No tell tale

[codprawn]

Just started my 15hp Suzuki 4 stroke for the 1st time this year. Started fine but even though the lower leg was in a big tub of water there was no tell tale. Ran it for about 1 min and then shut it off.

Should the tell tale start straight away or do you have to wait for the thermostat to open or something? I know it was working fine the last time it was used - over a year ago!!!

I poked strimmer wire down the hole - no sign of a blockage. There is quite a put put when you put your thumb over the hole but no water.

Is this normal or not? I had the leg in fairly deep.

[Hightower]

Looks like an inspection of the impellor is looming then. As far as I know, tell tails should work whatever!

[codprawn]

It was fine when it was put away - engine has only done about 30 or 40hrs. What happens to an impeller when it's just sitting in a garage? I wonder if it's some sort of blockage or maybe the impellor has broken up?

[SeaSkills]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Should the tell tale start straight away or do you have to wait for the thermostat to open or something?

On all the engines we've had the tell-tale has worked as soon as the engine has been started (allowing the usual few moments for the water to lift up the leg, of course). The thermostat doesn't open until the engine reaches temperature, so you can't assume that just because you have a tell-tale you will have cooling water for your engine ... if the thermostat fails it will still overheat even if you have a strong tell-tale jetting out.

I speak from experience (even though ours was a bigger engine I imagine they work the same way)

So, sounds like impellor is the next thing to check - but a bit of a mystery what could have happened to it

[mdt]

If it has been sitting for a long time with out any use there is a chance the impeller has hardened in one position. ? as said above time to drop the leg…

[m chappelow]

could the tell tale pipe have got dislodged or kinked though you would have noticed the water spraying all in side the cowling

[codprawn]

No all is fine under the cowl. I can only assume there is a blockage or the impeller has seized - annoying all the same!!!

[Erin]

I've always noticed the Suzukis seem to take a while for the water to get through the system at the beginning of the year. Assuming you flushed it out last year then it shouldn't be salt deposits blocking the pipes. I'd run it for a little longer before stripping it all apart.

[Simon B]

Check for salt build up around the thermostat.

[spartacus]

Check for salt build up around the thermostat.

Good call - but I'd check the impeller as a matter of course. If I was going to the bother of dropping the lower leg - I'd have a new impeller ready to fit. At least you know it's good for a couple of years once its done. Unless it gets heavy useage - in which case I'd do this annually at the start of the season.