82 mercury 40hp intermittently won't start

Pactow250

Recruit
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
4
Hey this is my first post, I've used this forum many times but haven't been able to find a thread with my same issues. I have recently picked up a 82 mercury 40hp 2 stroke 2 cylinder outboard. I've done all the usual tune up items. My problem is that for the 2nd time now I have launched my boat and it won't start. It turns over but won't fire.. I load the damn thing up and drive home and the damn thing fires right up. I'm thinking a lose wire or something but I haven't been able to find the culprit. Any ideas?
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
36,049
Test the starter motor.------Test battery.------Check starter cables.
 

Pactow250

Recruit
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
4
I've read about stator wires being corroded and causing the same thing of no fire. But the posts I have read the engine doesn't fire back up again. Both times thus happened I drove home and was going to trouble shoot and the thing fires right up.
 

DavidMoore

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Messages
183
So it starts on muffs but not in the water?

Are you sure there is no spark on the water but there is on the muffs, sounds strange.

From reading your description I guess the tune-up was also on muffs, I'm thinking maybe the idle speed. To set the carbs and idle speed correctly right you need to be on the water and in gear. Try cranking your idle speed up to about 800 / 850 rpm on the muffs and see if that makes a difference.
 

Pactow250

Recruit
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
4
I've set the idle with it in gear in a tank of water. When it starts it runs good.. it just sometimes doesn't start and when it does this I didn't have the tools to trouble shoot. I'm wondering if when the stator or trigger is going out.Will it start or not start when ever it wants if so? Or if I run the tests on those parts will I get a reading that will let me know what the problem is. I'm still thinking possible loose wire/ bad connection somewhere, because the roads to the launch are fairly rough
 

CadoTx

Cadet
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
14
Sounds like it is grounding out, check your kill switch or switches. Disconnect the wires that come from the kill switch to the coil. Test the conductivity of the kill switch with a multi-meter, (with switch on or activated and off, not activated). You should not have conductivity with the switch in the off position (not activated). If the switch is on (activated) it will have conductivity. The kill switch grounds out the engine, interrupting the spark from the coil to the sparkplugs. If you don't have a multi-meter use insulated handled pliers and reconnect the wires to the coil while the engine is running. If the engine dies with the switch (in the off position, not activated) then you have a bad kill switch. There is also a ground wire that comes from the ignition or key switch that goes to the coil and does the same thing as the kill switch when you turn the engine off using the key. Check this ground wire also, you should not have conductivity with the key in the on or run position.
 
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