1988 Sea Ray Seville - First Boat - KNOW NOTHING..... - Won't Start.

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

Hello, so I just bought my first boat a couple weeks ago and took it out for the first time last weekend.

I was told by previous owner on how to "Start" the boat and it seemed pretty easy and when we took the boat out for my first time it started up after about 20-30 seconds of trying..

Now, yesterday I wanted to try starting it a different way ( Hold the Choke for like 7 seconds and then try ) but It just wont start now. I do have it on Muffs before someone yells at me for that.

It tries to start just won't. Its seeming to have a strong crank just nothing.

Now, I don't know what info is needed to help me but I litterally know nothing about boat motors at all so I'm kinda nervous about this whole situation..

The motor is Outboard and 135hp mercury. Thats all I got.. I took the spark plugs out but I don't know what they are supposed to look like and to me they don't seem too dirty.. It has fresh gas about 2 weeks old now and like I said it just ran last week and about a week before that... and ran good IMO.. Once its running it stays running.

Side question. I didn't look but could a bad impeller cause this issue? At the very end of our boating trip I was already shook just thinking about loading the boat back up... The motor came out of the water for about 3-7 seconds. I know people say it can go for about 20 seconds before it starts to melt. But, if that could be an issue I can try to locate the impeller and check it..

Any and all help would be EXTREMELY Appreciated and as much walk through as possible because like I said I litterally know nothing...

I'd like to avoid the shop which I have two here in town but if it comes down to it I can probably get a diagnosis atleast... but let's try to avoid the shop please

 

[tpenfield]

:welcome:

Maybe resume starting the engine the way the PO (Previous Owner) said to do it. There is probably method to the madness as he had to find what the engine liked or disliked. Outboard motors tend to be finicky like that.

My advice . . . get the service manual for the engine and start reading through it. You can get a better idea of the engine year/model by looking for a tag with model and serial number stamped on it.

If you want to avoid the shops, you will have to do a whole bunch of learning. Do you have any friends who are experienced boaters?

Have you taken any boater safety course(s)? "US Coast Guard Aux." and "Power Squadron" are 2 of the more well-known courses.

How is the boat itself? Any soft spots in the floor? Cracks in the transom? Water coming from unknown places?

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

:welcome:

Maybe resume starting the engine the way the PO (Previous Owner) said to do it. There is probably method to the madness as he had to find what the engine liked or disliked. Outboard motors tend to be finicky like that.

My advice . . . get the service manual for the engine and start reading through it. You can get a better idea of the engine year/model by looking for a tag with model and serial number stamped on it.

If you want to avoid the shops, you will have to do a whole bunch of learning. Do you have any friends who are experienced boaters?

Have you taken any boater safety course(s)? "US Coast Guard Aux." and "Power Squadron" are 2 of the more well-known courses.

How is the boat itself? Any soft spots in the floor? Cracks in the transom? Water coming from unknown places?

Thank you for your response. I couldn't get back to the computer fast enough. I got it running I just primed it one extra time this round and it fired up after a few tries. I had it on muffs but turned it off due to not seeing a stream of water... I know its not clogged cause it was working perfectly on the water just a week ago. I was nervous my hose may not be strong enough? Its shooting everywhere though so I want to eliminate that option. I was on the holes lined up along the motor

Just no stream of water so I didn't want to risk it..

 

[tpenfield]

Usually takes 10-20 seconds for the water to come out.

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

Ahh.. Okay. Another question I want to just small maintence just to make sure everything is good. I was gonna change the lower unit oil but the screw is nearly stripped so when I take it out I just want to have a new screw to replace it with.. What screw do I need to get? Can I get any screw for the lower unit? I have the 1988 135hp mercury outboard motor

 

[flyingscott]

Hold the key in while starting should take about 10 seconds to start not 20-30. Are you advancing the throttle?

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

Hold the key in while starting should take about 10 seconds to start not 20-30. Are you advancing the throttle?

I mean 20-30 in total. Ill let go of the key after about 1-2 seconds and try again and then I usually push the throttle forward and back to " Push everything out " as the last owner said it. Then keep turning the key while pushing it in everyonce in awhile for the choke. It takes a few tries but gets up and running. Usually dies the first time after about a second of running but then I just turn it over and full throttle and it goes and then I have zero problems for the rest of the day..

 

[tpenfield]

For the lower unit drain and plug. You will need the correct 'screw'. there is also a washer that seals the opening.

You can look up the parts online using the serial number of the engine

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

For the lower unit drain and plug. You will need the correct 'screw'. there is also a washer that seals the opening.

You can look up the parts online using the serial number of the engine

Okay so new issue.. I am looking up what I believe is the serial number and nothing shows up when I put the number in.. I have 3 potential numbers lol and none work...

The one thats on my actual boat labeled as serial number just to the right of the motor on the I believe mount... B315158

Then I am using a website that I find and it says this

135

B241881 - C100860

1988

And both of those dont work..

I don't know what website you suggest using to look it up, but the one I am using isnt working..

 

[Chris1956]

Gearcase plugs are nearly universal. even across different makes. A dealer or marine store will have one. Your serial number probably isn't necessary.

Use any gearlube for marine mechanical shift motors. You gearcase will take 25oz, so buy 2 qts and a pump (avail at wallyworld), to make it easy. Gearcase gaskets are avail at any marine store, or the dealer. They are pretty universal.

Your sparkplugs are likely gapless. Ideally they should be a light to dark brown, and sometimes a bit oily. This is normal.

Does that motor still have oil injection, or is it a premix motor?

A lot of times you need to add a leading zero to the serial number to make it work.

 

[flyingscott]

135

1988

ELPTO

B241881 - C100860

Your # fits in between these 2 #s. Look up the parts for this series of #s

 

[444]

How is the choke on your setup? On my 78 mercury 175hp, there's a choke button that I have to hold while cranking. Holding the button physically closes a choke flapper. I have to hold the button down while cranking until it fires. On my 84 mercury 90hp, the key pushes in and opens the fuel enrichment circuit. The fuel pressure you built up by squeezing the bulb is forces fuel to flow into the transfer passages in the carb when you push the key in. I found mine always performed best if I pushed the key in 5 or 6 times instead of holding it but that may have just been my imagination. Don't hold the key in while cranking. Also throttle at full when cranking and back it down immediately when it fires.

I wouldn't worry about your impeller, it was wet before you pulled it out, not as hard on it as starting it dry. But I would be concerned if you don't know when the impeller was last changed. I change mine every few years, depending on how much use.

A marine dealer will have your plug, they are inexpensive and you don't want to risk buggering up the threads on your lower unit by putting in the wrong thread pitch of plug from the auto parts store.

As for the water, my old inline 6 always had a solid horse pee stream on the muffs but my v6 barely makes a dribble when on the hose but lots of water comes out the prop and it has a good stream when in the lake but not as solid as that old 90hp even with a new impeller and thermostats.

 

[Chris1956]

444, Unlike your inline 6 motor, most newer Mercs have a thermostat (or two). A lot of the V6 motors have no telltale until they warm up and the 'stat opens. On a flusher, this may never happen.

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

How is the choke on your setup? On my 78 mercury 175hp, there's a choke button that I have to hold while cranking. Holding the button physically closes a choke flapper. I have to hold the button down while cranking until it fires. On my 84 mercury 90hp, the key pushes in and opens the fuel enrichment circuit. The fuel pressure you built up by squeezing the bulb is forces fuel to flow into the transfer passages in the carb when you push the key in. I found mine always performed best if I pushed the key in 5 or 6 times instead of holding it but that may have just been my imagination. Don't hold the key in while cranking. Also throttle at full when cranking and back it down immediately when it fires.

I wouldn't worry about your impeller, it was wet before you pulled it out, not as hard on it as starting it dry. But I would be concerned if you don't know when the impeller was last changed. I change mine every few years, depending on how much use.

A marine dealer will have your plug, they are inexpensive and you don't want to risk buggering up the threads on your lower unit by putting in the wrong thread pitch of plug from the auto parts store.

As for the water, my old inline 6 always had a solid horse pee stream on the muffs but my v6 barely makes a dribble when on the hose but lots of water comes out the prop and it has a good stream when in the lake but not as solid as that old 90hp even with a new impeller and thermostats.

Thats how I start mine also, by pushing it in and turning and I never hold it cause Ive just always been told thats bad on anything haha. Yesterday a friend came over so I threw the muffs on to just show him the boat. The battery was dead. The battery ingraving is from 2014. He was saying a weak battery can have weak compressions so Ill get a new one tonight and that might help also. I got plugs from a marine store here in town.. 15$ later got two screws.. lol but they work and now I have two new good plugs.

 

[TheFakeMrSneaky]

Put the new battery in yesterday and fired up in only two turns.... like what haha. Gonna run some sea foam thru it to clean some stuff up and see if it gets any better then that.