Etec 250 - Choke?

[Chris Murray]

I am a bit confused here ...

The ingition key switch says "Push key in for full choke" but there is nothing in the manual about it.

In order to get the kill chord on, I have pushed the ignition barrel in.

What I don't understand is should the key position spring out when the engine is suitably warmed up/started - or do I need to pull it out manually? If so, how? Or is the key switch simply a standard Evinrude item, with text which doesn't apply to my particular engine.

I ask beacuse my initial top speed of 49.7 knots is now down to around 40kts. If the choke has to be manually turned off, then is would account for the drop in performance, as I have probably been running on full choke. The hull and propellor are clean.

I would be surprised if the choke return was not automatic (if in fact this really does control the choke in such a sophisticated engine), especially when the manual says nothing at all about it.

If you own an Etec, please let me know your understanding of the key switch.

Thanks for your help!

Chris.

[boab]

hi , i think the key switch choke is only for carb engines and not for injections as injection engines dont require choke,( i could be wrong )

[BogMonster]

The choke on my Johnson works like that, push it in before turning to start, though it doesn't pop out when warm or anything, just comes out when you release it. I assume the choke is automatic in operation and works a bit like old cars sometimes did e.g. you pump the accel pedal once to activate the auto choke and then it sorts itself out after that.

Anything with EFI will not have a "choke" as such, assuming it works like EFI in every other engine (vehicles etc) the EFI system just adjusts fuelling according to the inputs from various temperature sensors measuring engine temp, inlet air temp, fuel temp, temp of the barnacles on the bottom of the hull blah blah blah

[matt h]

the push part is only for manual/solenoid style chokes, wont be applicable for yours, nice engine by the way!!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Chris Murray

In order to get the kill chord on, I have pushed the ignition barrel in.
Chris.

Hi Chris
When are going to post some pics of your new rib? Anyway, my Ficht was a similar set-up, what I do not understand about your description re the above is that the kill cord 'fitting' slides into place with a little force, you don't actually have to push any part of the ignition barrel in.

Originally Posted by Chris Murray

What I don't understand is should the key position spring out when the engine is suitably warmed up/started - or do I need to pull it out manually? If so, how? Or is the key switch simply a standard Evinrude item, with text which doesn't apply to my particular engine.
Chris.

When you insert the key and turn the ignition on you have to wait for a few seconds for the electronic management system to do its checks - all the relevant red lights, IE oil pressure, etc come on momentarily at which point you can then start the engine.

Originally Posted by Chris Murray

I would be surprised if the choke return was not automatic (if in fact this really does control the choke in such a sophisticated engine), especially when the manual says nothing at all about it.
If you own an Etec, please let me know your understanding of the key switch.
Chris.

By pushing the key in and turning the key to the 'start' position you are automatically engaging the choke which turns itself off when it has completed it's function. The thing that puzzles me about your engine is that the etec blurb says there is NO choke necessary?!

I stress, this is how it was on my Ficht and NOT necessarily as it is on the E-Tecs. I hope I have helped in a small way.
The loss of speed could be coincidental, what revs are you pulling and is the engine fully run in now?
All the best

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by Chris Murray

I ask beacuse my initial top speed of 49.7 knots is now down to around 40kts. If the choke has to be manually turned off, then is would account for the drop in performance,

Not really - since presumably the ignition/choke switch is not new? so you would have been going through the same procedure when you managed 49.7 knots.

If the choke actually does anything then pushing it in when the engine is warm and at high revs should result in a sudden loss in power and speed - it does on my little yamaha anyway - enough to bring you off the plane.

[Chris Murray]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your input so far.
Some clarification ...

- I do have to push in the centre of the ignition barrel, in order to fit the kill chord.

- The manual doesn't even refer to a choke, yet there is a picture in the manual which shows the ignition key and the wording mentioned above.

- I spoke to an Etec engineer this morning. I shall be taking the boat around to him next weekend (subject to him being available). I didn't ask about the choke at that time, which was an after-thought.

- The engineer said that there had been some "issues" with the engine that have now been resolved. One of these was to do with setting the spark plug gap. This looks to be the prime suspect here. The other was the dealer's setting for 2 stroke oil and the oil that is actually being used.

He also said that it was a great engine and that it just won 1st and 3rd places in a 24 hour endurance test.

I shall let you know the outcome, after I have seen him.

Thanks for your again input - it does rather look like the choke issue might be a red herring.

Best wishes,

Chris.

P.S. I shall post some pictures when I am finally happy with the boat - could be two or three weeks.

[fjarvis]

Hi,

E-TEC's don't have a choke, the engine management computer takes care of it all. Pushing the barrel in is basically pushing the kill cord connected sensor in. FYI E-TEC's will run with no kill cord so that if you fall in the drink, your passenger can start the engine and come pick you up!

Spark plug gap could be an issue. The oil setting is important too, proper E-TEC oil (Evinrude XD-100) is much thinner so that it can get into the boron nitrate piston pores and consequently much less oil is used. I've gone through about 4 or 5 tanks of fuel in mine now and used only a big glug of oil!
Cheers,
Fraser

[Chris Murray]

Thanks Fraser, for the additional info.

I was in Southampton on business today, so was able to visit the boat afterwards.

I have two chart plotters, one of which is linked up to the radar and VHF. The other is a standalone back-up but still built-in.

When I went for the "test drive" with Scorpion on hand-over day, I was reading the speed off the back-up. On looking at it this afternoon, I note that the units of measurement were statute miles - not knots!

Regrettably, I fear that we were only doing a pedestrian 43.2 kts and 49.7 MPH.

Of course, there was 80 gallons of fuel and 3 people on board, so I ought to be able to get 45 kts or so, when some of the fuel has been used, but it's not quite as whizzy as I had first thought.

Following this through, the maximum tidal rate in the Lymington area at 11:00 BST on 20th May (it was dead on a neap tide) would have been 1.6 kts, so I ought to be able to get at least 41.6 kts, if there is no tide running, more when there is less fuel and the engine has properly loosened up (I still believe that it should be run-in to an extent). I reckon I got just under 40 kts, on slack tide this weekend, so it still looks like there has been a loss of performance, albeit not quite so dramatic as I had first thought!

Having discovered that it is "Round the Island" and the restart of the Volvo Ocean Race this coming weekend, I shall leave it a week or two, before visiting the Etec engineer. This should also allow me to use some of the existing oil, before I have the engine modified to accept "XD 100".

Thanks for all your input.

Best wishes,

Chris.

[Roy Smith]

Hi Chris we had a probleam with the speed thing
Graham droped the engine by 2 inches and the top speed went to 49.5 knts
Full fuel three up what prop are are you using
Roy