Starts up then stops!

[mikemarcelle]

I have a 96 Tracker with Mercury 3 Cyl 60 HP Motor. It will start then stop after running for a few seconds about 15. Then Will not start again. I disconnected the black/yellow wire to the box but still wont start. If I let it sit a couple of days, as I did today, it will start and then stop running the same way again. Thanking you in advance for help. Mike..

 

[hkeiner]

Re: Starts up then stops!

There are a lot of possibilities. Even if one speculates on what could be wrong, you still would need to determine/confirm what is wrong. I would suggest that you do some basic troubleshooting. First, confirm whether there is a good spark on all cylinders when cranking the motor and it does not start. If the spark has failed, you can then troubleshoot the ignition system further. Second, spray some 50:1 (fuelil) mix into the carbs while cranking the motor to see if it responds. If it does, you can then troubleshoot the fuel system further. Narrowing down the problem between failed ignition or failed fuel delivery is where I usually begin when my motor does not want to start.

 

[mikemarcelle]

Re: Starts up then stops!

Thank you. After it stops there is no spark on any of the three. Mike.

 

[hkeiner]

Re: Starts up then stops!

The shop manual for your particular motor would be the best source for determining the step by step approach for troubleshooting your ignition system. You will need a DVA meter and a multimeter to do most of the tests. If you do not have a shop manual or a DVA meter, you should probably get them. As an alternative, you can find various generic troubleshooting guides that are mentioned on this forum and some of the tests require only a multimeter. Perhaps you will get lucky and detect the problem by performing one of the resistance (non-DVA meter) tests. Below is a generic ignition troubleshooting guide that I have used in the past. If you post more troubleshooting test results, you will likely get more reliable advice on which ignition component is the probable culprit. In my experience, replacing ignition parts based only on a hunch is usually not the fastest or cheapest way to solve this type of problem.

http://dolphinmarineservice.homestead.com/ign5.html