120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

[rzkas]

Hi? pls help me . i took my boat out to the water and we cruised for about two hours. we came to the duck to pick up a friend and we turned the boat off and wait for the friend. when the friend arrive we tried to start boat but the boat the engine refused to start. i check the gas there was alot of gas. the engine cranks or turns but it doesn't fire up or start. i tried to start it with some gas (i mean i push the throttle forward but not gear) but it didn't start it just turns/crank but not start. what could it be? it was embarrasing. so that how i left the water. any ideas will greatly help. pls help. thanks

i am also experiencing that the engine is not charging the battery

one more question with a 120 force outboard engine i fast should the boat go. my boat can only travel for 30 mph

thanks

 

[waterwhiz]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

The flywheel, a stator and a small square rectifier make up the charging system. Not sure the exact location of the stator but believe it to be under the flywheel. The rectifier is bolted on the side of the power head. As for speed, everything is relative. Boat size, weight, passenger weight, prop pitch all enter in. The 120 is rated at 5200rpms and 50 mph on my 17.2 Fischer. Pretty sure 5200 is considered as max on this motor. Good luck. Can't tell you about the no start situation. Mine has always been a "bear" to get started when cold but no problem after warm up. I run a 26 degree stainless prop on mine. Pitch will affect either how fast you get out of the water and on plane or top end speed. Take your pick ends up as a trade off.

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

i have replace my battery with a brand new battery but the engine just crank / turns but doesn't fired up. what is going on. someone pls help

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Fill out the profile.You might be close to someone who can help.
No spark:safety switch?Flywheel key?Ignition switch?Bad stator.

Fuel:water in the system.Gunk in the carbs or tank.Ethanol?

Do a compression test.Post your results.Clean the starter.Install a fuel/water seperating filter.
Clean carbs.Get a spark tester.J

 

[1990_Bayliner]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Sounds like you were having the same issue like me few days ago. I ran it in the water it accelerated sluggish and when I reached 15MPH then it felt like it accelerated faster. My boat topped out at 32MPH not more. It felt like a 40HP motor. The next day I tried to flush the engine to let it idle no luck. It cranked but did not turn on. I have no clue where to start. Good luck keep me posted if you find out the problem.

 

[1990_Bayliner]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Fill out the profile.You might be close to someone who can help.
No spark:safety switch?Flywheel key?Ignition switch?Bad stator.

Fuel:water in the system.Gunk in the carbs or tank.Ethanol?

Do a compression test.Post your results.Clean the starter.Install a fuel/water seperating filter.
Clean carbs.Get a spark tester.J

HEy Jerry where is the safety switch located? & Ignition switch & stator? Do you know where I could get a pdf manual for the engine or boat? Thanx

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Hi? how many grounds those a 1995 120 force mercury with a serial #oe102089 has?

i just realized something with the boat. when i turn the key to on position the volt gauge will say 12v and when i turn the key to start it, the volt will drop down to zero volt. the engine cranks/turns but doesn't start. what is going on with the voltage and what is causing it to drop down to zero when i turn the key to start?



pls help me. all great ideas are welcome

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Do you have a lanyard that goes to a switch on the dash or to the shifter?Is there a safety switch on the shifter that says on/off ?
The voltage will drop when you engage the starter.Did you check the spark?
Do a compression test.Check for loose wires and bad connections.
The stator is under the flywheel.Do the tests I listed then get a manual.On line(e-bay) there are tons of books to help.The library has books too.J

 

[1990_Bayliner]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Thanx Jerry!

 

[Moon Rock]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

Check the ignition coil. Remove the ignition lead from the ignition coil pole, crank the motor and see if it sparks. If there is not spark than unscrew all the wires from ignition coil, use a multimeter on ohm and test the primary and secondary coils. To check the primary coil, place black meter lead on the negative small pole, and red on the other small pole. It should give you an ohm reading. To test the secondary coil, place the red meter lead on the ignition pole. It should also give you an ohm reading. If any of these show open circuit, most probably you have to get a new coil.
test and let know.

 

[fayrendel]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

well put, thanks it's not something I am having an issue with right now but I am trying to soak up as much information on outboards as I can.

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

hi? i worked on the boat today. i check the compression on the boat with the hand or finger technique . there was alot of power coming out of the engine. my finger was not a fit to withstand the force. i cleaned up all the terminals and i tried to start the boat but no luck. it crank/ turns but no start. when i check the spark plugs with a spark plug tester, the type of tester that hooks on to the park plug and to the cable from the coil with a bulb in the middle; there was no sign of spark because the bulb did not light up/flicker. i check all four spark plugs and there was no spark. what next should i do? i check the fuses under the steering wheel column and i found one burnt fuse. it was a 5. i replaced it but still it cranks but no start. How should i check if there is power at the coils or power going to or coming to the coils?

all great ideas are welcome. pls help

 

[Moon Rock]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

does your boat has a distributor with points or with pre-amp?
if its pre-amp, like mine, you got to check the pre-amp first.
Simple test: there are two terminals outside the distributor, one with WT/BK wire and the other BL wire. check the voltage between these two terminals while rotating the fly-wheel clock-wise. the voltage should change between 0 to 12 approx. If it doesn't, take out the WT/BK wire and repeat the test. If the voltage is changing than do another test. Ignition in ON position, tap the WT/BK wire against the engine ground with 1/sec frequency (remove the high tension cable from the ignition coil pole before conducting this test). You should see spark jumping from the pole to the nearest ground. If it doesn't, the problem is probably in the ignition coil or the CDI box it self.
Check and let know. If its pre-amp problem, I will tell you some thing that will hopefully get it running again at no expense.

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

thanks. i will do the test and i will let you know. for sure i know i have a black box that the cables/wires from the ignition coils goes to.

 

[Moon Rock]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

yup. n lots of the ignition coil, CDI and pre-amp problems comes from bad ground. My recommendation: do check your battery posts and all the engine grounds. clean them up thoroughly and back in place. never disconnect the engine ground while testing. n yes. there is a jumper strip connecting lower two terminals on the engine terminal block. make sure its there and take it out, clean it up.

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

yup. n lots of the ignition coil, CDI and pre-amp problems comes from bad ground. My recommendation: do check your battery posts and all the engine grounds. clean them up thoroughly and back in place. never disconnect the engine ground while testing. n yes. there is a jumper strip connecting lower two terminals on the engine terminal block. make sure its there and take it out, clean it up.

where exactly will i find the lower two terminal on the engine terminal block. if possible picture pls.
thanks

 

[Moon Rock]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

I dont have the pictures but it could be easily located. The two black wires on the left side of the engine just by the hour-meter (if you have one) looking from the prop side. You will find a metalic strip joining two terminals.

 

[rzkas]

Re: 120 force mercury outboard engine starting problems

I dont have the pictures but it could be easily located. The two black wires on the left side of the engine just by the hour-meter (if you have one) looking from the prop side. You will find a metalic strip joining two terminals.

I will look for them and how do you test the stator? what should the connectivity be ?