![]() ![]() ![]() WHAT TO CHECK WHEN THE OUTBOARD DOESN’T SOUND LIKE IT WANTS TO STARTįour(or five with an electric start) things to check when the motor doesn’t even sound like it wants to start, regardless of whether it has an internal or external tank: Kill Switch Row or paddle back and tie on or drop your dinghy anchor.Īnd as a side note, always have your basic safety gear in the boat - see my article on Things to Carry in the Dinghy. If you’re not tied on to your boat or a dock or anchored, the first priority is to not get swept away from safety. THE FIRST THING TO DO WHEN THE OUTBOARD WON’T START BUT - and this is the important part - the vast majority of problems do not require any special knowledge to find and fix at least well enough to get home. If you’re a mechanic-type and know outboards, great. Does it start okay, then die when you put it into gear?Īdmittedly, there are going to be times when there is no simple fix.Do you smell gas? (If so, immediately extinguish any cigarettes or other smoking materials! Actually, extinguish them before doing any of the fuel system checks.).Is there an external tank connected by a fuel hose?.Sometimes the motor will sound like it’s not even really trying to start other times it’ll sound like it’s almost starting.Start by noticing important clues as to the cause: ![]() ![]() FOUR CLUES TO WHY THE OUTBOARD WON’T START 95% of starting problems are caused by the same group of things and don’t require a mechanic. In fact, only one of the things to check even requires a tool (and that is just a small flat-blade screwdriver) that screwdriver and a roll of tape (I like Rescue Tape - read about it here) are all you need for any of the simple solutions and jury-rigs presented here. It doesn’t matter what brand of outboard you have or whether it’s 2-stroke or 4-stroke. What are the likely causes? What should you check first? Second? Third? ![]()
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May 2023
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