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Brand New Tohatsu 98 Motor Problems

marcia

New member
"Today we started our motor as

"Today we started our motor as usual and after a few mintues it died and would not start for a couple hours. It appeared to be flooded. Once we were able to get it restarted, the same thing happened again. It would idle for a couple minutes then die - no matter how much gas it was given. Any suggestions? We bought this motor so I could safely singlehand our sailboat, but these BRAND NEW motor problems are causing much concern. How do I find an authorized service center in my area (zip 23452)?"
 
"When was your engine purchase

"When was your engine purchased? What is your serial number? There is a dealer just a few miles from you, unfortunately I lack confidence in their technical and problem solving ability. I'll be happy to help you get the problem resolved, but I need that info first."
 
"Thanks, Guru!
It was purchas


"Thanks, Guru!
It was purchased on 26 April 2009, SN 004591XK. I'm wondering if perhaps I gave it too much choke? That would explain the presumed flooding, but not why it repeatedly dies after a few minutes of idle. The gas is new, gas can is brand new."
 
"It would only need to be chok

"It would only need to be choked once. After that it would re-start on the same day on the first pull…If everything is correct. There is a good dealer about 35 miles from you and an incompetent one about six miles from you. If you don’t mind trying a couple of suggestions yourself, we can probably avoid you having to take it anywhere. I’ll list these out for you and you can run down the checklist. Do this outside as it’s going to be messy.



1) Take the spark plugs out, wipe them clean and then put them back in.

2) Look at the carburetor. On the outside of the carburetor you can see a single screw towards the bottom. With the fuel line plugged onto the engine, take that screw out. Squeeze the bulb until you get a steady stream of fuel out that hole. Disconnect the fuel line, put the screw back in and put the fuel line back on.

3) Check your oil level. It should be midway between the high and low hash mark. Add or take out oil to get it to that point.

4) With the engine on the boat, prime the bulb until it feels firm. Some get rock hard, some just feel full. Normal is what it is on your engine.

5) Gently pull the starter until the rope engages and then try to start the engine. No choke at all. Take your vitamins before you do this because I want you to pull it through 10 times or until it starts. If it starts just let it idle until it burns out any oil or extra fuel that it has in it. If it doesn’t start, stop, take a rest and then pull the choke all the way out and pull it twice. Make sure the prime bulb is still hard while you are doing this. If it doesn’t start on the second pull, push the choke in and pull it three more times.

6) If this doesn’t clear the engine and restore you to normal operation you will need to take it into a dealer and have them check it for a real problem. That could be something has simple as a piece of trash in the carburetor to a defective component.

7) A couple of things to keep in mind: The kill switch lanyard needs to be on the engine for it to run. The engine can only be laid down on the tiller arm side. When moving the engine it is important to keep in mind that the lower unit has to be kept higher than the powerhead at all times. The vent on the fuel cap needs to be open.



Let me know what happens."
 
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