Mercury 2005 60 HP EFI Problem PART II - cutting out...

[Max...]

OK, second trip out in the RIB today and a bit more problematic than I would have liked...again! Bit waffly this one but if anyone can help much appreciated.

Following this topic:

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37689

Went out from Rye today, fought against the spring tide to get out and just before time to open it up I gave the helm to my wife so I could sort out a couple of bits and as soon as she put it in gear it died. Narrow channel and the tide made things a bit tricky - started it 5/6 times - each time the same - into gear...dead. Would rev OK in neutral though and no coughing/spluttering.

So..got a tow in and while doing this I re-started it and this time into gear it was OK, repeated a couple of times and still OK. Moored up and the v. helpful boatyard guy suspected the in-gear/no-start safety circuit. Of course it behaved perfectly this time - so, we headed up the channel and it was fine but one last try and again it died. This time with spluttering (fuel?) According to the changeover switch (had not moved it) we were on the front (full) tank. But the primer bulb was soft - pumped it and it started OK. Back to sea - once again it died but spluttering again...

Changed over tank briefly but back again and then went out - did an hours blasting and came back no more problems.

So.... are the two issues un-connected, is the electrics faulty - is the fuel changeover switch dodgy?? Any sure fire way to test each item?

Thanks again guys!

PS, for the record the issue in the earlier topic was certainly down to the prop - the 14 today gave us 30 kts at 5250 (too rough to go faster) but still ventilated slightly on sharp turns even trimmed fully down so I think the engine may need dropping an inch or so...

[martini]

I just looked up your symptoms in the workshop manual fault diagnosis, it came back with:

Faulty wife > replace wife

note: pre-2006 wifes superceded by updated version

Haven't got a part number sorry.



Apologies for not being more useful

[matt h]

Max, tick over to low, thats the adjusment screw that you may have altered, or..... fuel tank tap to right, rear tank pointer left front tank, try it

[Max...]

Hi Matt - thanks for that but not sure it's either. The tickover is OK and not been altered but the fuel tap is slightly odd. I'm 99% sure we kept it on the left (front tank) but on checking later with both tanks out the front was was down maybe 1/3 but the rear which had just under a gallon was drained dry even though as I say I'm sure we were not switched to it?!

The fuel tap does not have indents to L or R and will turn around nearly 360 degrees which is a bit hit and miss.

Just not sure if the 'into gear' cutting out has any connection to the 'fuel spluttering' cutting out...

***ing frustrating intermittent electrickery faults are always the most annoying but beginning to think I'm jinxed with boats - the poor guy who towed us in went straight back out only for his engine to start cutting out and to round it all off reversing up the slope to the garage after flushing I forgot to raise the engine and jammed the skeg into the tarmac...

[Downhilldai]

Try rigging a separate tank and fuel line, to see if the problem persists.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Max...

the v. helpful boatyard guy suspected the in-gear/no-start safety circuit.

Max, unless your start-in-gear protection works differently from mine then that doesn't make sense.

My start-in-gear disables the starter motor wiring then the engine is not in neutral. This could stop it from starting but its not obvious how it will make a running engine stop.

[BumbleAbout]

I have encountered similar problems when the fuel pickup tube in the tank was not fully tightened and allowed some air to get into the fuel line (solved with a jubilee clip). It all seemed fine at low revs, but when you open up the throttle, air was pulled into the fuel line and the outboard cut out.

Given that you are unsure about the position required for the fuel tank tap (which may itself be allowing air into the system), I would :
a) Borrow another tank and fuel line AND primer bulb and see if that fixes your problem - primer bulbs do degrade in sunlight and often leak !
b) Check the pickup inside each fuel tank + the fuel lines + the fuel tap for leakage

[Max...]

Cheers chaps - checking all the fuel system asap.

Polwart - I think you're right, looking at the manual it seems to cut the start circuit rather than ignition or similar.

Still perplexed by this though - the spluttering cut out seems to be a fuel issue but the into gear and cut seemed instant like an electrical issue. It was not: into gear, then rev then cut but virtually instant into gear and dead. Plus it would happily rev cleanly on the throttle lever rev control - any Mercury engineers out there??