Starter Troubleshooting

Trouble	Cause	Remedy
Starter motor has low no-load speed and high current draw	Armature may be dragging on pole shoes from bent shaft, worn bearing or loose pole shoes. Tight or dirty bearing.	Replace shaft or bearings and/or tighten pole shoes. Loosen or clean bearings.
High current draw with no armature rotation	A direct ground switch, at terminal or at brushes or field connections. Frozen shaft bearing which prevent armature from rotating.	Replace defective parts.
Starter motor has grounded armature or field winding	Field and/or armature is burned or lead is thrown out of commutator due to excess leakage.	Raise grounded brushes from commuator and insulate them with cardboard. Use magneto Analyzer and test points to check between insulated terminal or starter motor and starter motor frame (remove ground connection of shunt coils on motors with this feature). If analyzer shows resistance, there is a ground. Raise other brushes from armature and check armature and fields separately to locate ground.
Starter motor has grounded armature or field winding abnormal	Current through armature first, then to ground field windings.	Disconnect grounded leads, then locate any grounds in motor.
Starter motor fails to operate and draws no current and/or high resistance	Open circuits in fields or armature, at connections or brushes or between brushes and commutator.	Repair or adjust broken or weak brush springs, worn brushes, high insulation between commmutator bars or a dirty, gummy or oily commutator.
High resistance in starter motor	Low no-load speed and a low-current draw and low developed torque.	Close "open" field winding on unit which has 2 or 3 circuits in starter motor (unit in which current divides as it enters, taking 2 or 3 parallel paths).
Hight free speed and high current draw	Short fields in starter motor	Install new fields and check for improved performance. (Fields normally have very low resistance, thus it is difficult to detect shorted fields, since difference in current draw between normal starter motor field windings would not be very great.)
Excessive voltage drop	Cables too  small.	Install larger cables to accomodate high current draw.
High circuit resistance	Dirty connections.	Clean connections.
Starter does not operate	Run-down battery.	Check battery with hydrometer. If reading is below 1.230, recharge or replace battery.
	Poor contact at terminals.	Remove terminal clamp.
	Wiring or key switch.	Scrape terminals and clamps clean and tighten bolts securely. Coat with sealer to protect against further corrosion.
	Starter solenoid.	Check for resistance between: (a) Positive (+) terminal of battery and larger input terminal of starter solenoid, (b) large wire at top of starter motor and negative (-) terminal of battery, and (c) small terminal of starter solenoid and positive battery terminal. Key switch must be in START postion.
	Starter motor.	Repair all defective parts. With a fully charged battery, connect a negative (-) jumper wire to upper terminal on side of starter motor and a positive jumper to large lower terminal of starter motor. If motor still does not operate, remove for overhaul or replacement.
Starter turns over too slowly	Low battery or poor contact at battery terminal.	See "Starter does not operate."
	Poor contact at starter solenoid or starter motor. Dirty or corroded pinion drive.	Clean thoroughly and lubricate the spline underneath the pinion with multipurpose lubricant.
Starter does not engage freely	Pinion or flywheel gear.	Inspect mating gear for excessive wear. Replace all defective parts.
	Small anti-drift spring.	If drive pinion interferes with flywheel gear after engine has started under pinion gear. Replace all defective parts. NOTE: If drive pinion tends to stay engaged in flywheel gear when starter motor at 1/4 throttle to allow starter pinion gear to release flywheel ring gear instantly.
Starter keeps on spinning after key is turned ON	Key not fully returned.	Check that key has returned to normal ON position. replace switch if key constantly stays in START position.
	Starter solenoid.	Inspect starter solenoid to see if contacts have become stuck in closed position. If starter does not stop running with small yellow lead disconnected from starter solenoid, replace starter  solenoid.
	Wiring or key switch.	Inspect all wires for defects. Open remote control box and inspect wiring at switches. Repair or replace all defective parts.
Wires overheat	Battery terminals improperly connected.	Check that negative marking on harness matches that of battery. If battery is connected improperly, red wire to rectifier will overheat.
	Short circuit in wiring system.	Inspect all connections and wires for looseness or defects. Open remote control box and inspect wiring at switches.
	Short circuit in choke solenoid.	Repair or replace all defective parts. Check for high resistance. If blue choke wire heats rapidly when chock is used, choke  solenoid may have internal short. Replace if defective.
	Short circuit in starter solenoid.	If yellow starter solenoid lead overheats, there may be internal short (resistance) in starter solenoid. Replace if defective.
	Battery voltage low.	Battery voltage is checked with an ampere-volt tester only when battery is under a starting load. battery must be recharged if it registers under 9.5 volt. If battery is below specified hydrometer reading of 1.230, it will not turn engine fast enough to start it.

 

Ignition Troubleshooting

Fuel System Troubleshooting

Symption	Probable Cause
No fuel at carburetor	No gas in tank. Air vent in gas cap not open. Air vent in gas cap clogged. Fuel tank sitting on fuel line. Fuel line fittings not properly connected to engine or fuel tank. Air leak at fuel connection. Fuel pickup clogged. Defective fuel pump.
Flooding at carburetor	Choke out of adjustment. High float level. Float stuck. Excessive saturated beyond buoyancy.
Rough operation	Dirt or water in fuel. Reed valve open or broken. Incorrect fuel level in carburetor bowl. Carburetor loose at mounting flange. Throttle shutter not closing completely. Throttle shutter valve installed incorrectly.
Engine misfires at high speed	Dirty carburetor. Lean carburetor adjustment. Restriction in fuel system. Low fuel pump pressure.
Engine backfires	Poor quality fuel. Air/fuel mixture too rich or too lean. Improperly adjusted carburetor.
Engine preignition	Excessive oil in fuel. Inferior grade of gasoline. Lean carburetor mixture.
Spark plugs burn and foul	Fuel mixture too rich. Inferior grade or gasoline.
High gas consumption: Flooding or leaking	Cracked carburetor casting. Leaks at line connections. Defective carburetor bowl gasket. High float level. Plugged vent hole in cover. Loose needle and seat. Defective needle valve seat gasket. Worn needle valve and seat. Foreign matter clogging needle valve. worn float pin or bracket. Float binding in bowl. High fuel pump pressure.
Overrich mixture	Choke lever stuck. High float level. High fuel pump pressure.
Abnormal speeds	Carburetor out of adjustment. Too much oil in fuel.

Outboard Power Trim Troubleshooting