Outboard Motor Accelerates Then Stops Then Accelerates Again
You've seen the bumper sticker: A bad day of boating is ameliorate than a proficient twenty-four hour period at work. Merely would you actually experience that way if you were adrift x miles from the ramp, with a boatload of tired, cranky passengers and an engine that won't start? Or an outboard motor not running at full ability? At that point, you need a plan.
Your outset move might be to Google what causes a gunkhole motor to lose power? If you're lucky, you lot'll find a list of reasons why your engine won't get-go, and the solution to your problem will be one of the like shooting fish in a barrel ones to set up. However, non every fix is easy and not every boater is handy, and your only option might be to ask for help — either from a professional towing company or a fellow boater.
If you are somewhat handy and comfortable troubleshooting engine problems, you've come up to the right place. We surveyed a group of respected gunkhole mechanics to come with the 10 most common gunkhole engine problems, and then compiled a consensus on what it would accept to save the day — and how to forbid future outings from premature endings.
Check out these 10 simple solutions for the most common engine breakdowns.
- Running out of gas
- Boat engine is sputtering and losing ability
- Engine won't beginning or turn over
- Boat engine is overheating
- Gunkhole motor stopped suddenly
- Vibration from the engine prop
- Engine won't shift into gear
- Trim is stuck on the engine
- Lack of preventative maintenance
- Cleaved bulldoze belt
Running Out of Gas
The number one reason why boaters get stuck out on the water is a lack of gas. And while we know y'all're style too smart to run out of gas, you still might want to make sure your boat's fuel gauge is accurate — or plan accordingly, if information technology's not. In addition, knowing a chip about your boat's fuel burn and operating range could salvage y'all from guessing, and and then making that embarrassing call for help.
Solution: Fill up the tank before your outing and make sure you can trust your fuel gauge.
Prevention: Always abide by the "Rule of Thirds." Programme to use one-third of your fuel supply to go out for the day; one third to get back; and accept ane-third in reserve in example bad weather, rough seas, fog or other unexpected circumstances keep you out longer than planned.
Boat Engine is Sputtering and Losing Power
Your boat feels like information technology's running out of strength (and you've ruled out the No. 1 breakdown reason — running out of fuel). You about likely have a filter trouble or fouled plugs. That could be why your boat motor is losing power.
Solution: Supersede the in-line fuel filter. Y'all did bring a spare, didn't you? If not, you tin can at least remove and clear the filter element of any debris, and drain any accumulated water. Afterward, inboard/outboard (I/O) owners should think to vent the engine box thoroughly earlier restarting. If you don't, a chock-full filter will seem similar a minor issue.
Prevention: It'south possible to buy a bad load of fuel, but it's more likely that the fuel went bad while in your boat. Leaving a tank near empty for long periods of time can cause condensation and water in the gas. For long-term storage, make full the tank, and for periods of more than than three months, you might desire to consider a fuel stabilizer. If so, make sure to run the gunkhole long enough to get the treated gas into the engine every bit well.
Older tanks might have debris at the bottom, which tin get stirred upwards as the fuel level drops. The best solution might exist increased filtration. Consider adding a larger aftermarket fuel filter. And don't forget the spare elements.
If information technology isn't the gas, it might be the spark plugs. This is a more common problem on older outboards, just might exist worth a quick cheque on any engine. Carry spares, forth with the tools to change them.
Carry Onboard: Spare filter or filter element and a filter wrench.
Engine Won't Start
Anyone who has e'er turned an ignition key knows the frustration of hearing nothing. Again, this is well-nigh likely an electrical issue — a low or expressionless battery, or a break somewhere in the ignition circuit.
Solution: Check the impale switch. Make sure the shifter is in neutral. And then pay special attending to the starter switch itself. Sometimes, a dash-mounted ignition switch will simply become loose in its fitting, allowing the entire switch mechanism to turn with the key. Fixing this tin be equally unproblematic as getting behind the dash and tightening up a retaining nut or mounting screws. If the starter groans simply won't appoint, it could exist a low battery, but it too might exist a loose or poor connection.
Prevention: We'll say it again — inspect, clean and, if necessary, supercede your wiring periodically. If your coiffure habitually drains the battery by cranking the tunes while at ballast, consider installing a secondary battery depository financial institution or one of those metering devices that monitors supply and saves enough reserve to ensure a restart.
Carry Onboard: Screwdrivers with insulated handles; wrench set or crescent wrench; Allen wrenches. A battery charger is also proficient to have on mitt.
Boat Engine Is Overheating
The needle on the temperature gauge is rising. This almost e'er means you lot have a lack of water flow in the cooling loop. Outboards, most small inboards and I/Os don't have radiators like your car, and instead use the water they are floating on to cool the engine. If that h2o stops flowing, the engine heats upwards and can ultimately fail.
Solution: Trace the source. In a vast majority of cases, the trouble is an obstruction in the raw water intake – like weeds, mud or a plastic bag. Locate the intake and clean it out. A loose hose clamp or a carve up or burst hose can besides deadening h2o flow, and information technology can spray damaging moisture around the engine.
Prevention: Regularly service and supplant the impeller. Also look at the condition of its housing. Scarring or pitting of the metal housing can crusade fifty-fifty a good impeller to lose pumping ability.
Brand sure you or your mechanic checks for corrosion or blockage in the exhaust system. Every and then often, have the frazzle risers and associated components opened up for inspection. Engines with airtight-loop cooling systems (essentially a radiator cooled by raw water) take additional issues such every bit internal clogging of the estrus exchanger. Beyond ensuring that the coolant reservoir is full, periodic maintenance is the primal.
Acquit Onboard: Soft wire or rod to snake intake clogs.
Boat Motor Stopped Suddenly
If yous're lucky, someone just bumped the kill switch. Or you lot could be out of fuel. If neither of these checks out, this ordinarily represents some type of electrical failure. It could exist a diddled fuse or tripped billow, a loose connection or corrosion.
Solution: Start with the simple scenarios. On any boat equipped with a kill-switch and lanyard, make sure the lanyard cardinal hasn't come loose. Sometimes, it might seem to be engaged, but has actually slipped just plenty to activate the switch.
Ignition switches can as well fail or suffer loose connections, and though this volition mostly probable show upwardly at start-up, it's worth fiddling with the switch a flake (and checking its bellboy billow or fuse) before moving on to the engine side of things.
Dorsum at the business end, where the big wires live, corrosion is your well-nigh likely source of bug. Even boaters who contentiously maintain the battery terminals might forget that there's some other end to those wires, and they also require the occasional cleaning.
If it turns out to be something more complex — such as an ignition scrap on an EFI engine — you lot might have to pull out the cell telephone or put out a telephone call on aqueduct 16.
Prevention: Learn the various components of the ignition system, and periodically inspect, make clean and coat each exposed connexion with an anti-corrosion product.
Bear Onboard: Wire brush to clean terminals and Corrosion X spray.
Vibration from the Engine Prop
The faster y'all endeavour to become, the worse the vibration is. You might as well notice the engine racing, while the boat loses speed.
Solution: Something's likely gone wrong with the prop. A nick or gouged blade can create imbalance and vibration; a towrope or fishing line can snarl the shaft; a direct hit on an object could remove or misshape enough metallic to make the prop ineffective.
Sometimes a seemingly good prop might have enough unseen distortion or damage to crusade cavitation and vibration. Short of changing to a spare prop — which isn't ever possible or advisable when on the water — your best choice is to irksome down and concentrate on getting to shore.
If line — especially monofilament — has worked its manner into the prop hub, you might have to trim up the motor until you can remove the prop and clean information technology out. Most outboards and I/Bone can stand up a bit of mono, but if there's enough to cause a noticeable subtract in performance, you shouldn't ignore the problem, equally it could lead to permanent damage.
With outboards, the rubber bushing inside the hub can brainstorm to slip and fail, causing a loss of power. Again, you might need to idle home.
Prevention: Consider carrying a spare prop, forth with the necessary tools to make the swap. Practice irresolute props so at that place are no surprises, if y'all take to practice information technology away from dwelling.
Behave Onboard: Gloves to protect hand from prop blades and a make-specific prop wrench.
Engine Won't Shift into Gear
Y'all pull away from the dock and push button the shifter. The boat never leaves idle speed. The shifter is not engaging the transmission.
Solution: If y'all have due east-link electronic controls, information technology might exist a fuse. But, since 90 percent of small boats nonetheless utilize mechanical cablevision shifts, it's probably a stuck or broken linkage. Get-go at the gear box to brand sure the cablevision hasn't become discrete from the shift lever on the transmission housing. If internal corrosion has caused the cable to stick, effort wiggling information technology free — or if need exist, shift manually at the engine/transmission — only don't try any fancy docking maneuvers. If the problem seems to exist on the manual side of the linkage rather than the cable side, it might be an actual transmission failure — there's probably nix you lot tin do out on the water. Major gunkhole manual problems require work at an engine mechanic.
Prevention: The leading cause of transmission failure is lack of fluid or gear oil, and then go on those levels topped off and changed as prescribed. Regularly maintain the end fittings and hardware, and periodically service the cable.
Bear Onboard: Extra manual fluid and wire, necktie wraps and J-B Weld for quick linkage repair.
The Trim Is Stuck on Your Engine
You're back at the ramp and the outdrive/outboard won't raise so you can become the boat on its trailer and ready for the highway.
Solution: Bold it's not a bad fuse, it's some sort of mechanical/hydraulic problem. The unproblematic solution is to wade out back and enhance it by hand. To do this, y'all'll need to know the location of the trim release valve, which is usually a small spiral virtually the base of the outdrive/outboard. Opening this valve will release force per unit area from the hydraulic loop, assuasive the drive to tilt.
Prevention: Maintain adequate fluid levels and audit periodically to ensure there are no leaks or water intrusion into the fluid reservoir.
Behave Onboard: Large slotted and Philips head screwdrivers to open the release valve.
Lack of Engine Maintenance
Merely because a boat looks clean, doesn't mean it's well-maintained. Time and again, we hear dealers tell of owners who were meticulous nigh washing and polishing their boats, simply paid far less attention to the internal workings. Maintenance is not a job most of united states savor, but a little bit of prevention goes a long way.
Solution: To go along runway of what needs doing and when, nosotros advise that y'all get with your local NMMA-certified dealer to create a checklist. Follow that list, and you'll profoundly reduce the chances of e'er being stranded on the water.
Broken Drive Belt
Y'all probably won't hear the audio of a bulldoze belt breaking over the general engine noise, just yous will know something'southward wrong when the overheat warning lite comes on, or your voltage meter shows that the alternator isn't charging. Having a broken belt is a scenario unique to inboards and I/Os, and one that can shut you down in hurry. Without a belt intact, you'll accept no alternator or h2o pump.
Solution: In that location's a lot of info out in that location on jury-rigging a temporary belt by using fishing line or pantyhose or some such. This might work, but wouldn't information technology exist easier to only conduct a spare, along with the wrenches needed to change it?
Prevention: Inspect, tighten and dress the belt. You besides might want to check the condition of the pulleys' contact surfaces. Sometimes, corrosion can cause rough spots on the pulleys that will eat a brand-new chugalug in short order.
Carry Onboard: Marine tool kit, which includes everything needed for this and other basic repairs.
Source: https://www.boatingmag.com/top-10-reasons-boats-break-down-0/
0 Response to "Outboard Motor Accelerates Then Stops Then Accelerates Again"
Post a Comment