1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfunc

[c04whitmer]

Hello all, I have a 1994 Stratos 284 FS with a 94 w/ Optical Ignition(edit) Evinrude 150 Intruder (E150GLERV) (VRO still on) on it. I've had the boat about a year and towards the end of last season it started acting up. Every so often the motor will be slow to start (7-8 attempts to get it to idle). When it finally will idle, as I put it into gear it will usually die, when it doesn't, it will jerkily accelerate up to about 10 mph (by jerkily I mean that it seems like some cylinders are not firing properly and it produces a very obvious stuttering acceleration). After it gets to about 2000 RPM if I try to go to WOT it will at first accelerate normally, then it will be even jerkier and it seems as though all cylinders lose power momentarily then regain power, this process will repeat 4-5 times and then the engine will just die and come to a screeching halt. After it dies it will usually start right back up and the whole process repeats itself. This is especially frustrating when I am trying to pull a skier up as the hesitation prevents any chance of getting up. <br /> In the same day, a few hours later, it accelerated normally to top speed and operated flawlessly until I stopped for about an hour to fish, then the problem reoccurred. <br />Here are some other facts about my setup/motor<br />1) The fuel and oil bulbs stay hard and pumping them does not help the situation<br />2) The carbs were just rebuilt about 2 weeks ago; plugs are new at the same time (Champion QL78YC), plugs come out oily after any time at idle, after a WOT run there is carbon on the plugs, nothing too excessive in my opinion. During the malfunction I can't get to WOT so the plugs are oily after it dies (I can wipe a small amount of oil off them)<br />3) Compression is good in all 6 cylinders (~100lb)<br />4) I've tested things like the shift switch, and some ignition components all to no avail as the problem seems to occur randomly (as far away from the boat dock as possible usually)<br />5) I have the manual and multimeter and a few other testing tools<br />6) Battery is connected using locknuts (no wing nuts)<br />7) The tach is inop currently, but I followed the procedures prescribed by other posters to test the tachometer and it was still inop, I have seen about 13.5-14 volts coming out of the engine when running at WOT (new tach is on order)<br />8) I am not getting any warning horn during the malfunction and the horn works (so I don't think it is the SLOW mode)<br />9) At home on the muffs I can get the motor to idle indefinitely (I have tried to reproduce the problem at home but I can't)<br /> I believe that the problem is ignition related (perhaps an overheating component). I am at a loss on what to do next in my troubleshooting process any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ob]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

First thing I'd suggest is to insure that the carburetors are in synch and all linkage is set up properly.This is a very critical adjustment and will show the same symptoms you describe.

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Your motor is a 94 model c04 - with the OIS optical ignition system.<br /><br />You might have a faulty optical sensor or perhaps a damaged sensor wheel. You can access these components by taking off the plastic cover on top of the flywheel. There's no real way of testing the optical sensor or setting the timing statically without an optical analyzer (I can provide details if you want to build your own - not hard with basic electronic skills). It may be that the sensor is failing when it gets hot. You could try heating it (carefully) with a hot air gun or hairdryer to see if you can get it to fail. Ditto with the powerpack. A timing light attached to each plug lead will show you if you are getting spark at the right time for each cylinder. The sensor wheel has marks for each cylinder.<br /><br />You should also check that the sensor support plate is rotating freely as the throttle is advanced and then released. They have a tendency to stick which can cause low speed timing issues.<br /><br />Link & sync should be checked as ob suggests. They need to be set up just right and it's not hard to do.<br /><br />Other ignition problems could be related to coils or powerpack.<br /><br />There’s some good ignition system & electrical troubleshooting info to be found at:<br /><br /> http://outboardparts.com/omc/troubleshooting/trublshtinghlp.htm <br /><br />Also check out the following site for an ignition system troubleshooting guide (a lot of this is reprinted from the Rapair troubleshooting guide which can be downloaded from www.rapair.com)<br /><br /> http://www.boatpartstore.com/tips.asp <br /><br />Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[sikpnter]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Hey seasport!Not to barg in on this guys post but how do we get the info on making an analyzer that you are talking about? thanks

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Hey sikpnter. Email me at seasport1@hotmail.com and I'll send you the instructions.<br /><br />Never did find out what C04's problem was. It's always nice to get some feedback but often guys don't report back.

 

[kevin Ron]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Its the brain for the motor. I had the same exact problem on my 175. Real hard to test (ussally ran fine when a mechanic was around) but I replaced everything else and it didn't fix the problem so I finally replaced the brain and the thing ran like a dream.

 

[sikpnter]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

What is the brain?

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

I presume you mean the Powerpack Kevin.

 

[c04whitmer]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

My testing is still in progress.<br /><br />I've been working on the Tach issue recently. I've bought a new Tach and I cannot get it to work, either, even when connecting the tach lead to the stator. I thought perhaps I had bad wiring somewhere between the motor and the dash, so I ran a few test leads at the motor and still no luck. Both tachs will jump when I connect the 12v/gnd connections, but won't budge after that. <br /><br />I have also tested the stator(within limits on resistance) and looked at the magnets on the flywheel (mine are not glued, but are on a plastic connector with some metal "nails" holding them in place) I'm not sure where to go from here with the tach testing. I am still getting around 14v from the charging system, so I believe the stator and reg/rec to be good. Is there any way to monitor the pulses coming out of the stator or the reg/rec (maybe I have 2 bad tachs?). Are there any other tests I can do for the reg/rec (it is a combined one) besides the tach wire switch and the running output test? I'm at a loss about where to go from here...<br /><br />As far as the motor problems go, I'll be looking into it more this weekend. I am suspecting the powerpack or optical sensor is overheating so I'll be using some cooling spray to cool them individually when the motor acts up. I'll let you know how that goes. (I've tried using a hair dryer at home on the muffs, but no luck getting it to reproduce the problem..lake is about an hour away) <br />I'd appreciate any other suggestions you all may have (I'm slowly learning the in's and out's of my motor from this site! )<br /><br />Thanks again for your help and when I get this all figured out I'll be sure to post my findings!

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Hey C04. I think you are on the right track. Could well be the powerpack. They tend to cause these sorts of problems. Trouble is they're an expensive part and you don't want to waste money if that's not the problem.<br /><br />It's a bit suspicious that your tach doesn't work either. I doubt you have two bad tachs. This suggests a problem with the rectifier/regulator. You really need an oscilloscope to have a proper look at the pulses coming out of the regulator/regulator - although you should be able to read some sort of AC voltage on the gray wire. The stator is the common element between your ignition system and charging system. Just mayeb you have a problem with the stator.<br /><br />Have you read through the rapair troubleshooting manual and followed the diagnostics there? You really need a DVA meter to do some of these tests.

 

[kevin Ron]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Sorry yeah i mean the powerpack. mine ended up having some kind of problem with the circut board that only happened sometime when sertain conditions existed. real frustating but finally a reputable mech said he had seen it happen before in these motors so even though it tested good i replaced it and i never had a problem again.

 

[c04whitmer]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

----Update----<br /><br />Went to the lake today to try out the cooling idea. Before I could get the boat to reproduce the problem my rectifier/regulator fried itself (lots of smoke and all, scared the wife half to death) so I know that it was bad. I am going to replace that and I think I'll drill the hole at the top of the block to prevent that air pocket that has been talked about in other posts. <br /> I disconnected the connections from the reg/rec and went about my business (knowing I'd have 0 charging ability) and I discovered a few new things. <br />~First: When I am accelerating from idle to WOT with a warm engine (no hesitation occurring) it will die if I rapidly advance the throttle. However, I found out that if I hold in the choke key it will accelerate normally. This to me says maybe the fuel pump can't cope with rapid acceleration or maybe a sync problem. Also, if I slowly advanced the throttle (w/o choke) it would accelerate to WOT normally. This to me seems like the engine can't cope with the rapid acceleration demanded when I quickly advance the throttle.<br />~Second: The engine did reproduce the problem I was originally having with the hesitation later in the day. I tried holding in the choke button to see if that fixed it, but it did the same thing, so I now believe it to be the powerpack. I am planning on replacing it with the CDI powerpack. <br /> Do you think I should bite the bullet and buy a full out new electronic system? I'm already going to buy the reg/rec and powerpack, should I also buy a new stator and coils in case they were the cause of the failures?<br />Thanks again for your help!

 

[sikpnter]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Dont forget the optical sensor.

 

[c04whitmer]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Right, I was planning on the optical sensor as well.

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Well you know that the r/r was faulty - but what caused it to fail? You didn't disconnect the battery when the motor was running or have loose battery terminals at all? The spikes generated when you do this can fry the electronics. Does your stator look OK? Can you see any goo seeping out of it?<br /><br />Bad coils can cause powerpack failure. I believe the coils in these motors have a tendency to break down. You can normally see evidence of flash over around the base of the coils.<br /><br />The first symptoms you mention on hestitation when accelerating when warm are typical of a link & sync problem &/or timing issue. Seems to be fuel related but it is not. I had exactly the same symptoms with my 150 and fixed it by adjusting the timing and checking the link & sync. As I previously mentioned it would also pay to check that the sensor plate is rotating freely in its track.<br /><br />The other problem seems to be due to dropping spark on some cylinders. A timing light on each spark plug lead would confirm this. Could be caused by erratic sensor, faulty powerpack or coils. To narrow this down you'd need to do some diagnostics as detailed in the service manual, e.g. you'd need to check the signals coming out of the powerpack to the coil primaries. The two problems may be related.<br /><br />Hard call as to whether you replace the whole caboodle. You'd fix the problem but spend a bit of money doing so. Powerpacks do cause quite a lot of these sort of problems. You could maybe start with the optical sensor which isn't too expensive and easy to get at and see if this fixes the problem. Have a good look at your coils & stator and see if you can see any signs of a physical problem.<br /><br />Good luck & keep us informed.

 

[c04whitmer]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

I never did anything like disconnect the battery while it was running, but I did have wingnuts on there until after I read on this site that they were very bad. The tach had failed by the time I replaced the wingnuts with locknuts, so that is the likely cause. <br />The sensor plate is rotating freely in its track, the coils look great and the stator doesn't look maligned at all (as of 2 weeks ago when I pulled the flywheel).<br /> My biggest issue with replacing only 1 or 2 things (versus everything) is that the original problem may still remain, so it may cause it again. Once things start to go bad, it's tough to tell exactly where it started. So if it was a chain event where one bad part caused another bad part to fail, then I would hate to buy a new one only for the same thing to happen. <br /> I'll continue my testing and let you know what I decide and how it comes out, thanks again!

 

[c04whitmer]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

***UPDATE***<br /><br />2 weeks later and I've recieved and installed all the parts for my ignition system and everything seems to be going great. Took the boat out today and it worked beautifully!! <br />I also vented my block to ensure that my reg/rec did not burn out again (anyone wanting to know the proper tap size it is Metric 10 x 1.0 for the part dhadley recommends) I still need to properly adjust the timing and check on the link/sync but these are small issues. Tha tach works properly as well (my original still works) and the charging system is operating solidly! <br />Thanks everyone for your tips, were it not for this site I would have spent at least twice as much taking it to the dealer.<br />Let me know if I can be of any help.

 

[Seasport]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfu

Good news C04. Which bits did you end up replacing?

 

[rpaltazan]

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfunc

Re: 1994 150 Intruder stalls at idle/won't accelerate sometimes & Tach malfunc

I seem to be having the same type of trouble on a 1993 150 Intruder. What component did you finally decide was the culprit. Optical sensor, power pack, stator, or voltage regulator?