Re: First Start of Spring... DIDN'T START!!!!!!
Ok, next possibly stupid question from me. How do you get to the fuel tank to check that?
Most newer boats have a cover deckplate over the fuel tank near midships, on centerline and between the seats, that unscrews (mine is a 1980, and has one). Look for that. But first, consider this: I have the same engine (140 Mercruiser, same as the 3.0, just not fuel-injected as the new ones are, and built in Detroit - the new ones are Hecho en Mexico, but essentially the same venerable block). Great little engines, but cold-blooded as heck - at least mine is. After cranking forever and finally firing, mine then still takes awhile to feel like running on its own (yes, with fresh gas). Even if it's been sitting a day or so after running, it takes a ton of cranking just to start. So before you start getting crazy tearing into things, Bondo or whoever mentioned dripping some gas into the carb to prime it first, made a good suggestion. Just be sure to put your flame arrestor back on before cranking. Burned eyebrows - or worse - and boat fires are NOT fun. But FIRST, get rid of that old gas, and fillup with fresh. If you can get it to start and keep running, warm it up to full operating temp. (at least 140 degrees) and then shut it off. It should then restart without much cranking. Mine does. If it does not easily restart, THEN you get to run down the trouble-shooting list. Done a tune-up in the last two years? No? It's time for that, then, in addition to the fresh gas. You're going to pay a shop $110 or more per hour, PLUS parts, to do this for you, and most of it is easy and requires just basic tools that should be in the boat all the time, so do everything you can on your own that you are capable of first, before going to the pros. Again, I'd pump that old gas out first. Use it in your lawnmower or put a few gallons in your least favorite car once a fillup. You ALWAYS want FRESH gas in a boat. It's one thing to have a lawnmower issue, another thing to have boat troubles when the fish are biting.
