Engines won’t start, please help

[Betik]

I got nothing of value to add, besides to let you that you will be fine. People here will help you square things away even if even they have to make a new post for every single idea LOL

 

[swatski]

I had to press the button on the bottom of the throttle and give it some gas when I was starting it...

Okay... you got me! Sounds like high idle in an o/b? Where is the button?... I want to know!
Unless it is a MR-1 thing.
I know, I know, I should have bought an mR-1 boat. I really tried though, the guy just bailed on me and I couldn't wait, being completely boatless at the time.

--

 

[bronze_10]

Its at the base of each throttle handle. The round part of the throttle handle... That whole round part pushes in and allows the throttle to move forward and the engines can still start.

 

[Big Shasta]

Its at the base of each throttle handle. The round part of the throttle handle... That whole round part pushes in and allows the throttle to move forward and the engines can still start.

Right...Doesn't move the buckets and bypasses the neutral switch.

 

[bronze_10]

I can't believe I knew something that @swatski didn't! After all the various posts on impeller pitch and whole shots and cavitation (and let's not forget the bimini crossing while holding a tower with one arm and driving with the other) I viewed @swatski as a jet boat encyclopedia. This must mean its gonna be a good week!! Lol

 

[Gym]

I saw this post and immediately wondered how long it would be before you posted something like this. damn you! LOL

Boat will crank but not start with the lanyard out. Boat will not crank or start with clean out hatch open. The hatch switches are designed to allow you to keep all your fingers.

 

[swatski]

Its at the base of each throttle handle. The round part of the throttle handle... That whole round part pushes in and allows the throttle to move forward and the engines can still start.

You telling me I have that, too!?? I am flabbergasted.
Happily flabbergasted.
I will be looking for that "new to me" Yamaha mod today! And - its free!!

If it's really there I must supply you with some cerveza.
Gosh, I so hope you are not pulling my leg.

--

 

[Beachbummer]

You telling me I have that, too!?? I am flabbergasted.
Happily flabbergasted.
I will be looking for that "new to me" Yamaha mod today! And - its free!!

If it's really there I must supply you with some cerveza.
Gosh, I so hope you are not pulling my leg.

--

You are truly blessed with Fuel Injection! This function was needed on almost every cold start of my old carbed boat, same for all my dad's old outboards (he had 4 total, last 2 with very similar to ours Binnacle) . You not knowing this,tells me you have never needed it, nor missed it!!!!

Very Nice!!!!

It has been a part of this binnacle design that I am aware from at least 1990, when it was used on outboards. I bet even earlier.

Feel blessed you have not needed it! It was not the most fun experience to fidget with them to get the motors started. I don't miss having to use it start at all. It's good to know is there, but you haven't missed much!

 

[Beachbummer]

As 10-12 year old, I once remove the lanyard clips on Yamaha Outboards while I waited for Dad to return from dropping of the trailer, and when he returned we cranked for maybe 15 minutes...He was pissed the lanyards and I were the cause once he realized it, but at least it was an easy fix!

 

[Jgorm]

I let a friend pull me on the surfboard through the channel at no wake speed. He pulled the lanyard to turn the engine off, then couldn't get it started. I swam the boat the last 100 yards to the dock before i started troubleshooting. I was happily surprised it was just the lanyard.

 

[JetBoatPilot]

@swatski I think the new throttle levers do not have that feature. We wanted to use it a few years ago for a new video we were shooting and found that it was gone. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I am not sure when they discontinued that feature but it seems like it was around 2012-2013 time frame.

 

[Mainah]

The neutral saftey switch incorporated with the throttles connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal back to the hatch safety switch which also connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal. Both must be in a neutral/closed postion to have continuity for the +12v start signal. The lanyard connects/disconnect the engine kill which grounds out the ignition. Must not have ground continuity in order to have fire.

So no +12vdc then no crank and if lanyard grounded out then crank and no fire.

 

[Mainah]

The neutral saftey switch incorporated with the throttles connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal back to the hatch satey switch which also connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal. Both must be in a neutral/closed postion to have continuity for the +12v start signal. The lanyard connects/disconnect the engine kill which grounds out the ignition. Must not have ground continuity in order to have fire.

So no +12vdc then no crank and if lanyard grounded out then crank and no fire.

Keep in mind for twin engines there are wires for each engine that should be kept isloated.

 

[bronze_10]

The neutral saftey switch incorporated with the throttles connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal back to the hatch satey switch which also connects/disconnects the +12vdc start signal. Both must be in a neutral/closed postion to have continuity for the +12v start signal. The lanyard connects/disconnect the engine kill which grounds out the ignition. Must not have ground continuity in order to have fire.

So no +12vdc then no crank and if lanyard grounded out then crank and no fire.

^^what he said!

 

[swatski]

@swatski I think the new throttle levers do not have that feature. We wanted to use it a few years ago for a new video we were shooting and found that it was gone. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I am not sure when they discontinued that feature but it seems like it was around 2012-2013 time frame.

Thank you, I feel better actually! lol.

Probably not really needed in 1.8s, under normal circumstances.
So far I have had trouble (re-)starting the 1.8s only a handful of times, and only in situations involving (pretty extreme) listing of the boat due to wake surfing ballast - and increased back pressure on the exhaust. Me thinking the high idle/choke would probably not help under those circumstances.

@Beachbummer - believe me - I know exactly what you are talking about. Way too many (not so fond) memories of starting stubborn 2-cycles (and praying hard), lol. And yes, some also involving my father... (who was not known for his patience). I have destroyed and starter motor, or two, before I learned... (full confession, lol).

--

 

[chess]

Also. . Lol . there is a button u can push on the throttle that will allow u to start the motors without it in neutral... Like if u need to give it some gas while it is turning over... I would have to explain it to u if u think that would help.

Thats happened to me... dont you remember that phone call I gave you... LOL....

@mbjetboater ... can you smell gas... i actually reseated an electric connector to the fuel pump and it started up... i dont know if it popped off or what... but when you actually turn it on.. does it click can you hear the fuel pump... ?

Tons of amazing guys here to help out

 

[bronze_10]

Yes.. I seem to remember your wife telling u to stop crying!.. Lol

Thats happened to me... dont you remember that phone call I gave you... LOL....

@mbjetboater ... can you smell gas... i actually reseated an electric connector to the fuel pump and it started up... i dont know if it popped off or what... but when you actually turn it on.. does it click can you hear the fuel pump... ?

Tons of amazing guys here to help out

 

[chess]

Yes.. I seem to remember your wife telling u to stop crying!.. Lol

ha now you have gone a bit overboard......

 

[itsdgm]

Hello all,

I just bought my first jet boat yesterday, it is a 2007 sx230 HO. I did a sea trial last weekend and on Monday had a Yamaha certified mechanic test everything and he said it was in wonderful condition for an 07 and everything worked. The compression settings were fine but he did say plugs would need to be changed after this season as they had some build up on them.

I picked it up yesterday and I put it in the water today and neither engine would start. I double checked the kill switch to make sure it was plugged in correctly and it was.

Both engines turn over and try to start but they just won’t start. I put fresh gas in it today and it has 1/2 tank.

The clean out plugs had water on top of them so I cleaned them out and it still would not start after trying that.

I plan to change all plugs and oil next weekend to try that.

Please help.... anything I’m missing?

I know that I’m a bit late to the party here. But welcome, sorry you found us out of necessity, however I’m confident that you’ll be able to fix your starting issue releatively easy.

Here’s where I’d start:
1. Remove lanyard and exercise the plunger/switch a few times. Then attempt to start while pulling the lanyard plunger out by hand to see if the lanyard clip isn’t quite holding it out far enough.

2. Check battery connections

3. With boat on trailer, raise the bow up as far as possible. Then attempt to start several times over a period of several minutes. This is what helped me diagnose contaminated fuel in my boat a few years back. Raising the bow moved the debris or water away from the fuel pumps and the boat fired right up. Of course the next step was to drain and clean the tank once i discovered that the fuel was bad ;(

Anyway, good luck with the diagnosis. I’m sure the fix will be simple once you figure it out.

 

[PaulyB]

Just so everyone is aware, the switches in the wet locker have two settings, if it is pushed in just far enough, the engines will turn over but the ignition will not fire. I found this out last year when I had someone else put a rope away in the wet locker and the boat would turn over but not start, then when some friends were trying to help me diagnose it were standing on the wet locker door and compressed the switched enough to fire it up... and as soon as they got back on their boat, the boat cut off due to no spark.....