2003 Mercury 115 Hard starting

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2003 115 Mercury 115 Saltwater (carb) starts great when cold but after it is warmed up you have to choke it to start. You have to crank it a few times, like 5 seconds each time,to get it started. Runs great when it starts. There is approx 400 hours on it. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks

[SparkieBoat]

I have a motor like that also...I throttle it up slightly each time I go to start it when its hot. cranks like a champ then with no choke. I am not sure what you could do to improve it.

[finish line 88]

I have a motor like that also...I throttle it up slightly each time I go to start it when its hot. cranks like a champ then with no choke. I am not sure what you could do to improve it.

I will try starting with more throttle and no choke to see if that helps
Thanks

[Silvertip]

Just a tip: Most modern engines (carbed or EFI/DFI) start easily if a proper starting procedure is used. If you need to crank for extended periods to get an engine to fire you are obviously doing something wrong or the engine needs attention. With carbed engines (hot or cold) about 75% of the starting issues are operator error.