Starting Problems....94 Force 120

[GBOverKill]

Hi Folks! I'm a new boater and recently purchased a 1994 Bayliner Capri 1700 with a Force 120. I've already read alot of the threads on here and you've already helped me with a couple issues Thank you!

Now here's the deal....
DAY 1:
After filling up the tank 1/2 full, adding the corresponding oil, and a can of Seafoam....I had the boat out last week for the first time...well not really out since it never made it off the trailer. The engine would start up, idle, put once put in gear it immediately stalled..... After reading some threads on here I adjusted the idle up just slightly and....

DAY 2:
Took the boat out after adjusting the idle and it ran perfectly. Cruised around for about 1 hour 1/2 to WOT. Handled great!

DAY 3 (Today):
Figuring I'd spend a good part of the afternoon on the water (it hit 66 degrees here!)...I filled the gas tank full, put a corresponding oil mix in, etc. Unloaded it off the trailer, docked it by hand, parked the truck, walked back and it won't start! I ended up totally draining the battery in my quest. Back onto the trailer and home it sits.

The only things I did differently from Day 2 to Day 3 is: fill the gas tank to full and changed the spark plugs.

Now from my reading on here....the first thing I need to do it get a 'cranking' battery. I've been running/starting everything off a deep cycle battery that came with the boat?????

Any other suggestions?????

 

[NFA]

Re: Starting Problems....94 Force 120

GB, sounds like issues I was having over the last few years, I'll run down what I did. I had the exact same engine, 1994, 120hp Force.

Change the battery, get something like a 800 cranking amps one, or even 1000. Go big, the cold starts, and I would say, starting in general on Forces is pretty much hit or miss I find. You will not find a shortage of starting problems posted by users on this Force forum.

Sounds like you already changed the plugs, that'll help. Check all your connections from the battery to the powerhead, un-do all the connections and clean them all, use a low grade sand paper. I would also go with new nuts and bolts when re-attaching to the battery, powerhead, starter, etc. This will improve the continuity of power.

Check the starter, one main issue I was having was that the starter would pop up, but wouldn't be able to with-stand a long cranking time, in which Forces usually require (rrr rrr rrr rrr). The starter would slow down and eventually just die. Obviously draining the battery during this doesn't help either. I got the starter re-built, cleaned the brushes, etc. And this helped because the fuel was able to be pushed through the system at a higher rate of speed, with more strength as well.

I also never truly figured out the choke / fire routine on my boat because it changed all the time. I was told so many different things to try, and I tried them all! Before I swapped my Force out I found the choke was actually sticking and was never in fact, engaging when I wanted it to. Therefore I had to manually choke it by pulling the cowling and choking it myself. Very tedious and time consuming when you're sitting on the launch with 5 boats behind you waiting to get on the water.

You adjusted the idle, I did the same thing and noticed a bit of improvement in firing after being run for a while. But still, I was never 100% confident in my Force's ability to start.

I really don't have a sure-fire method for starting that thing. The only things I can recommend are what I've posted. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck!



SSS

 

[GBOverKill]

Re: Starting Problems....94 Force 120

Hi, thanks for all the advice ...I did everything you said and still won't start.

So.....I decided to break down and bring it in to our local outboard dealer
for at least a tune up and see if they could tell me what the deal was.

Here's what they found....the compression test came back 150, 150, 150, and 48 They want over $1000 to fix the one cylinder and were pretty much not interested in working on it unless they did all cylinders. This old coger was absolutely the most rude service MANAGER I ever met anywhere!

So I told him to put it back together and that's that.

The boat ran great a week ago...

Now I'm at a crossroads....do I pay the money and have the cylinder rebuilt? or just try to find a reasonably priced outboard and swap it out?

I found a few outboards locally under $700....speaking of which, does anyone know if those cables/controls are interchangable with Mercury outboards???

Can this "beauty" be run on 3.48 cylinders???

 

[JB]

Re: Starting Problems....94 Force 120

Changing parts is the most used, most expensive and least effective troubleshooting method known to man.

Find out what is wrong instead of fixing stuff that ain't broke.

Go to the Engine FAQs Forum and do "Outboard won't start" troubleshooting.