounded like my battery was starting to die off.  Floated back to the dock and put it back on the trailer and left....

 

The kids said they had a good time as even though the boat did not run.  I hope it does not turn them off of boating!!!

 

Any ideas from the experts out there as to what I can do to try and get this thing started??  There is probably a trick to startig it and I just have to figure out what the trick is!!!

 

 

[Sk8man]

Does it have a "kill switch"? If so sometimes it can be in the Off position without someone realizing it.....

[apb]

I am not a boat motor mechanic but I can asure you the kids are not turned off.  They do not look at these things like we do.("a little pissed")  They are very forgiving and will be wicked ready to do that trip again once you get your stuff figured out.  My engine needs more choking than I ever thought It would.  Also you may want to check a fuel filter or spark plugs..anywho  I know allot more about kids than boat motors so I will leave the rest to the pros!  Good Luck.  Oh make sure you run non ethanol gas and a good  name brand oil...it makes a huge difference!

[specialtee]

_{some boats you need to push the key in as you start it}

[dmontesano]

Two things could be going on here. One being vapor lock which happends with this heat. The second being was the vent open on the tank. Thats if you have a vent on your tank. Without being there really cant tell ya whats going on here. Hope it works out for ya and you get to the bottom of this

Sent from my SCH-I200 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[ray koziatek]

Well I feel for ya. I've never experianced it and hope never have too.Tho some years in the spring when i do my iniatial start in the "DRIVEWAY" WITH muffs i find i need to clean or better yet replace points.(older inboard)..Over the years i've seen many a family outing or fishing trip gone bad after a long drive,carefully planned food and toys...It breaks my heart to see this happen. So diminish your chances of this happening to your friends or family and keep a good tuned up motor ,fully charged battery,and a good visual inspection of hoses,safety gear,and fuel... and if ya ant used the boat in a few weeks ,Start her in the driveway (with muffs) and lessen yer chances of a poopy time at the launch....And dont forget that trailer either even worse sittin along the road 1/2 way their in the middle of nowhere with a broke down trailer............Cars have a whole dasbord full of idiot lights  to warn ya of problems ,but with a boat its up to a good mechanic. Also you should be familiar with some basic info of yer vessel ...Just in case..................

 

Good luck

Ray.

[cdq]

Some motors will turn over but not start because battery is to low had this happen to me. But don't know your make or model. Just one thing to look at. Good luck it will fire starter but not magneto.

[NitroMusky]

If you can provide the make model and year of your motor you're liable to get a bit more specific advice

[Adk1]

IT sounds to me that you are running on outboard if you are priming the bulb. Did it ever even try to start? Could be any number of things just as everyone has indicated already. When was the last time you checked the plugs? No spark no go..and yes, I never hit the lake without first starting the motor in the driveway with the muffs.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Adk1

[floatfisher]

First,Thank you for all of your comments!  Second, I am running a 1992 Spectrum 1706 powered by a 90hp Force out board.  I have started it a couple of times, this was just my first time out on the water.  I did choke it (push the key in) and I did check the kill switch.  I have changed the plugs about 2 weeks ago but not the filter, yet!  I also made sure the battery was charged just before we left, bu teh battery is an older one that came with the boat.  I bought a second one that runs the trolling motor.  I even tried to change the batteries when my cranking battery seemed to die off, and it did not make much difference?  Also my ignition is looseand I am wondering if there is an issue with my wiring?

 

About this vapor lock thing, I tried to prime the bulb last night in the drive way adn it did not act like anything was happening.  It is an internal tank and the vent comes out through the side of the hull.  I could not feel anything as I was priming the bulb, so I opened the cap on the fill tank and it felt like the bulb was working.  So today I did the same thing and opened the cap to try and see if I could get some flow.  I am going to try and disconnect the hose from the tank to the side of the boat and see if there is anything blocking the hose. 

 

Ray - If I could find some info on my Spectrum that would be great!  I have looked and cant find much...

 

Thanks again for all of the replies!!!

[Shellback]

This is NOT a recommended method for starting a 2 stroke! The reason being, ether doesn't have any lubricating qualities. But you could try this. First  pull the plugs, give them a shot of ether to clean off any fouling, then reinstall the plugs.Give the carbs one short shot of ether. If the motor fires, you know you have a fuel problem. If the motor still doesn't fire, you likely have an ignition problem. DO NOT try and keep the motor running on ether! All you want to do is see if the ignition system is working properly and supplying the correct spark to the plugs. Too much ether, and your motor is toast. I've seen people using a spray bottle with mixed gas to do the same thing, but if the motor backfires you might have a fire on your hands. 

[ray koziatek]

well sounds like ya found the problem yerself...

[Richard]

I am going to ask a simple question here. Did you start the motor after you installed the new plus? If not revisit the plugs. Possible bad plugs, bad gapping, or forgetting to connect the plug wires. By your information, you ran it fine before this work. Just a thought.

 

Good luck and tight lines.

[Has Been]

Sounds like the carb to me.