Engines

25 Reasons Your Boat Won't Start

ARTICLES COURTESY OF BOATING MAG

Maintenance, Engine Problems, Checklist, Boating Mag, DIY

Even the mood created by this idyllic scene can be ruined by a hard to start marine engine.

Check out this list of 25 reasons why your boat motor won’t turn over or the boat engine won’t start. Don’t spend your time aimlessly poking and prodding; instead use this list to help identify the problem.

Chances are the answer to your boat engine problem is somewhere on the list. Or, at the least, the list will help you identify the actual boat engine problem you’re experiencing.

  1. Empty gas tank
  2. Gas tank air vent is not open
  3. Fuel lines kinked or severely pinched
  4. Water or dirt in the fuel system
  5. Clogged fuel filter or screens
  6. Motor not being choked to start
  7. Engine not primed — pump primer system
  8. Carburetor adjustments too lean (not allowing enough fuel to start engine)
  9. Timing and synchronizing out of adjustment
  10.   Manual choke linkage bent — auto choke out of adjustment
  11.   Spark plugs improperly gapped, dirty or broken
  12.   Fuel tank primer inoperative (pressurized system)
  13.   Ignition points improperly gapped, burned or dirty
  14.   Loose, broken wire or frayed insulation in electrical system
  15.   Reed valves not seating or stuck shut
  16.   Weak coil or condenser
  17.   Cracked distributor cap or rotor or shorted rotor
  18.   Loose fuel connector
  19.   Poor engine or ignition ground
  20.   Faulty ignition or safety switch
  21.   Low cranking speed
  22.   Low voltage to ignition, when cranking
  23.   Low Compression
  24.   Safety Lanyard/Kill Switch disconnected

Takeaway: If your engines won’t start, don’t just keep cranking the ignition or you’ll drain your batteries and add one more thing to the list above.