2007 mercury engine trouble

[bouffard]

hi every one my names steve and i came across this forum looking for a solution to my engine trouble. so the problem started the last time i used my boat last summer it would not run over 2500rpm but would be smooth and normal under that just wouldnt go over 2500rpm so i got home and added some fuel injector cleaner and treated the fuel and figured that was the end of it so i winterized the boat and this year i took it out and the same problem. so i looked at the spark plugs and they look good and have spark (idailing) and the fuel filter is clean what else should i be looking for if i run the engine on the garden hose not in gear it will run fine but not under load. also whats the deal with the air intake system no filters? thanks need to get this fixed the fish are in.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

We'd love to help, but we have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. What engine?

 

[sxmerc]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

Also... no air filters... Not alot of dust present while on the water.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

sorry didnt know there was different models. its a 2006 115hp efi mercury 4 stroke. or am i missing something

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

sorry didnt know there was different models. its a 2006 115hp efi mercury 4 stroke. or am i missing something

out board sorry

 

[sschefer]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

Typically, your problem exists because the engine has gone into limp mode. Water in the fuel/water separator at the engine is one cause that's quite common. Another is water in the VST both should have sensors but I've seen a couple that didn't. Most all the EFI's had a full compliment of sensors.

It could be a problem in the motor or it could just be a faulty sensor. I would take the motor to a dealer with a factory trained tech and have them run the onboard diagnostics (OBDII). This will cost you about 125.00 and if they do the repairs it's supposed to be discounted into the final cost.

My advice is to spend a few bucks, get it fixed right and go fishing.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

thanks for the reply my boat didnt come with a fuel water seperator i have been told to get one im gonna clean out the tank and then do what you said i would like to fix it myself but the computer stuff is over my head thanks steve.

Typically, your problem exists because the engine has gone into limp mode. Water in the fuel/water separator at the engine is one cause that's quite common. Another is water in the VST both should have sensors but I've seen a couple that didn't. Most all the EFI's had a full compliment of sensors.

It could be a problem in the motor or it could just be a faulty sensor. I would take the motor to a dealer with a factory trained tech and have them run the onboard diagnostics (OBDII). This will cost you about 125.00 and if they do the repairs it's supposed to be discounted into the final cost.

My advice is to spend a few bucks, get it fixed right and go fishing.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

so my boat dealer is out of buisness go figure (boat world) so i called another guy that i have delt with in the past and there pretty busy he cant get to it for a week and then proberly another couple of days after that to run up the bill. its hard for me to pay someone to fix something that i possably can fix myself so i used sschefers commet about the VST seems like a common problem and found some pics on the enternet and matched them up and started taking the intake apart to get at the vst cant understand why the factory would bury this componet under the intake when i took the vst apart i saw almost like gold particals very fine in the filter of the pump i cleaned it all out also the rubber gasket mating surfaces where corroded so i cleaned that to and it looked like some kind of float in there also with a pin almost like a carberator that was dirty with the same gold crap and was sticking alittle so i put it all back together and it started fine im not going to run it with the inboard tank till i have a chance to clean it out also i cant test it till i go to the water my problem only happens under load but i think this could be it. so is this from ethonol the gold particals or is it just dirt thanks steve

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

If you have the 4 cylinder engine the only sensors you have are oil pressure and engine temp as there is no water in fuel sensors. It may be in limp mode due to a faulty sensor as the ECU is looking for a voltage difference on temp sensor & grounding on oil sensor, Check your spark first as I have replaced several crank sensors on these model. Most of the time its the temp switch or oil pressure problems that keep it in limp mode and oil pump is easy to change. The gold debris you see could be from a loose check valve in the low pressure fuel pump or debris from fuel tank(when made or debris from station tank)

 

[twhelan3]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

I seem to have the same issues with my 2005 60 hp 4 stroke Merc. I have it on a "research pontoon" boat. Boat is stripped with just a deck and console so it is clearly not overloaded. Gas tank is new but boat was not used for 6 months and may have moisture in gas but can't tell. I have an online gas filter. After about 30 minutes running at less that 4500 rpm, it will rev up and "spin" without moving the boat. Is this what is meant by "limp mode"? I have to back it off and go at a snails pace to get back to the dock, about 30 minutes of 2000 or less rpm a sensor horn will sound. It does not seem to have any overheating problems.
Any ideas? Thanks

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

yeah thats not the same problem as mine mine just wont go over 3000rpm just seems like its bottomed out. i had the same problem in my truck very differnt engins cummins but it ended up being the fuel filter so i hope the vst filter was my problem and not a sensor.

I seem to have the same issues with my 2005 60 hp 4 stroke Merc. I have it on a "research pontoon" boat. Boat is stripped with just a deck and console so it is clearly not overloaded. Gas tank is new but boat was not used for 6 months and may have moisture in gas but can't tell. I have an online gas filter. After about 30 minutes running at less that 4500 rpm, it will rev up and "spin" without moving the boat. Is this what is meant by "limp mode"? I have to back it off and go at a snails pace to get back to the dock, about 30 minutes of 2000 or less rpm a sensor horn will sound. It does not seem to have any overheating problems.
Any ideas? Thanks

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

so i also pumped all the old fuel out just incase any water or whatnot was in it. twhelan3 could your problem be when you speed up your engine slips into neutral somehow and just revs out. not sure if thats even possible and then the alarms sounds from over heat or high temp my control has a button to rev it in neutral maybe thats engaging proberly a long shot.

 

[sschefer]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

If you have the 4 cylinder engine the only sensors you have are oil pressure and engine temp as there is no water in fuel sensors. It may be in limp mode due to a faulty sensor as the ECU is looking for a voltage difference on temp sensor & grounding on oil sensor, Check your spark first as I have replaced several crank sensors on these model. Most of the time its the temp switch or oil pressure problems that keep it in limp mode and oil pump is easy to change. The gold debris you see could be from a loose check valve in the low pressure fuel pump or debris from fuel tank(when made or debris from station tank)

Agree, I've got the 2011 4 stroke EFI 60 4 cylinder in front of me right now. It's got some sensors. It does have the fuel water separator filter but there's no sensor on it. I don't think you get the sensors until you get up into the 90's or better. Maybe I'll go look at Part Express and see if they were optional or not. I might add them if the ECU will handle it.

Here's the Fuel/Water filter on the 2011

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

well im back to square one i went out this weekend and the same thing. i was so sure that the filter on the electric fuel pump inside the vst was the problem but it wasnt i have clean gas and the tanks clean and new the lines are good filters new unless its a injector problem i cant see it being in the fuel system maybe a bad coil pack idk.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

same gold particals inside injector screens there all cloged. cylinder 1 and 3 the worst also cylinder 1 and 3 spark plugs fowled. im sending the injectors out to a injector shop they say they will test them as they arrive and after there rebuilt and give me a computer print out of the change i hope this is it this time. around 100 bucks to rebuild them (4). im not sure what the gold particals are the only thing it looks like is the gold anodizing on all the aluiminum in the engine maybe its deterorating and comeing off or it was a bad batch of fuel with a high ethonal content i have heard a high percentage can eat aluiminum.

 

[sschefer]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

That's not gold anodizing it's alodine and it doesn't flake off. That's really weird, have you called Merc support? It almost sounds like somebody dumped something in your tank or your got some really messed up fuel. I've seen sand and stuff but that usually gets caught in the filter. Hummmm I wonder if a filter disintigrated on you or something. It almost seems like it would have to be after the filter to clog the injectors like that.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

If your injector filters had this debris in them then its coming from the brass bushings or impeller in fuel pump. Does the pump seem louder than usual? All fuel to injectors is filtered at/before the pump and excess returned to VST. This would explain gold debris in injectors and VST....

 

[sschefer]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

If your injector filters had this debris in them then its coming from the brass bushings or impeller in fuel pump. Does the pump seem louder than usual? All fuel to injectors is filtered at/before the pump and excess returned to VST. This would explain gold debris in injectors and VST....

Sounds logical to me too. I didn't think about the high pressure pump causing it.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

there was no gold particals in the fuel filter that i could see because its paper color but the vst pump filter had it and the injector filter i gess its possible i got a bad batch of fuel i still have all the old fuel i pumped out of the tank im going to try and strain some and see if there are any gold particals in it maybe that will tell me if the particals are coming from the gas or inside the engine.

That's not gold anodizing it's alodine and it doesn't flake off. That's really weird, have you called Merc support? It almost sounds like somebody dumped something in your tank or your got some really messed up fuel. I've seen sand and stuff but that usually gets caught in the filter. Hummmm I wonder if a filter disintigrated on you or something. It almost seems like it would have to be after the filter to clog the injectors like that.

 

[bouffard]

Re: 2007 mercury engine trouble

the pump doesnt sound any different that i can here and when i took it apart the impeller looked black maybe plastic.