Bf 40 hard starting

Hello all, This is My first Honda 4 stroke so hear goes:
Its a 2006 carbed bf 40, she runs and idles perfect just very hard to start cold. I run Methanol free gas in it with some stabil all the time and its used reguraly. I also replaced the pugs which looked new anyways. I have read that these have an auto start feature and no choke, is this an easy fix or will I need to take in for service.
Thanks for Your help, Mikey....

Well after doing a few hours research online I belive this to be My problem, 16130-ZW4-H01 its a part # for a Auto Bystarter. It works like a solinoind with a needle and seat on a carburator, when the circut is closed it heats and closes the jet on the bystarted and limits fuel at startup. I will check it tomarrow and post results. The part is cheap about $25 so cheaper than taking to the shop for sure.
Mikey

It is good to check it to see if the needle grows in length. If it does, then the bystarter is ok. I think you will find it is ok, since your motor runs good otherwise. If it does not "grow", then the motor would run too rich after it is warmed up and will not run right.

The fuel circuit for starting is open when you go to start, allowing extra fuel to flow. When the engine starts, the idle is somewhat high. As the engine warms up, the bystarter closes that circuit, and the idle slows down to normal.

It could be your bystarter but more likely the carb circuit associated with starting is somewhat plugged up. That could mean, passages in the carburetor bowl also. If the motor is not run out of fuel and the carburetors are not drained at the end of use, these little passages tend to get plugged up.

Mike

I agree with Mike. The bystart system is defaulted to "cold start enrich" when not powered. While anything is possible, like Mike said, if there were a problem with the bystart valve, it would typically be stuck on rich and the engine would still start easily but then run poorly as it warmed up. Also, in over six years of dealing with these bystarters, I have yet to see one go bad.

But, then, it could be stuck somewhere "in between" so trying a new one, like you said, is cheap and COULD be easy. I say COULD because you sometimes have to remove the carburetor to take it off and put it back on. Not sure about yours as I have not worked on that model.

I don't profess to be an expert on these since I only work on the twins with single carbs so take my suggestions with a large glass of skepticism. But, note that there is only one bystarter for three carburetors. There is some tubing, I believe, (again, haven't worked on this model) that connects the enrichment circuits for the lower carburetors to the upper one having the bystarter. You may want to inspect those carefully for cracks,holes or blockages that might affect the enrichment system before replacing the valve or digging too deep.

All of us here though know that Mike is usually right and you may be looking at a good carb cleaning to "clear things up".

I don't consider it a MAJOR fault but it is a fault nonetheless in that the Honda carburetors of this era are a bit finicky. It sure sounds like you have been doing all that you can to prevent problems but may still have fallen victim to the "clogged carb".

I did not see any mention that you DRAIN them regularly. This is VERY important with this series of carburetors because the passages in the bottom of the float chamber are so critical in the proper flow of fuel through them. Draining them FREQUENTLY is the only way to ensure that debris does not collect in the float chamber passages. These are GREAT outboards so I hope you don't have to go through too much pain to get it fixed. And, when you do, add carb draining to your already excellent fuel maintenance routine.

Well I checked the bystarter today, removed and turned key on but it didnt move at all. It seems to be fulley extended and I could push it in but it never moved past 20mm which is where it started at. Looks to be fully seated in that position, is this the proper way to test?

Mike I also drained all three carb in a clear glass Jar and found nothing in either of the bowls, I read that about regularly draining the carbs but i didnt think this ness since I fish almost ever week and run atleast a gallon each time out.
Mike

It can't be tested just by turning on the key. When in operation, it gets voltage from the charging system. So, the engine has to be running for it to work normally. So....

It is essentially an electric heater. The test is to jumper 12vdc to the positive terminal and ground to the other and wait for 1 to 1.5 minutes and watch for movement of the pintle. What happens is that it slowly heats up and the heat causes deflection of a bi-metal spring to take place, moving the pintle. It may take up to 2.5 minutes before it completely stops moving.