Motor Help Needed (115Hp Outboard Mercury)

[fisherbear]

Hi Everyone

I am new to posting on this forum but a long time reader and need a little help with my 115hp outboard Mercury engine (late 80's model, tall red band).

I bought this boat not too long ago and it is yet to have a service. We changed the plugs ourselves and all seemed to be running fine.

We took the boat out a few weeks back and it ran fine, only the next day when I pushed from the ramp the motor cut out after about 30 seconds. Got it back home and can't get it to start, tried new fuel as I suspected the old fuel may be stale. I can hear the starter ticking over but the motor never takes, just keeps on winding. I took out one of the spark plugs out and noticed that there didn't seem to be any spark when I turned it over.

Any suggestions on what it may be or what I could try next?

Cheers

John

[Zdenk01]

Hi Fisherbear,

When you say the starter is ticking

Is the the flywheel turning (if not - try different battery)

You will not get spark if it doesnt turn

Make sure the gap on the plugs are right.

hope this helps

Edited July 11, 2010 by ALPHABET

[fisherbear]

Hi Fisherbear,

When you say the starter is ticking

Is the the flywheel turning (if not - try different battery)

You will not get spark if it doesnt turn

Make sure the gap on the plugs are right.

hope this helps

Thanks for the tip Alphabet.

The flywheel is turning and the plugs are the type that are solid on one side and doesn't look like the traditional car style plug with a gap.

Also checked all fuses and they are ok.

Any other ideas of what I could try?

[pinta_bay_pirates]

You should get a boat serviced and looked over before you 1st take it out for your own safety and the safety of your passengers...

Anyways....check for spark and fuel....

[a boat]

Hi John, if your engine is cranking and you have good compression and good fuel and she will not start then you will have a spark issue. You say you can not see any spark on the surface gap plugs (which are fine in that engione) then you will need to determine why. The easiest thing to do is to disconnect the kill circuit to confrim the problem is not in the boats wiring / key switch. If still no spark then you will need a DVA meter to measrue voltage and find the cause.

Cheers,

Huey.

[dunc333]

check the kill switch it could be as simple as when you pushed off you might of flicked the kill switch which will be usually just under where key goes in check it sometimes it can be that simple and hope its just that 4 you.also make sure its in neautral ,prop should turn freely .good luck and let us know how you go cheers and welcome.

Edited July 19, 2010 by dunc333

[fisherbear]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I hadn't had a chance to look at the boat in a while.

Since the last post I have checked the kill switch and it wasnt that.

I have also taken apart the forward controls and found the wire which carries the ignition current and there is no problem there. Using a multimeter

I found the ignition wire and tested it by turning the key on and off and it was reading 12v when it was turned on. I followed this wire back to the motor. I can see at the motor that the wire comes out of thick black tubing and then doesn't plug into anything. Im not sure if this should be plugged into anything at all or whether the wire would be split in the black tubing and comes out of the loom elsewhere?

Any help would be muchly appreciated

[fisherbear]

Ok all, just a quick update on this.

A big thanks to Huey who spent some time with me over the weekend, after I took the boat down to his shop on Saturday. He thinks we have found the problem and is now booked in to be fixed.

Again, very helpful and professional service from Huey, and will be looking forward to getting back on the water.