Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

[jakelogsdon]

I have a 1989 Yamaha pro 50 that ive had for about 7 months now. I use it to fish and hunt, but it has proven to be a real pain in the rear when it gets cold. The first couple times it was hard to start i thought the battery was going dead because initially when i tried to turn it over, it would barely roll over and sounded like the battery was drained. After this happened to me on several occasions i hooked a pair of jumper cables up to the battery and it did the same thing. The only thing i could think of is some kind of back up in compression, so i removed a spark plug and tried it. It turned over like a champ. I went ahead and let it start on two cylinders and let it warm up. After it warmed up i put the top plug back in and tried it. It started right up! I have no ideas other than maybe some fluids are getting to places they are not supposed to be

 

[robert graham]

Re: Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

Remove and clean(3M Scotchbrite Pad) electrical connections in the starting circuit, battery, starter, ground, etc., most likely just weak/corroded connections. Good Luck!

 

[jakelogsdon]

Re: Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

Thanks for the reply. I will do it later today and post results. Mechanic I talked to, said the starter could be going out. So just out of curiosity I checked some prices. Right around $300 for a replacement starter. I sure do hope it is dirty or corroded connections in the starting system somewhere. Do they not make brush kits for these starter???

 

[robert graham]

Re: Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

I believe outboard starters are re-buildable just like any starter, but they don't usually give much trouble, you've probably just got a bit of corrosion somewhere, battery terminals, cables, grounds, connections on side of starter, etc. I keep mine real clean and with a bit of grease to keep out moisture. An outboard is a lot more prone to moisture related issues than say a car. Good Luck!

 

[jakelogsdon]

Re: Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

Well, I did what you advised and it worked. None of the terminals were bad looking, a couple were not as tight as they should have been. When I first turned it over it kind of hesitated then spun right over. I will test it further in the morning when it's colder than a well diggers ***

 

[99yam40]

Re: Yamaha pro 50 not turning over right when cold!

The start relay has contacts inside that can go bad , if it is like the older johnson/evenruids, and not make good connection from time to time. Next time it happens try jumping across the terminals to see if that will spin it faster, that will tell you if the relay is the problem.