1988 vro 140 will not cold start

[barnstormerj]

I JUST BAUGHT A REBUILT VRO 140 FROM CROWLEY MARINE DENVER.Broke it in, and still IT WILL NOT COLD START unless you decowl and manually choke with red lever.YOU CAN HEAR THE SOLONOID CLICK FROM THE KEY START. Everyone has told me how the choke works, pump up the gas bulb hard, then hold the key in for 10 sec or so, then crank , or crank holding it in too, even tried other methods. But when I open the cowling and turn the little red lever up, it starts instantly. Now, what is not working, I have called the dealer several times, and now am ready to fix it myself, it is an excellent engine, runs fine, just that first start is so irritating, and since the dealer is 180 miles away, can not afford time to take it back. I am an automitive ase cert mechanic, and have lots of marine experience. Maybee someone knows of a part that I can change to fix it. Thanks.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

It's really hard to start that engine without the fuel primer (choke) system working. You should be able to test your fuel primer system yourself. Make sure the red lever runs parallel to the length of the solenoid for normal running. Pump the fuel hose bulb up. Remove one of the small fuel primer hoses from the brass hose barb on the top of the upper carb. Turn the key to on, push in on the key and turn to start/crank. You should see fuel seeping out of the hose end at the carb. Try that test and see if that's what happens.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

Agree + 1.....

 

[phillnjack2]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

If it works manualy but not by the key then obviously the solenoid is the problem.
inside these are some small rubber rings/seals, maybe one gone bad.
also look at the back of it and make sure no holes in the body right at the back on the bottom corner.

this whole unit comes apart very easy and when apart its easy to see how it works, you can get kits to repair these as well.



phill

 

[barnstormerj]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

It's really hard to start that engine without the fuel primer (choke) system working. You should be able to test your fuel primer system yourself. Make sure the red lever runs parallel to the length of the solenoid for normal running. Pump the fuel hose bulb up. Remove one of the small fuel primer hoses from the brass hose barb on the top of the upper carb. Turn the key to on, push in on the key and turn to start/crank. You should see fuel seeping out of the hose end at the carb. Try that test and see if that's what happens.

Do you mean the lever is supposed to be horizontal when not in use, or down?

 

[phipps]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

Do you mean the lever is supposed to be horizontal when not in use, or down?

The red lever should be parallel with the body of the solenoid. If you look in the "top secret files" there is a picture in there.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

There is a "run" position and a "service" position for that red lever. You need to know the difference. Under normal operating situations, it has to be in the "run" position.

 

[barnstormerj]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

ok up and down are simple directions. with the engine in the water, the lever up? or down? for normal conditions, seems simple, but paralell with the soloiniod is not farmiliar to me, since I am at work and boat at home, so I will find some info on it, as there seems to be three possibilities, up, down , or horizontal being the three options that I can think of.

 

[phillnjack2]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

Here is how it should look in the NORMAL position.
this will be the correct way it sits for the key to work it correctly
Notice the lever is horizontal with the solenoid and pointing towards cylinder head.

when you have it pointing a different way its just in the manual position and will NOT work by the key



phill

.

 

[barnstormerj]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

Ya, thanks Phil, but your picture is for a completely different engine, a vro140 is a 4 cyl, and the choke arm is a whole lot different, and there are no visible carb linkage on mine, so here we go again, but good try, thanks Jack. just got call back from Crowley marine, they said the normal position is down. , Now i am confused, so I will buy a shop manual, which I should have anyway.

 

[phillnjack2]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

the solenoid is the same and the red choke lever should be in the same position as in mine compared to the body of solenoid..
these solenoids are all the same as in the way the lever goes. mine is not connected to anything like levers etc

I know yours is a v4, but solenoid is the same,

if your solenoid body is in the down position then red lever goes to bottom of it.
just imagine mine sitting at different angle, they are the same solenoids ,trust me ha ha .

here is a pic of one off the engine, note the way the lever is compared to the body of the solenoid,
this is the normal way it should be to work from the key. it don't matter what way up the whole unit is, the red lever goes
towards back of the solenoid where the wires are.

don't take any notice of the numbers, this is just to show you how it goes. if you put it in this position compared to
the body then it should work fine, if not you need a repair kit for it or a new one. ..
these do sometimes get plugged with dirt, so I would take it apart and check to make sure its clean before buying parts !!!.



phill

.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

Both pictures show the red lever in the run position. Again, the red lever should be parallel to the length of the solenoid, which it is.

 

[TD_Maker]

Re: 1988 vro 140 will not cold start

BOOBIE,
I was going to post something on the same subject. My 2003 Johnson 90 runs great, idles great. But this thing is very hard starting. Does all the above information go with my engine too?