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2005 BF75d - Hard cold starts

S

skamaniac

New member
Bought this used last year and went the summer trying to figure out just how to get this started easily. I've tried everything i can think of. Including NO throttle to part throttle, to pumping the throttle once and up to three times before i tried starting. A couple times, i flooded it trying to start it.
I found this site and am hoping I can get some suggestions, spring is getting close.

Another note, a few years ago, the check valve coming from the fuel tank which is below deck (17' center console) needed replacing. Could get the part i needed so i just removed the check valve. But it wasn't a problem with my previous motor which was a 60 hp Merc. I was think maybe fuel was running back into the tank and not keeping it primed, but I always check to make sure the primer bulb is full before i try starting (which it is) and there is a check valve in the primer bulb anyway. I also routed the fuel line so that it is in a vertical position to make sure the check valve is working.

It's driving me crazy.
 
racerone said:
Are you choking it properly ?-----Outline what you do to start it step by step.
Click to expand...

Like I said, I have tried every way I can think of. But..............

Throttle in neutral/start without advancing the throttle at all
Turn the key and push in to choke until it fires.

Once i do get it started, it runs like a top. Turn it off and re-starts instantly.
 
racerone said:
Have a shop check out operation of the choke on this motor.
Click to expand...


I'm pretty sure the choke is working because after it does start at idle, it will want to stall before it warms up and I push the choke for a quick second to keep it running. I might have to do that 2 or 3 times.
 
The choke on a Honda is not activated by pushing in the key, it is activated by raising the warm up lever as far as it will go. It also has a manual choke on the front of the engine which csn be used if the electric choke is not functioning. Try it and you'll find it will start cold
 
iang6766 said:
The choke on a Honda is not activated by pushing in the key, it is activated by raising the warm up lever as far as it will go. It also has a manual choke on the front of the engine which csn be used if the electric choke is not functioning. Try it and you'll find it will start cold
Click to expand...


It’s a top mount control box and no warm up lever and it does have a push to activate electric choke. And yes there is a manual choke lever on the engine.
 
Find out how to operate that control for faster idle and warm-up.----Check the manual .---Hurry to a shop and ask them !!
 
racerone said:
Find out how to operate that control for faster idle and warm-up.----Check the manual .---Hurry to a shop and ask them !!
Click to expand...


I know now to operate it for faster idle. If you give it a faster idle it will not start st all. I’ve tried everything from a little faster to all the open.
 
I’m 69 yrs old and have owned and operated boats my entire life. I know different motors can be a little finicky about the way they start. I’m looking for possible causes for an engine to act in this manner.
 
Post # 8 says there is no warm up lever !------Post # 10 says you know how to operate it for a faster idle.-----So no further input from me required or I suppose even wanted.----Good luck with it.
 
Ok, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear, in my defense you told me "The choke on a Honda is not activated by pushing in the key, it is activated by raising the warm up lever as far as it will go" which is incorrect on my top mounted controls. This is not a side mounted control box with a seperate warm up lever that you lift up. It is top mounted and there is a button on the side that pushes in to disengage the shifter so that you can operated the throttle to warm up the engine and there is an electric choke operated by the key!!! And then you said "Find out how to operate that control for faster idle and warm-up.----Check the manual .---Hurry to a shop and ask them !!" I know how to operate the controls!!! You're insinuating that I don't. This is no operator error. There is a problem with the motor and I'm trying to find out where to look. If you have any suggestions other than telling me to learn how to start and operated a boat, I would be welcome to hear them.
 
Okay, we now know you have a top mount, have you tried starting it using the manual choke?The elec choke may not be working. On those older 90's the bottom choke spindle used to seize with corrosion, is the choke working?
 
iang6766 said:
Okay, we now know you have a top mount, have you tried starting it using the manual choke?The elec choke may not be working. On those older 90's the bottom choke spindle used to seize with corrosion, is the choke working?
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Well I think it is but I’m not 100% sure, so I will give that a try.
 
So the starting procedure for my engine is the following.

Neutral
Push in the button on the throttle handle and move the handle forward approximately 30 to 50 percent
Hold the choke switch (or pull the choke lever on the motor)
Turn the key to start
Release the choke switch when it starts
Reduce the amount of throttle as the engine warms

So, my question is: What would cause it to be hard to start cold if you follow these steps?
 
If that engine runs fine when hot then the only problem can be the choke. Have you physically removed the cowl and checked to see if the choke actually works, as I said previously, the bottom or No4 carb was prone to corrosion causing the choke spindle to seize?
 
iang6766 said:
If that engine runs fine when hot then the only problem can be the choke. Have you physically removed the cowl and checked to see if the choke actually works, as I said previously, the bottom or No4 carb was prone to corrosion causing the choke spindle to seize?
Click to expand...

Thanks for giving me somewhere to look. That will be the next thing I do. We are going to have some temps in the 40's the next couple days, but it's also going to rain and the boat is covered. I will check that out this weekend. Actually when I think about the way it starts, it does seem like it's not getting choked. It acts like it wants to start but doesn't unless I keep cranking it which is not good for the starter. And once it's started and warmed up, I can run and gun fish all day without any starting issues at all. Fires right up fast.
 
iang6766 said:
If that engine runs fine when hot then the only problem can be the choke. Have you physically removed the cowl and checked to see if the choke actually works, as I said previously, the bottom or No4 carb was prone to corrosion causing the choke spindle to seize?
Click to expand...

Ok, so if I do find some corrosion. Is this something that can be cleaned up or do you find you normally would need to replace parts?
 
While you will likely find it is a choke problem, I just want to mention that a small amount of water separation in the fuel system or "weak" gas with poor volatility, can also cause hard starting. So, if you haven't checked your fuel system and supply recently then that should be done occasionally. I see that you're an old hand at boating so you probably know the drill. I just wanted to point it up as a lesser known cause for this type of symptom.

Good luck.
 
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