electric start / choke problem

[noshelter]

i have a 81, 35hp johnson/evinrude, electric start / choke, it has not been started in close to two months, and went to start it today but had no luck started it with the electric start, the battery was charged and the connections are good<br /><br />at first i would hear a fizz and crackle coming from the side of the engine (left side of the engine - same side of gas intake), then that fizz would die off, then i would see a spark / flicker coming from one of the battery terminals, it tried turning over but never took, after this, i would try starting it again, but nothing at all, no click, nothing, the electric choke wouldn't engage either<br /><br />i eventually got it started with the pull start, and it runs well, just no luck with the electric<br /><br />i have power going to the engine, so i know it's not the control box or wires leading to it, but somewhere in the engine it's missing something<br /><br />any ideas? thanks

 

[angus63]

Re: electric start / choke problem

Remove,clean and tighten battery cables at both ends (motor and battery). If that is not it, I would investigate the solenoid. You are sure the polarity is correct?

 

[noshelter]

Re: electric start / choke problem

hey angus, ya, i double and triple checked the polarity, but i'm sure it's right, i am not sure about checking the cables at the engine end of it? they just into the block somewhere i believe? i can probably take off the solenoid and replace it, or look at it more closely

 

[angus63]

Re: electric start / choke problem

Negative goes to the block somewhere, just follow the cable (sometimes to a post near or on the starter). Positive goes to the large post on the starter. With the battery disconnected!!!!Try to turn the starter by hand to make sure it's not "frozen". You can jump the two small posts on the solenoid carefully to rule out the solenoid.<br />Good luck

 

[OBJ]

Re: electric start / choke problem

N_F_A...I'd be lookin' real hard at the place the snap crackl spark happened. And you probably popped the ignition fuse on the engine. Look for a fuse holder on the engine. There's a 20amp fuse in it. But I'd be sure of all the connectons and such before I turned the key again.

 

[noshelter]

Re: electric start / choke problem

obj, any idea where to find the fuse? i've never noticed or even knew there was a fuse on this engine, but it's worth a look, thanks

 

[OBJ]

Re: electric start / choke problem

Should be near the wire harness big red plug....it'll be a red rubber fuse holder.<br /><br />EDIT: Is this a remote start set up or a tiller electric?

 

[sprouticus]

Re: electric start / choke problem

i agree with angus.........it sounds like your wires connected to your batery are not making a good connection........check that first.

 

[noshelter]

Re: electric start / choke problem

update, looked at it again tonight, use the volt meter and determined that's there's juice running throughout it, we noticed no juice through the solenoid (inside the solenoid there's a copper ring, and when it would touch both sides of the circuit, there would be no signal / juice, but there is juice running in and out of the solenoid, so thought maybe that was a problem<br /><br />ignored that for now and looked at the main plug (it's a big fat one with 5 prongs, weird design, but anyways, unplugged it, checked for juice, found juice, plugged it back in, wiggled it tight, tried to start it, and it fired almost instantly<br /><br />we didn't do anything do it, except check for juice throughout (along the wires, from the battery, the fuse, all of which showed power, do you think it could have been something as simple as just tightening that big fat plug? i will try it again in the morning and see if it fires again<br /><br />another note to this, when it started, i didn't put the muffs on it because i didn't think it would turn over, it ran for about a minute or two before i realized the muffs were off, so needless to say there was no water coming out of the pee hole, when i put the muffs on, there was still no water coming from the pee hole, just steam, should water have started coming from it right after the muffs were put on? <br /><br />thanks

 

[Ranger01]

Re: electric start / choke problem

If that engine ran without muffs on it for a minute or two then you will probably be needing to put in a new water pump. I was reading my manual for my evinurde and it mentioned that even five seconds of an engine running without water will damage if not destroy your pump. Now I don’t know if it exaggerated any but i know that a minute or two will defiantly mess it up. You might get lucky and only have to replace the impeller though. Either way there is not nearly enough water traveling through that engine to cool it so I wouldn’t run it to much more without at least checking into the pump. Good luck.

 

[noshelter]

Re: electric start / choke problem

ya, okay, i'm hoping tomorrow it'll start peeing, the muffs will be on before i (hopefully) start it

 

[OBJ]

Re: electric start / choke problem

Take the Rangers' advice NFA....you have fried the impeller. Change it out. You may get water on the muffs but in the water will be a different story.

 

[noshelter]

Re: electric start / choke problem

hey, another update, i fired it up this morning, made sure to put the muffs on first, let the water run for a minute, then turned it on, it started peeing almost immediately, so i think my impeller and water pump are still functionable, was also glad to see it turn over right away, it must have just been the loose plug, will have to keep an eye on it in the future<br /><br />one thing i also noticed was the water pressure from the peehole was relevant to how high or low the throttle was, is this normal? sorry if it's a newbie question, just curious, at low throttle it would trickle, but never stop, at high throttle, it had more pressure<br /><br />thanks for your help everyone