Please help with troubleshooting my kicker!

[Robert Piette]

Hi !

 

I had a similar problem with my kicker last month and by chance i found the problem quickly. It was my fuel connector (the part that clips on to the engine with 2 prongs). The stem that the fuel line is attached to started to kink when i turned the motor and it stopped the gas from going thru. I replaced it and gave it a bit longer fuel line and it's been running great since.

 

Good luck, hope you find the problem.

 

Robert

[rolmops]

Just to make sure that there is a fuel issue,does the engine rev up a bit just before it shuts off?

Also, do you have to prime the engine after it shuts off or can you just restart it? And last is the running time the same after the first time it shuts off or does it get shorter?

Is there water in your fuel tank/seperator or carburetor bowl?

Edited July 21, 2013 by rolmops

[Consigliere]

either gas or spark.  pull plugs out and check them just to make sure.  thats quick.  spark them against frame.  eliminates half potential problem

 

next do the remote gas tank.  check all fittings and lines for air leaks.  after that would run a can of seafoam through in a gas tank to try and clean things out a bit.  after that would depend if its not fixed

[cistdpz]

I had a similar issue with my 2000 Mercury 9.9 kicker.  I would be able to troll for an hour or so and then it would kick off if i reprimed the bulb running to the motor and restart it would work again for another hour or two any way the issue turned out to be my fuel pump the membrane in the fuels pump went bad from ethanol gas after i replaced the fuel pump with a new pump it works fine no issues.  Also my set up for fuels was the same as yours i would pull the fuel from the main tank that my main motor ran from.   Anyw ay this issue plagued me for a few months, but happy now it is fixed.

[BALLS DEEP]

Thanks everyone for the input! I hooked up another fuel tank on the back of the boat and still had the same issues. Checked all the lines running from the small tank to the motor and all seemed fine. Also put on a new primer ball as well. Should I be thinking new fuel pump next?

[rolmops]

Disconnect the hose from the exit hole of the fuel pump and turn the engine over. If you get strong pulses of fuel coming out, the pump is not your problem

[bigCOHOnes]

Mercury has rebuild kits that are cheap and easy to change on fuel pumps. It is also recommended every few years to rebuild but is often overlooked.

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[bigCOHOnes]

Do the rpms race right before it quits or does it just die? I have seen the internal membranes breakdown in the fuel line and collapse and deteriorate.

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[BALLS DEEP]

The rpms do not race, it just stalls out.

[bigCOHOnes]

Does it start back up immediately or do you have to give it a few minutes

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[BALLS DEEP]

It will start right back up if I squeeze the primer ball.

[Chas0218]

It will start right back up if I squeeze the primer ball.

My guess is fuel pump trying pumping it while it is running.

Sent from my thinking chair...

[BALLS DEEP]

I have tried pumping it while it's running and it still stalls out.

[Chas0218]

It sounds a lot like a fuel pump or carb issue. Maybe a stuck needle in the carb?

Sent from my thinking chair...

[rolmops]

It will start right back up if I squeeze the primer ball.

That points at poor fuel supply. Try to run the engine with the fuel supply positioned higher than the outboard itself. This is a trick we used on the old pressurized tanks. Cleaning out your pump is never a bad idea.Sometimes a check valve in the pump gets stuck and although forcing  the fuel through often opens it (pumping the primer ball),the regular vacuum action of the pump does not.

Edited August 2, 2013 by rolmops

[Knotlost]

Have you checked to see if the cooling water is coming out the vent like its suppose to? They do have a safety that shuts them down if they are overheating, no fixing gas issues will fix this. No on has asked you yet so are you getting cold water circulation?

[Jack]

Merc had problems with their older gray fuel lines where the inside of the fuel line separates and starts to brake apart clogging the fuel flow . If you cut the line near one of the fittings or bulb you will see the separation , if that is your problem. (if not just reconnect the line )  My Merc has a fuel filer  under the cover , you might see little pieces of the line in the filter . I have a 2002 15hp that had the bad line .

Good Luck

[skipper19]

Merc had problems with their older gray fuel lines where the inside of the fuel line separates and starts to brake apart clogging the fuel flow . If you cut the line near one of the fittings or bulb you will see the separation , if that is your problem. (if not just reconnect the line ) My Merc has a fuel filer under the cover , you might see little pieces of the line in the filter . I have a 2002 15hp that had the bad line .

Good Luck

Jack probably has the right diagnosis, not only related to mercury. Fuel lines are generic on remote tanks, and this has caused some trouble on my Yamaha 9.9 as well. It seems especially troublesome with the 4 stroke I think because of the pump gas we get, and the lack of two stroke oil mixed with it that acts as a kind of buffer against ethanol.

Pieces of rubber get loose, sometimes just a flap that remains attached inside the hose and acts as a dam against the fuel flow. You can force it through with the primer, but when it has to feed on its own, it will flip and cause the damming effect. Try a different new style hose that is for the ethanol pump gas and see how that works. Make sure no rubber pieces are in the carb needle and seat, make sure you have good O rings on your fuel line connection, make sure your tank is venting, although you have it plumbed to the main tank, there can be a small leak of vacuum in the connection someplace and the engine can loose prime, check or replace the clamps on any connection to the main tank. If it was over heating it would not immediately start back up and there would be no ignition spark. It is a gas flow related problem most likely.

Mark

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Edited August 22, 2013 by skipper19

[Adk1]

Remove the cowl and check to see if you have sparks jumping around. I had to have my coil replaced

[Jack]

here are a couple pic of my fuel line with the collapsed lining.

[Has Been]

Just got  my 35 merc back from Bryce. Had similar probs.  He rebuilt/ cleaned carb(showed me pics of debris) and rebuilt fuel pump that he said breaks down over time & small particles get caught in the needle valve.

[Sk8man]

You know after reading these posts it reaffirms my very positive feelings about the value of the LOU website (in addition to the great fishing info).  People trying to help people out, kicking around ideas that we might not otherwise think about or know about, and perhaps saving us time and money in the process. It is a great testament to the website itself and the people using it.  Rather than just thinking this to myself I figured I'd say it