HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

So, this is my first boat. I bought a 1991 Rinker Captiva 186 with a Mercruiser 4.3L V6 inboard/outboard last summer and I only got to use it once and then I winterized it. Took it to get the bellows replaced this year and I just got it back yesterday and now it won't start. It turned over for me one time and ran for a few seconds yesterday and now it won't even turn over. It just cranks and cranks and does not turn over. I am charging the battery as we speak and I am going to give it a shot after work but if it is not the battery, I am at a loss. Since this is my first boat and since I have no experience WHATSOEVER with this, I thought I would join this site and see what some of you all might think. Or maybe see if anyone here might want to come drink my beer and show me what to do to get it running. I'm open for suggestions

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... It takes 4 things for a motor to run,....

Fuel,...

Fire,...

Compression,...

'n All at the right Time....

Yer missin' 1 of 'em, 'n only You can look to see what's missin'.....


Btw,.... Cranking is what the starter does... turning the motor over... What yer's ain't doin' is start, 'n run...

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

Did you pump the throttle a few times and give it some throttle while cranking? You can't just leave a carbed engine in the idle position like you do an EFI car.

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

When it ran for a few seconds, did you kill it or did it die? I would check to make sure you have adequate spark. Basically there are only 2 reasons why an engine will not start (no fuel or no spark).

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

This is an EFI engine. And when I started it yesterday, it ran for about a minute and died and it was sputtering the whole time and then it died and I never got it started after that. I do not know when it last had a tune up and I do not know much else either. I am going to go through it all tonight and try to test the spark plugs but outside of that, I do not know how to test the rest. I think it was getting fuel because I could smell gas when I was trying to start it but how can I really be sure?

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

This doesn't help answer your question, but since you mention this being your first boat, it is a good thing to know: Is the boat in the water or on a trailer? If it is on a trailer, are you supplying some water through the muffs? VERY important to not run the boat without a source of water. Just sayin'....

Re: HELLPP!! 1991 Mercruiser won't start

Yes. There are muffs on it. It is my first boat but I have been around them all my life. Or atleast enough to know I need muffs hooked up to it. LOL. Anywho. Worked on it all this afternoon after work. We finally got it running and I took it out on the lake and ran it around for an hour and it was fine. All we did is adjust the idle and it started right up. Anyone know why this is? I am thinking I for sure need to get some new plugs and maybe even go as far as a tune up. At the very least, I will be getting new plugs though.