when i start my boat cuts off

tonys87monte

Cadet
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
8
Its a mercury marine 120xr it wont stay running it just smokes and cuts off I have it in nuetral what could be wrong. if i give it throttle it will run longer but then smoke more and when i let go it cuts off
 

CharlieB

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
5,617
Re: when i start my boat cuts off

First thing to check is spark intensity on each cyl.

Joe Reeves has posted a How To Build it at home for a simple but very effective tester.

Basically it involves two nails part way into a board about an inch apart, then bent over enough that you can turn them such that the ends are about 7/16 apart.

Rig wires so you can attach one to a ground on the motor, the other to the plug wire.

Remove ALL the spark plugs and ground the remaining plug wires.

Crank the motor and observe the spark, it should be a bright blue crack.

Test each cyl seperately.

Repost you findings.
 

tonys87monte

Cadet
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
8
Re: when i start my boat cuts off

i check the old fashion way with a screw driver all of them seem to have good spark
 
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