Help please - Evinrude E-TEC 25hp won't start

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 10:18

Hi All, I bought my first RIB in December and thought I got a good deal. Unfortunately when I collected it, I didnt see the engine running. It all looked good and well looked after. The seller was helpful with everything and seemed a totally genuine guy. He pressed the starter briefly to show it was not seized and gave me the paperwork from a recent service. I took him at his word. Hopefully I was not stitched up and it does not have a major problem. Maybe you can give me some tips to get her going!

So, I have the engine with the business end immersed in a plastic dustbin full of water. The tank is full of fresh petrol and the priming bulb pumped until it is firm. Putting the key in, with the kill cord in place, the engine turns easily but does not fire.

I believe the engine is the 2011 model.

Pre the start attempt, LED 4 (Lanyard/Stop OK) of the EMM diagnostics is lit and not flashing. None of the other 3 LEDs are lighting.

Any suggestions?

two stroke mick · 26 April 2018, 12:34

Not meaning to sound stupid but I assume that you have primed the engine with the rubber primer ball until it gets hard to ensure that there is petrol in the engine.

TSM

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 13:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

Not meaning to sound stupid but I assume that you have primed the engine with the rubber primer ball until it gets hard to ensure that there is petrol in the engine.

TSM

Thanks, for your response, certainly not stupid in my mind. With my inexperience, I could easily not do something right that would be obvious to others. I followed the directions in the user manual including priming the engine. However, the bulb does not go completly solid, just firm. Continued squeezing of it generates little squeaks as if it is pumping air out somewhere. Should I expect that?

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 13:11

Also, I should mention, when I turn the key to the ON position, there is a beep and the four lights of the engine monitoring self tests turn on simutaniously and then turn off in sequence, as they should according to the manual.

two stroke mick · 26 April 2018, 13:24

Is the engine out of gear when you try to start? There should be four red light on when you first turn the key, these light go out one by one and a beep can be heard from the buzzer. At this stage I continue to turn the key to engage the starter motor. The Etec normally starts easily

TSM

charliee · 26 April 2018, 13:31

I join other in thinking its a gear selector issue - if you are sure its in neutral then it could be the gear sensor switch.

Last Tango · 26 April 2018, 13:35

Surely if it was in gear or an issue with the neutral sensor, the engine wouldn't crank over ?

breezeblock · 26 April 2018, 13:58

a puff of brake cleaner in the intake to see if it runs would be the first thing to try that will tell you if its an ignition or fuel problem

charliee · 26 April 2018, 14:10

Last tango, I believe some engines turn over when in gear but won't fire.

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

Is the engine out of gear when you try to start? There should be four red light on when you first turn the key, these light go out one by one and a beep can be heard from the buzzer. At this stage I continue to turn the key to engage the starter motor. The Etec normally starts easily

TSM

The red lights and buzzer are exactly how you describe.

I also checked to be sure it is in neutral. If I shift the control into fwds or reverse the engine will not turn over when I turn the key.

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliee

I join other in thinking its a gear selector issue - if you are sure its in neutral then it could be the gear sensor switch.

Thanks for the suggestion. Assuming the gear sensor switch failure would make the engine think it is in gear when in neutral, or vice verca, I am guessing because it does not turn when in gear but does in neutral, the switch is probably ok. Or am I making the wrong assumptions?

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by breezeblock

a puff of brake cleaner in the intake to see if it runs would be the first thing to try that will tell you if its an ignition or fuel problem

Remembered I have a can of Easystart in the garage, I should have thought of that! Nipped out and tried it a few times, after repriming the fuel, but sadly no joy. Thanks for the suggestion though.

charliee · 26 April 2018, 14:47

Borrowed from a forum
Hi, try this, move the control box only slightly, not fully in gear and i bet it will crank and not start because the switch in the engine will be telling the EMM it is in gear. It all comes down to the rigging and making sure the cables are the right ones and adjusted correctly. With the control box in gear the engine will not crank at all due to the switch in the control box and there is also one in the engine which is used if the engine is a tiller.

charliee · 26 April 2018, 14:50

This is the thread -

25hp E-TEC Starting Problems!! - Barnacle Bill's Marine Supply

two stroke mick · 26 April 2018, 15:31

Have you a good battery? Have you good connections to that battery. if you connect these engines to a battery with wing nuts or some other method that allows for an intermittent connection is can lead to the failure of the EMM. Thus check the connections to the battery

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

Have you a good battery? Have you good connections to that battery. if you connect these engines to a battery with wing nuts or some other method that allows for an intermittent connection is can lead to the failure of the EMM. Thus check the connections to the battery

Thanks, just done that. Sadly no difference yet.

Pecheur Anglais · 26 April 2018, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliee

Borrowed from a forum
Hi, try this, move the control box only slightly, not fully in gear and i bet it will crank and not start because the switch in the engine will be telling the EMM it is in gear. It all comes down to the rigging and making sure the cables are the right ones and adjusted correctly. With the control box in gear the engine will not crank at all due to the switch in the control box and there is also one in the engine which is used if the engine is a tiller.

Thanks, tried that, sadly to no avail. Thanks for the forum link as well. Read through that a couple of times. Maybe I will have to find a dealer with the laptop diagnosis kit.

two stroke mick · 26 April 2018, 20:23

I still believe that it is probably the gear shift cable which is out of adjustment. You could disconnect the shift cable from the gear linkage on the engine end. Manually move the linkage into forward and then reverse the into the middle for nutral. Then try to start the engine
Tsm

spartacus · 26 April 2018, 21:34

Sparks fouled? Just thinking that if the engine has been sitting around, or fouled during uplift and transport? ETECs have indexed spark plugs so need to be installed properly. Videos on YouTube.

arkamelis · 26 April 2018, 22:25

hi there, im in no way an expert, but is there sparks getting to the plugs, could test the spark plugs, just to make sure there working good, without a spark it won't fire. just my thought. its easy to test the spark plugs