1996 Nitro, Mercury 115 will not star

[Alvin Roberts]

I just bought a 1996 Nitro 170 "Rick Clunn" Edition. We took it out to the creek before I bought it and it ran great. I brought it home and it sat a couple of days. I took it to the lake yesterday and could not get it to start. I tried all day yesterday to get it. The guy I bought it from came over this morning and could not get it to start. It seems to be getting fuel...I can smell it when I crank it. I checked the kill switch with a meter. It's open in "run" position and closed in "off" position. Not sure what to check.

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

I know it sounds silly but, did you prime the bulb? Also,check your fuel line for signs of deterioration. They sometimes go bad from the inside out. Replacements are cheap, available, and easily installed.



I have same boat with Tracker Mariner motor.

 

[Bob G.]

I would contact the SOB you bought it from and demand your money back!! :lol:



I'm just kidding, I saw yor post to Scott. Hope it's something simple.

 

[Alvin Roberts]

Surely it is something simple. Scott and I ran it last Wednesday. It started and ran great. It's mind boggling how that happens. Works great one day and not the next. I did prime the bulb. It's pretty new. Scott came by this morning and tried it. We couldn't get it going. I may end up just taking it to Lucedale Marine and let him take a look at it.

 

[joseph currier]

could be your choke( enricher) is not getting turned on at the ignition switch?

under your cowling ther is a small can near your carbs with 1 black wire and 1 yellow wire.

it has a button on the top of it that allows you to manualy activate your choke.

press this button for 8 seconds then start.

if it starts up your ignition switch is bad. oh yea i would try on a portable fuel tank just to elminate the theroy of bad gas.

2nd ly if your smelling alot of fuel you could have a leak in your system? with the cover off the motor squeeze the ball while looking at the motor from all angles looking for fuel leaking from a hose or fitting. this should expose any small leaks that might go undetected.

 

[cq]

Agree with Joe, I had a 96 170DC w/115, same type of problem, the ignition switch operated the choke, replaced ignition switch (20$ and 30 min.) all was well. My dealer was the helper in trouble shooting the problem.



cq

 

[Alvin Roberts]

I did find the small can with the black wire and yellow wire. It did have the button on top. I pressed it for about 8 seconds and tried starting. I actually tried this several times but no luck. I grounded one of the plugs to the engine case with it connected to the plug wire yesterday and had my dad crank on it. The plug was not firing at all. I tried a second plug with the same result. I also cleaned off the plugs put them back in and tried cranking, removed the plugs and they were wet with fuel again. Seems to be ignition related. May end up being the stator or switch box.

 

[joseph currier]

stator and trigger can cost some cash, try power pack first if it were me. check all inline fuses under the cover as well could have power to the starter but not the ignigtion system?

 

[Scott R]

I hate that this is happening, Alvin. I posted on the Merc forum over at BBC also, and Don from European Marine posted the following (pretty much everything that has been posted here)...

Kill switch SHORTED, ignition switch SHORTED, failed/burnt voltage regulator, or other ignition system component failures.



The "kill" circuit is the Black w/yellow stripe wire (at both the ignition AND the kill switch).

 

[Alvin Roberts]

I know Scott but it isn't your fault and I am in no way mad at you. It ran fine the day I bought it. Things just happen. It's at the Mercury repair shop right now so we will see what they have to say. Thanks to everyone here who has posted suggestions. I would like to fix it without taking it to a shop but my knowledge of the ignition system on an outboard motor is very limited and I don't want to have to wait to long. I am dying to get it in the water and enjoy it! I may regret taking it in when I see the bill but it's better than using it for a yard ornament.

 

[Alvin Roberts]

Well it seems I need a few things. I was told that the switchbox in the motor was bad. He also said that the choke wasn't working. He said the ignition switch had a short causing the choke to stay on so someone had disconnected the choke at the engine. He said that didn't have to be fixed but it would be hard to start. He said it started up and ran a couple minutes with the new switchbox then shut off. The stator went out. So after $880 a new ignition switch, a switchbox and stator I should be good to go.

 

[mike daniels]

B.O.A.T.



Break out another thou$and.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Never ever consider the cost of anything related to your boat as "money". The sooner you get past the money issue the happier you will be as a boater. Cuz, "cous", it is "break out another thousand", today and again tomorrow.



However, the rewards of owning a boat are never less than the small cost of ownership. I am never happier than when I am on the water.



Glad your mechanic solved the problem and got you back on the water.