1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

Hi,

I have read a lot here about people having starting issues, which I am also having with my 90 Mariner. I can't seem to get the starting procedure right, it just spins and spins till flooding. After which if I let it sit, I will then get a kick out of it, then I flood it again... Two or three times like this and it will finally start... This just seems wrong to me, so I must be doing something wrong.

Here is what I am doing to start it.

Pump up the ball till my arms hurt.
Idle Throttle on full
Press in on choke and turn the key.

spin spin spin, repeat above.. etc etc...

Am I doing this wrong? please help! this boat/motor are new to me and I just want to go boating and have some fun, not sit on the dock for 1/2 hour looking like an idiot because it wont start and making pretty colors in the water!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Glen

Re: 1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

Just pump the primer bulb till it get stiffer to pump then try starting the motor without choking it. I have a 87 that I have tospin over several times for it to start, but I never have to pump the primer bulb a second time and i only have to choke it for a second or two. The enrichment valve on the motor shoots stright gas into the rankcase and acts as the choke on those motors. Holding it down will foul out the plugs and not let the motor start. Try it ans see what happens. You'll still need the throtle advanced some.
Oldman570

Re: 1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

I've never ran the inline 3's, but on my inline 6 this is what I do and it works every time.

Pump bulb till firm.

Advance throttle about 1/4.

Turn key on and pushin for 2-3 seconds and then crank.

Hope this helps.

Craig

Re: 1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

79Merc80 said:

I've never ran the inline 3's, but on my inline 6 this is what I do and it works every time.

Pump bulb till firm.

Advance throttle about 1/4.

Turn key on and pushin for 2-3 seconds and then crank.

Hope this helps.

Craig

Click to expand...

what i dont get about these motors is why dont they just have butterflies in the carb to choke like everything else ,any motor i have ever been around that worked that way has started like it is supposed to . these damn mercury engines and there enricher valve just sucks period , for some reason it just doesnt work

Re: 1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

oldman570 said:

Just pump the primer bulb till it get stiffer to pump then try starting the motor without choking it. I have a 87 that I have tospin over several times for it to start, but I never have to pump the primer bulb a second time and i only have to choke it for a second or two. The enrichment valve on the motor shoots stright gas into the rankcase and acts as the choke on those motors. Holding it down will foul out the plugs and not let the motor start. Try it ans see what happens. You'll still need the throtle advanced some.
Oldman570

Click to expand...

Oldman570... I could kiss you!

That works perfect!! I play with it a bit, too little throttle and it won't start, too much, also a problem, about 1/4 is just perfect, if I press in for choke, it really doesn't like that.

So here is the procedure that works for me.

- Pump bulb till firm
- set throtte to about 1/4
- turn key till it starts... Will kick out a few time as it "comes to life"

It took me about 2 minutes to get it going from cold this way!!! AWESOME!

After it's warmed up, will start and purr like a kitten with just a flick of the key.

Thanks everyone who replied. From reading all the previous posts, with everyone saying "choke it till it start" I would have never figured this out.

Thanks!

Glen

Re: 1988 90 Mariner I-3 starting help/guidance

I only push the key in for the first 2-3 seconds of cranking,and will hit it again after starting if the motor sounds like it is gonna stall. 2 strokes flood very easily.