Cold Start Outboard (2 Stroke)

[VViCKiD]

Hi guys,

Just wondering what people mean by "cold start" ?

Like if I'm on the water, and have left the outboard sitting for like an hour, would I need to go through the cold start ignition procedure?

Cheers

[Fab1]

It depends how long you ran it previously.

First start of the day should be a cold start.

Anything after that normally only requires normal starting as usually there's some warmth in the engine.

2 strokes generally are harder to start than 4strokes if not always.

Saying that most outboards should start fairly easily once initially started and run a little.

Cheers.

[VViCKiD]

Thanks Fab1. Yeh on the weekend, I trolled around for a few hours and anchored up for an hour.

Tried starting after that (by choking and turning ignition at the same time) and the outboard wouldn't start.

I suspect at that point I may have flooded it. Maybe I should've just turned the ignition without choking

[a boat]

Carby 4-Strokes are the worst outboard to start cold-alot more so than basic carby 2-Stroke and all modern clean tech injected engines start with the turn of a key-hot or cold. If you push the key in you flooded the engine and again any carby engine will suffer from this no matter how many cycles the combustion process takes.

[VViCKiD]

Thanks Huey. that clears things up a whole heap. Glad it's an operator issue rather than a mechanical issue. Ur right in that carbies are extremely temperamental beasts!

[zmk1962]

Agree with Huey 100%. My 15HP 4-stroke carby model cold start is tempermental at best ! ... the 200HP EFI (post mix 2-stroke) is a breeze to start.

I eventually diagnosed that my 4-stroke carby float was getting stuck as after flushing I used to just leave it layed up on the drive way. Turns out the little fuel left in the carby would evaporate and leave a gummy residue that would foul the carby float. The first cold start after that was always a problem and prone to flooding the carby !!!

I have now modified my lay up procedure, I now disconnect the fuel line for the last few minutes of the flushing process and let the carby run dry. My cold starts have improved dramatically since doing that.

[VViCKiD]

Thanks zmk. Yeh I had that issue previously as well. What I do now on cold start is just turn the key. If it doesn't start, I push in the choke and that seems to work pretty well