hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

[Thumpbass]

have a '98 90ELPTO. Hard start yesterday at the launch and has had a accelleration hesitation when getting out of the hole last few outings.
My normal proceedure in starting is as follows; I push the "throttle only" button on the quick silver throttle control and throttle up about half way. Then turn the key and push to choke repeatedly until it fires then back off the throttle when it starts to a "warm up" idle speed.
well yesterday it took a while to get it to fire and when it finally started it ran at a normal low idle for a few seconds (with the throttle lever advanced) before it reved up to a faster rpms. usually i have to back off the throttle imediately (to the warm up speed) to keep it from reving too high...it took a lot longer for the rpms to speed up in other words.
Im wondering if this is related to the other issue which is the hesitsation on coming out of the hole.
Once i get the boat at full throttle and the engine warmed up, it starts easy but the hesitation is still present out of the whole. Runs fine at trolling speed, crusing speed and WOT.
Compression is strong and even...have not done a spark test...plugs are about 15 months old. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[CharlieB]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

Dirty carbs, the idle circuit is very small, deposits are more noticable here than they are at WOT.

It is time to clean the carbs.

Once done, start adding Sea Foam to your fuel at the maintenance mixture recommendations on the can to keep the system clean.

If you do not have one, a water separating filter is always a great idea to keep water and particles out of your carbs.

 

[Dave1027]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

You don't push repeatedly the choke. You push and hold it in till it starts. Make sure the primer bulb is pumped up all the way before a cold start. You might try opening the carb idle mixture screw a quarter turn to see if that fixes your holeshot lag.

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

i was under the impression that the choke on these newer 2 strokes was actually an enricher type deal that squirted fuel into the carbs..one squirt per push...and that if if you pushed you got one squirt whether you held it in or not. Unlike the older "butterfly" chokes where you are actually closing up the air intake...in that case you push the choke down and hold it to enrich the mix.
but i will definitely give it a try...thanks for the tip on the idle mixture screw

 

[Dave1027]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

I believe it is an enrichment type choke. I am only relaying to you how I was told to do it by my dealer. It has always worked flawlessly that way. It always fires up within one second when I do it that way. Never fails. The pressure for the squirt comes from the pumped up primer bulb so it will continuously squirt till you release the choke (after the primer pressure is exhausted intake vacuum continues to pull in a dribble but I never need to choke that long). Basically my method squirts till it fires, which happens rather quickly.

About the idle mixture screws. Be sure to adjust all the carbs the same. Each carb likely has it's own screw.

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

good deal...i will ive that a try

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: hard start and accelleration hesitation on '98 90hp

actually replaced plugs and it fired up up cold imediately in the driveway. hope to put it in the water this weekend and see if it still hesitates getting out of the hole. will post an update soon.