2003 Tohatsu MFS 30A 4 stroke cold starts hard.

[Dano83]

Last year I had a hard time starting my outboard when it was cold, after I got it running its a simple push of the button and it fires right back up after being warmed up! This spring I had it serviced, the service place replaced an accelerator pump I believe it was and cleaned the carbs. This year I have the exact same issue, hard to start cold!

My routine is to pump the primer bulb until hard, put throttle at "Start" position and push the start button while it just cranks and cranks and cranks. I twist the throttle up a few times and back to start, crank and crank until it fires a couple times, and repeat this procedure until it starts. Are 4 strokes just that touchy? why is there no choke? I believe I may be flooding it because I hold throttle open and crank and it seems to clear it out and I can get it started after that. Just feel like I paid to have the motor serviced for nothing! I feel its something im doing wrong, any tips would be apprectiated. Its a tiller motor if that makes a difference.

Dan

 

[pvanv]

Has the ABS been checked?

 

[Dano83]

I'll check it as soon as I can look up to see where it is, is it something I can just hook to 12V and see if its working or will I have to put a multi-meter on it to see if its getting power? Im googling now to find the location of the ABS.

 

[pvanv]

It's the automatic enrichment solenoid. One screw gets it out. 12v should cause the wax chamber inside it to get warm and expand, moving the needle out to slowly end the enrichment. Fiddling with the throttle typically does not make any modern motor start better, although on accelerator-pump-equipped carbed motors, that are working properly, it can cause flooding and failure to start. OTOH, if the ABS is not working, or the passages are varnished, it is possible that repeated dumping of the accelerator pump into the flow might improve a cold start.

 

[Dano83]

Well I attempted to test the ABS, I rigged up a couple of leads with alligator clips and clipped the battery directly to the ABS and it heated up to about 120degrees, didnt have a tool to measure to see if the pin moved at all (I understand its a tiny amount of movement). I tested the yellow wire that runs into the ABS and I have absolutely no power what so ever. My question now is, should there constantly be 12V going to the ABS as soon as I hook the motor up to the battery? Or is it timed or activated by a thermostat? If theres always supposed to be 12V going to the ABS, either the yellow wire going to it is bad (unlikely) or the box that it plugs into is bad. I checked for corrosion and nothing looked bad at all.

As of right now im letting everything cool down for a couple hours and directly hooking the ABS to the battery and try to cold start it that way to see if theres any difference at all. Appreciate the help! Hope you have the same weather in Buffalo as we do in Binghamton, NY lately! its been beautiful.

 

[Dano83]

Edit: I figured out how it works and it seems to be working ok, it send the 12V when the motor is running to push the needle down closing the fuel off, same as a regular choke except it adds fuel instead of restricts air... sometimes im too quick to reply to a topic before trying to figure things out on my own, the ABS seems to be working anyhow.

 

[pvanv]

Yes, the Buffalo weather is warm and dry, which is pretty nice for working outdoors, but the drought isn't so good for the farmers.
If the ABS is working OK, then, assuming that you are too lean when cold, the fuel passages that are part of that enrichment circuit may be gunked up.