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2008 15hp problems

M

Mallard1

New member
I have a 2008 Honda 15hp that starting to have problems. I've used it the last several weekends duck hunting and after every weekend I disconnect the fuel line and run the gas out as I'm loading it on the trailer.

this last weekend I backed in the water and it ran for 10 sec and died. Wouldn't crank back after that. I put a squirt of carb gleaner and it would run for a second and die. Tonight I cranked it in a trash can and it would only idle but die if I tried to rev it up. It sounded like it was hitting a rev limiter and choking out and dieting but it would get over guessing 1000 rpm.

Also noticed tonight no water coming out of the pee hole. And I remember last time I ran it that water was flowing as it turned off so this is new also.

Any my idea where to start on this one?
Thanks in advance for the help
 
Electric or pull start??? Auto choke or manual??? It probably doesn't make much difference but it would be nice to know.

Read on....

Well....you may have fallen victim to the INCOMPLETE CARB CARE FOR HONDA syndrome. These carbs are VERY sensitive to deposits and simply "running the gas out" doesn't prevent deposits from forming inside the tiny passages these carburetors have. It really does sound like your carbs have deposits and will need to be cleaned. But....since you are a nice person...(right??) and asked here first...(you did ask here first? didn't you??) I will give you a thing or two to try that might save you some time....money....and grief.

First off...find the CARBURETOR FLOAT CHAMBER DRAIN SCREW. That screw is YOUR friend. Item #6 in the parts page illustration below. Running the gas out...as you have been doing and THEN, taking the cover off and opening that screw and draining the carb WILL go a long way toward keeping this from happening again if you can get it sorted out this time. It's a bit of a pain of an exercise but WELL WORTH IT. Plus, we are going to use that screw as an access point to see if we can get you up and running and back in the blind asap.

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/H...ter/BF15DK3 SHSA/CARBURETOR (AUTO)/parts.html


Check the ACCELERATOR PUMP plunger and see if it is seized or not. It is a little silver pin that is housed inside a "bellows" or boot on the side of the carburetor. It is depressed anytime the throttle is moved and returns when the throttle is idled back. See items 14 and 12 in the illustration above. To see if it is seized, simply work the throttle and watch for the rubber bellows to compress and relax as you throttle up and down. If it is seized...that's not great but it's not horrible either. If it is free though...it may help us force some cleaner through the carb...so THAT would be helpful.

Ok, now I'm going to take you to another parts page in the new link below:

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/H...7 and Later/BF15DK3 SHSA/FUEL PUMP/parts.html

Item 4...the "fuel chamber"....is housed inside a similarly shaped rubber "holder"...item 3....that is attached to the engine oil dipstick tube. The fuel chamber needs to be taken off and cleaned out from time to time. Once a season is usually sufficient but more often if your gasoline supply isn't the best. You simply disconnect the lines going to it and slide the holder with the fuel chamber inside off of the dipstick tube. Use WD-40... or any lubricant...to make sliding it up the tube easier. It can be on there pretty tight and so...you need to be CAREFUL not to bend or snap off the dipstick tube while doing this maintenance.

Once it is off and in your hand, simply turn it upside down and shake every bit of LIQUID out of it. Once it is empty, spray a GENEROUS amount of carb cleaner or BRAKE KLEEN or WD-40 into it and shake it around and then drain that out. Re-intall. You're done.

Next....go back to the carb drain screw and remove it. Take some BRAKE KLEEN...using the straw that comes with the can...and squirt it into the carb, through the drain screw hole, until it starts coming out of the vents. Let it drain out...let it sit.... then do it again. Use a whole can of cleaner. On the last attempt...quickly re-install the drain screw so that the cleaner is left trapped in the bottom of the carb.

If the accelerator pump was working when you checked it, this is where you would work the throttle rapidly a few times to get the cleaner to be pumped through the accelerator pump circuit inside the carb. Then let the outboard sit for at least a couple of hours before trying to restart. You do not have to drain the BRAKE KLEEN from the carb before starting and it may help to leave it in there while trying to first fire the engine.

I hope this works for you. If it doesn't....the carb will likely need to be removed and cleaned. It's not all that hard to do but iit's not for EVERYBODY to try either. It all depends on how handy you are with the hands.

Good luck.
 
jgmo said:
Electric or pull start??? Auto choke or manual??? It probably doesn't make much difference but it would be nice to know.

Read on....

Well....you may have fallen victim to the INCOMPLETE CARB CARE FOR HONDA syndrome. These carbs are VERY sensitive to deposits and simply "running the gas out" doesn't prevent deposits from forming inside the tiny passages these carburetors have. It really does sound like your carbs have deposits and will need to be cleaned. But....since you are a nice person...(right??) and asked here first...(you did ask here first? didn't you??) I will give you a thing or two to try that might save you some time....money....and grief.

First off...find the CARBURETOR FLOAT CHAMBER DRAIN SCREW. That screw is YOUR friend. Item #6 in the parts page illustration below. Running the gas out...as you have been doing and THEN, taking the cover off and opening that screw and draining the carb WILL go a long way toward keeping this from happening again if you can get it sorted out this time. It's a bit of a pain of an exercise but WELL WORTH IT. Plus, we are going to use that screw as an access point to see if we can get you up and running and back in the blind asap.

I believe I found this screw. It is flat had on the front of the carb. When I backed it out gas came out the bottom of the carb and out the clear hose that is connected to the side cover.

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/H...ter/BF15DK3 SHSA/CARBURETOR (AUTO)/parts.html


Check the ACCELERATOR PUMP plunger and see if it is seized or not. It is a little silver pin that is housed inside a "bellows" or boot on the side of the carburetor. It is depressed anytime the throttle is moved and returns when the throttle is idled back. See items 14 and 12 in the illustration above. To see if it is seized, simply work the throttle and watch for the rubber bellows to compress and relax as you throttle up and down. If it is seized...that's not great but it's not horrible either. If it is free though...it may help us force some cleaner through the carb...so THAT would be helpful.

The plunger seems to be moving fine. Probably 1/8" of travel. With the turn of the throttle


Ok, now I'm going to take you to another parts page in the new link below:

http://www.boats.net/parts/search/H...7 and Later/BF15DK3 SHSA/FUEL PUMP/parts.html

Item 4...the "fuel chamber"....is housed inside a similarly shaped rubber "holder"...item 3....that is attached to the engine oil dipstick tube. The fuel chamber needs to be taken off and cleaned out from time to time. Once a season is usually sufficient but more often if your gasoline supply isn't the best. You simply disconnect the lines going to it and slide the holder with the fuel chamber inside off of the dipstick tube. Use WD-40... or any lubricant...to make sliding it up the tube easier. It can be on there pretty tight and so...you need to be CAREFUL not to bend or snap off the dipstick tube while doing this maintenance.

Once it is off and in your hand, simply turn it upside down and shake every bit of LIQUID out of it. Once it is empty, spray a GENEROUS amount of carb cleaner or BRAKE KLEEN or WD-40 into it and shake it around and then drain that out. Re-intall. You're done.

Got it removed, cleaned, and reinstalled

Next....go back to the carb drain screw and remove it. Take some BRAKE KLEEN...using the straw that comes with the can...and squirt it into the carb, through the drain screw hole, until it starts coming out of the vents. Let it drain out...let it sit.... then do it again. Use a whole can of cleaner. On the last attempt...quickly re-install the drain screw so that the cleaner is left trapped in the bottom of the carb.

I backed the screw out a few turns then sprayed down the clear hose and I could hear it bubbling inside the carb and sputtering out of the vents. With the hose held up no cleaner came back out and I tightened the screw back up. Then I worked the throttle to move the accelerator pump. Everything is just sitting in there now. I haven't tried to crank it up.

If the accelerator pump was working when you checked it, this is where you would work the throttle rapidly a few times to get the cleaner to be pumped through the accelerator pump circuit inside the carb. Then let the outboard sit for at least a couple of hours before trying to restart. You do not have to drain the BRAKE KLEEN from the carb before starting and it may help to leave it in there while trying to first fire the engine.

I hope this works for you. If it doesn't....the carb will likely need to be removed and cleaned. It's not all that hard to do but iit's not for EVERYBODY to try either. It all depends on how handy you are with the hands.


Good luck.
Click to expand...


Thanks for for the help! I will post back after I try to crank it up!
 
Went out and cranked it up and it idles and revved up good!!! After about 15-20 seconds there was still no water pumping out so I shut it down.

I can blow air back through the pee hole and get bubbles in the trash can so it doesn't seem to be a blockage. Can you help with the next step? Thanks again
 
Well......GREAT!
I actually didn't have high hopes for the carb but it seems you caught it early enough.

Sadly though...it would seem you have some more work to do. If you are positive the pee circuit is clear and there is no "tell-tale" stream....your water pump is likely shot and will need replacing. Again, not a hard job but challenging for the first timer.

How long has it been since the water pump was serviced? I usually recommend every other season as a minimum but I've seen them last for 5+ and still be pumping well.

Simply put, you place the transmission in reverse, disconnect the SHIFT SHAFT, and remove the bolts that hold the gear case to the extension "leg" and slide the case, with mainshaft attached, down and off of the outboard. The pump will then be exposed to you for service.

I would NEVER just replace the impeller alone unless, for some strange reason a new kit was recently installed and the impeller became damaged. I ALWAYS buy the replacement "kit" that Honda offers. The reason being is that the pump is a "system". The plastic case holds the impeller housing and MUST hold it firmly. The impeller housing is metal and is slowly worn away as the impeller wears so just replacing the impeller does NOT restore 100% pump efficiency. AND....it just doesn't cost that much more to do it RIGHT.

One thing I don't like about the kit is that they don't include a new drive key. Make sure you replace that key also because...VERY close inspection will likely reveal a small amount of wear there too.

I realize this is a simplistic explanation of what likely needs to be done. It is always best to have the HELM INC. official shop manual as a guide but if the cost is prohibitive to you....we can walk you through the details. It's just that you have to wait to move forward.

When you say you put air in....are you doing it through the nipple on the side case? To properly clear the tell tale you should actually remove the side cover and pull the plastic tube off of the engine. You will probably see that the tube has taken a "set" and remains in a curled up sort of state. Those tubes are SERVICE items and need to be replaced periodically or they will cause you problems trapping small debris. With the tube removed, you can then blow or put string trimmer line down the tell tale passage for a good clean out.

When you go to put the side cover back on...it's easy to NOT properly route the tube and get it "pinched" between the cover and the plastic "shelf" that stands the cover away from the engine. If you do that, it won't work very well so pay attention to how it is routed up and through a hole in the "shelf" and then out to the back side of the nipple.

Ask all the questions you like...that's why we are here.

Good luck.

P.S. If you're like me and want to just start "thrashing" right away...be careful! there is a bolt on the gear case that can be overlooked and if it's left in place and you start trying to force the case to separate from the extension...you can break it! So be GENTLE.
 
Last edited:
Yes, the procedure for the post 2003 8-9.9- 15 and 20hp is thefor the same.
Start with the trans in reverse so that you can easily access the shift shaft connection nuts.

CAUTION: when shifting the transmission with the engine not running, (I refer to this as "dry shifting") make sure that you are slowly rotating the propeller. This keeps the internal clutch from hanging up and putting the shift linkage in a bind. I really doesn't even matter which direction you turn just as long as it is moving as you shift. It should easily "clunk" into gear doing it this way.

Like I said....not a bad job but, like anything else you try for the first time, it might cause you a little first timer's frustration.

I'm hoping it goes well for you though.
 
Thanks again jgmo, that was quick and painless, about a 5 min job to get it off. My impeller looks more like an o-ring now though. I assume I'll need to back flush the motor to make sure it is clear, what is the best way to do that?
 
Well I took the thermostat out and flushed water through there and got a good stream out of the pee hole and out of the bottom of the motor.

to the intake screens out of the lower unit and I think that is where all of the rest of my impeller was hiding. Is this the correct way to do it?
 
Yes, it sounds as if you are doing everything that you need to do. You MUST be some kind of a tech...most people don't even think about "where did the impeller go?".

With one that has shed all the vanes off I would definitely go with the complete kit. Other than that, test or replace the T stat while you're in there..... make sure the vanes are bent over in the RIGHT direction and do a proper shift shaft reconnect and adjust and you will be all set to run that 15 another few years.

Draining the carb frequently that is...

GOODONYA!
 
Jimmy is providing his normal excellent guidance.

The pieces could be under the water pump or down in the intake screens, as you thought. Make sure you find all of the pieces before putting it back together.

Here is a link to the instructions, with pictures, from Honda, as to how to change the water pump and especially, how to set the nuts on the shift shaft when you put the lower unit on.

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/pubs/pci54299pdf.pdf

Mike
 
jgmo said:
Yes, it sounds as if you are doing everything that you need to do. You MUST be some kind of a tech...most people don't even think about "where did the impeller go?".

With one that has shed all the vanes off I would definitely go with the complete kit. Other than that, test or replace the T stat while you're in there..... make sure the vanes are bent over in the RIGHT direction and do a proper shift shaft reconnect and adjust and you will be all set to run that 15 another few years.

Draining the carb frequently that is...

GOODONYA!
Click to expand...

thanks, no I'm not a tech, Im just very picky about stuff and found that a lot of service departments can take the quick way out so I try to learn how to fix stuff and it's relaxing for me to work on stuff.

on testing the thermostat what temp is it supposed to open?

Thanks again for the help I'm going to order all the parts tonight. Is boats.net the best source for parts? The closest dealer is about 1.5 hr drive from me.
 
I don't have specs for the 08 models but I'm pretty sure it is 158 F. or thereabouts.
Yes, boats.net is about as good as it gets for Honda parts.
 
A little off the primary topic but while I have everything off I thought it would be a good time to change the oil. I went ahead and order the filter with the other parts. Is there a preferred oil for the Honda motors, and I know oil threads can get touchy. Just wondering, thanks for the help
 
I believe any "name" brand automotive oil will far exceed the needs of that engine with the current API rating having been SN for over a year. So you won't accidentally pick up any "old stock" of an inferior rating like SA or SC and all new ratings are "backwards compatible" with older engines.

I have found that, for marine engine application, having a minimum amount of zinc additive in the oil is desirable for a corrosion inhibitor. Pennzoil appears to have more zinc than any other brand.

That's not necessarily an endorsement......just sayin'

Also, while I don't have anything against using synthetic in an outboard (I use syn in my car), I would hope you do your homework on switching to it if you do. Synthetic oil is no magic bullet and I would actually recommend shorter drain intervals...not longer as many people associate cost with efficacy and longevity.
 
Well I got everything back together tonight without any problems. I didn't test it tonight because it's 27 degrees. It supposed to warm up tomorrow so I'll give it a shot then. Thanks for all the help. After it runs for a little bit ill drop the oil and be good to go for a little while hopefully. Thanks again!
 
They are definitely quiet! Another quick question. When going through flooded timber I frequently suck up trash and it plugs the pee hole up, is there anything wrong with just replacing the black hose going to the pee hole with a little longer 1/8" vacuum hose and just running out the side of the motor?
 
I don't think it would hurt to run a larger hose. That is, as long as you can keep it attached to the engine block and keep the water directed outside of the engine cover. Otherwise, there is a danger of spraying so much water under the cover that the engine ingests enough to possibly hydrolock. That could cause some serious damage like bent con rods or cracked head.

I've drilled the nipple larger to pass grass and twigs from "dirty" water but, no matter what you try, you will still probably have to go in and clear it every now and then.
 
jgmo said:
I don't think it would hurt to run a larger hose. That is, as long as you can keep it attached to the engine block and keep the water directed outside of the engine cover. Otherwise, there is a danger of spraying so much water under the cover that the engine ingests enough to possibly hydrolock. That could cause some serious damage like bent con rods or cracked head.

I've drilled the nipple larger to pass grass and twigs from "dirty" water but, no matter what you try, you will still probably have to go in and clear it every now and then.
Click to expand...


Most times it plugs is right where the water exits the cowling where the plastic nipple goes into the hose. i am able to clear it buy shoving a paper clip in just 1" while running and the trash will come out. my thought was to use the same size hose just no nipple at the end and then wrap close to the end with electrical tape to keep it from pulling back inside the cowling. any thoughts?
 
I have also drilled out the nipple in order to get better flow,however you must be prepared to clear it manually.
i simply feed a piece of stainless wire right through the hose and into the block to clear it.
Sometimes it's good for weeks, other times it needs done the next day.
 
I like your idea.It mtoaintains a tight connection to the block and allows for the maximum amount of diameter at the end for debris to exit.
Don't forget though that hose needs to be replaced every couple of seasons because it starts getting hard and the slightest loss of "elasticity" can cause debris to snag.
 
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