"Idle too fast"

I have a 2003 250 merc 2 stroke saltwater series. The problem i'm having is when i first start the motor up it runs great, about 650-700rpms. But as soon as i give it a little throttle the rpms want to jump to about 1100-1200 and stay there. I'm afraid to keep using it this way in fear of what it might do to my lower unit. Could the TPS cause a high idle? My smartcraft is reading no alarms, and other than this issue the engine runs absolutly great. I've posted before on this problem, and hope someone could give a few possibilities of the cause. Being that i'm like 1 1/2hrs from a merc or outboard mechanic, i ordered a merc manual and it says check for vacuum leaks before suspecting a sensor or electrical problem...and i found no vacuum leaks. Any info on the cause of this would be greatly appreciated...thx!

Re: "Idle too fast"

Anyone??

Re: "Idle too fast"

not exactly sure how your controls work, but it sounds like your cables may be mis-rigged, allowing the throttle to move before the unit is engaged. I think this because the engine idles well BEFORE you move the throttle, and as far as I know the TPS should not be moving before the lower unit is engaged. On mine you push the trottle forward rapidly and the lower unit engages with no changes in RPM, then push it more and the throttle goes up. I would check your throttle quadrant and cables, the throttle should move pretty far forward before the RPM actually changes (this is the period where the lower unit should engage)

Re: "Idle too fast"

If your thottle cables are adjusted right, and nothing has been changed, with the tpi, then a faulty ground to the gas tank would cause a high idle, like 1500 rpm.