Starts Only with starter fluid

I have a 1999 Johnson 50 hp outboard, J50pleea. It's run well all summer, but now when I go to start it for the first time of the day it doesn't want to start unless I use some starter fluid. After it's started it runs like a champ and will start after that for the rest of the day until it hasn't been used for a few hours. I'm feeling that maybe the choke isn't working. I just need a little help on where to look to first see if that is the problem and then where to proceed from there. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

kimcrwbr1 said:

The carbs probably needs rebuilt. Pull the spark plugs and see what color they are. The insulators should be a toasty brown if they are white it is running too lean. Be careful using starter fluid as it has no oil and can/will damage the engine. You can try the seafoam trick get a can of seafoam and disconnect the fuel line at the tank and run it out of fuel. With the primer bulb pump the carbs full of seafoam and let sit overnight. The next day start it and run it around 2500 rpms until the smoke stops. That may get you through the summer but plan on rebuilding the carbs and replacing the fuel lines in the engine. One word (ethanol)

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Thanks for the insight kimcrwbr. I rebuilt the carbs two years ago along with new fuel lines. I could definitely do that again since I'm now familiar with the process, but that would seem to be a quick turnaround from the last time. I pre mix the oil and gas 50:1 in the tank and the plugs always seem a little black and oily when I look at them. I like the seafoam trick and can definitely give that a try. I'm also thinking about having someone set the choke at the starter key to see if anything changes on the carbs due to that action. I'm not at the motor now, but my guess, but I'm no expert, may be that the choke is not getting set as normal at the ignition switch. I'm not sure about the electronic side of setting the choke so I wonder if there is a relay or solenoid that my potentially be worth investigating.

stop stop stop using starting fluid !! if you must.....put a a few ounces of premix fuel in srpay bottle and use that. starting fluid is MURDER on a two stroke engine !!

Thanks crankbait for the starting fluid advice. Seems that is definitely agreed upon by all. Kimcrwbr1, when I get back to the boat I will definitely follow your suggestion. When I go to start the boat normally I push in the key at the ignition three times and hold the key in when trying to start the boat. Is that action simply pushing gas into the carb? If so, and I'll have to see when I go to the boat, it would seem that whatever pushes the gas into the carb may not be performing its task. Any idea what that magical part is that pushes the gas into the carb? I'll wait and see when I get back to the boat. Again, thanks to everyone for your direction. I also have a question about the tilt on another posting. When put in reverse the motor raises out of the water. Any thoughts on where to look for that?

There is a black device with a red lever.-----------It is an electric valve and not a pump.---------------Push the key while cranking the motor over and not before cranking.

Thanks racerone. Is the black device with a red lever on the motor? Sounds like it is from what you have said. I've always pushed the key before cranking so it would seem I've been doing it wrong the whole time. Never too early to learn. Thanks.

The fuel line must have pressure for primer/choke to work from either the primer bulb or fuel pump pulses,if no pressure =no prime/choke. Also see if you hear it click when you push in choke and there is a filter in it that can/does get stopped up.

Thanks for all the input and advice. Each of you had a piece to the puzzle that helped me to solve the mystery and even more importantly understand how it works. The main fuel line going to the primer system was replaced and the engine now starts without some outside influence (starter fluid). It was the one fuel line I didn't replace when I rebuilt the carbs so it would seem it had a leak that reduced the pressure just enough to not allow fuel to go to the carbs. Thanks again for everyone's help. Happy boating.