Sometimes boat starts right up and other time just cranks

Tsully108

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Joined
Jul 2, 2022
Messages
3
Hey all. I’m having trouble with my mercruiser 4.3 in a chaparral 18ft 2004. Sometimes I turn the key and starts up immediately and other times it will just crank and not fire up. Even with starting fluid it wouldn’t start then a day later started up immediately. Let it sit for another day and started immediately drove for an hour turned it off and started right up again. 2 days later it would just crank and not start. Any idea what this could be the fuel pump is working and when I move the throttle with the boat off gas is shooting into the carb. Any thoughts would be appreciated . Thanks in advance
 

dubs283

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
5,343
When was the last ignition system inspection/tune up? Guessing thunderbolt based on info provided
 

Tsully108

Recruit
Joined
Jul 2, 2022
Messages
3
When was the last ignition system inspection/tune up? Guessing thunderbolt based on info provided
I had a tune up about a month ago and it was running great. Put it in the water and drove it twice and ran great. The next time wouldn’t start. Then changed the ignition switch since it was original. After that wouldn’t start. Then the next time started right up lol. Drove around for a while. The next day wouldn’t start again. The tune up was a standard boat tune up not sure if that includes much of the ignition system
 
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