I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

[94SkiSanger]

I bought a 94 Ski Sanger about 6 months ago. Only used it twice before I put it away for the winter. Both times I took it out though I had trouble starting it. It would turn and turn but I couldn't get it to turn over. My grandfather suggested to spray a little carb cleaner in the carb and when I did the thing started right up. I talked to a few people and they said I could have condensation in the starter? Can anyone give me some advice?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Welcome to iboats.....
1. Possibly your choke is not working.....
2. Is it carburated & if so are you pumping the throttle twice to get some fuel in the carb & set the choke prior to turning the key?.....​

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Oh, it would be nice to know what make the engine & drive are......
Don't forget to put the throttle about 1/4 after you have pumped it & be ready to back it off when the engine catches....
It will not start like a fuel injected engine.....​

 

[Don S]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

After 6 months of storage, ALL carbed engines are a little slow starting. Nature of the beast.,

 

[Flukinicehole]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

After it starts is it O.K for the rest of the day or does this happen every time you start it. If it is only on the initial start it sounds like your carb is draining.

 

[Bondo]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

It would turn and turn but I couldn't get it to turn over.they said I could have condensation in the starter?

Ayuh,....

To "Turn Over" means the Starter is turning the motor......
Yet you say it Turns,+ Turns......
So,....
Is the Starter turning the motor Over,+ it's Not Starting,..??..??
Or is there Silence when you turn the Key,..??...
A Wet Starter will do Nothing,.....Which means it Isn't turning over....

If it's turning Over,+ Not Starting,... But Does when carb clean is sprayed into the air intake,......
You have a Fuel Delivery Issue,..... Probably the Carb, but it could be Any part of the Fuel System.......

 

[94SkiSanger]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Ayuh,....

To "Turn Over" means the Starter is turning the motor......
Yet you say it Turns,+ Turns......
So,....
Is the Starter turning the motor Over,+ it's Not Starting,..??..??
Or is there Silence when you turn the Key,..??...
A Wet Starter will do Nothing,.....Which means it Isn't turning over....

If it's turning Over,+ Not Starting,... But Does when carb clean is sprayed into the air intake,......
You have a Fuel Delivery Issue,..... Probably the Carb, but it could be Any part of the Fuel System.......

When I turn the key the starter turns the motor but not very fast. It sounds like a dead battery. I charged the battery overnight, put it back in the boat and tried to start it again and it did the same thing...turning over slow but not starting??? Is my only other option to remove the starter and clean or replace???

 

[94SkiSanger]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Welcome to iboats.....
1. Possibly your choke is not working.....
2. Is it carburated & if so are you pumping the throttle twice to get some fuel in the carb & set the choke prior to turning the key?.....​

This may a stupid question but do I have a choke on the motor somewhere??? Is it like an ATV choke where I pull out a lever or turn a knob that allows more gas to the engine???

 

[94SkiSanger]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

After it starts is it O.K for the rest of the day or does this happen every time you start it. If it is only on the initial start it sounds like your carb is draining.

When I used it last summer, it was just on the initial start. Once I was out on the lake for a while it would start up every time. What is carb draining?

 

[Bondo]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

This may a stupid question but do I have a choke on the motor somewhere??? What is carb draining?

Ayuh,.....

All Carbs have Chokes,......
And,...
The only thing in a carb that can drain is the Gasoline........

It sounds like what you Really Need is,.......

A Mechanic........

 

[ziggy]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

ya need to answer hm's question. what year engine and drive ya got,

i'm not the marine tech here. but i understood that some vp setups didn't always have a choke on them.....

as for knobs to pull or push for choke. i also understand but could be wrong that all boats have automatic chokes. weather they're electric or heat type from the manifold.... if ya got a choke. it'll be the plate at the top of the carb. prior to starting cold. the plate will be vertical and be wide open from the last run. when ya push yer throttle full fwd 1 time with the engine off. it'll let the choke plate almost close, automaticaly. the choke plate will then be horizonal. the throttle plates will be at the bottom of the carb.

as for replaceing the starter. think i'd clean all contacts shiny clean before i did that. ya might also try removin the plugs prior to the first crank. see if that spins it faster. or maybe blows water out the plug holes....

as for carb drineing. my guess is fih is refereing to the needle and seat in the carb not seating and leakin the fuel out of the floatbowl in the carb. if that's the case, ya'd be slow to start as it'd be a moment prior to fuel filling up the carb again. i don't think it'd make it crank slow though.

only thing that i can think of for slow cranking initally is water ingestion into the combusion chamber. reason for saying that is that ya say it works good after the first start.

are the risers and manifolds original? there 14 years old if original.
when did ya last put tune up parts ontoit? + set the engine to oem tneup specifications.

 

[gdombroski]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

I thought I had similar starter problem with battery charged and reading over 12 volts. Turned out that battery had lost over half its cranking amps over time. Only figured this out after test at auto store. Got new battery and problem solved.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

I too agree that there is a battery issue. If an engine starts hard initially and then turns over freely the remainder of the day, the battery likely has a bad cell or two. Charging it is fruitless since those bad cells simply can't hold a charge. During the daily runs the charging system keeps the battery strong enough to start the engine but as it sits for any length of time it self discharges to the point where the starter can't get enough to spin the engine fast enough to start. Have it load tested at any auto store and make sure that it is the proper size. You can't have too large a battery (cranking amps that is) only too few. Then check and clean both ends of the battery cables to make sure they are clean and tight. Looking at them is not checking. Disconnect them.

 

[Coors]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Yes, a load test.
Just had a battery start fine forever, then, after starting fine, one hour later-too slow.
That 700 cranking amp power battery was giving 69 crank amps.

 

[Lakester]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

I thought I had similar starter problem with battery charged and reading over 12 volts. Turned out that battery had lost over half its cranking amps over time. Only figured this out after test at auto store. Got new battery and problem solved.

hello,

i would consider a voltmeter to add to my toolbox, if u dont have one. tells batt's condition in many ways. volts for sure. etc. also, i would pull the starter and clean it's ground. and grd cable to engine; it's grd connection, too. you cannot be too well grounded! put some dielectric grease tween it and the engine housing. of course, a batt test, such as the auto parts store can do will confirm a lot.

while ur r at it, i would toss in a fuel pump, as well. especially if u are not sure of its age or condition. test it at least...

good luck

lakester

 

[Don S]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

while ur r at it, i would toss in a fuel pump, as well. especially if u are not sure of its age or condition.

What's up with that statement. This thread started out as a starter problem, now you seem to be saying if your 1994 boat has a starter problem, might as well throw a fuel pump at it to???? Every part on a boat works till it goes bad.

Oh I got it.

If your boat is over 5 years old, replace it. Something is going to fail soon.

 

[Lakester]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

he said: My grandfather suggested to spray a little carb cleaner in the carb and when I did the thing started right up.

my exp suggests under such conditions a fuel pump could be warranted. no, i didnt suggest he replace it cart blanche, i did however suggest he test it.

thanks for asking...

regards
lakesgter

 

[Lakester]

Re: I'm having trouble w/ the starter.....???

Every part on a boat works till it goes bad.

Oh I got it.

If your boat is over 5 years old, replace it. Something is going to fail soon.

hello,

i would disagree with you on that statement. boat, plane... car, m/c... things (parts) can work, but not work as efficiently as one not so worn out. all parts have a service life. when worn out they dont work as efficiently. a fuel pump is a good example. alternator is another. as is a rod bearing.

not intended to be a flame war...

regards
lakester