Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Primer/enrichment "clicks" (works?) but outboard wont flood, ill explain in the post

T

taymag

Contributing Member
So my 150 2-stroke Merc wouldn't start up this morning (it sat a few months but fired up ok last week).

So, like always I pressed the key in to prime and start and it was just turning over constantly like when the kill switch is off. No matter how much I primed it I couldn't get it to flood (100% of the time if I have trouble starting and end up over-priming I get a pop where the ignition kicks out and I couldn't make it do that).

I figured maybe the primer solenoid (I think its actually called the enrichment valve or something) wasn't letting gas in since it wouldn't flood even after priming quite a few times but when I took the cowling off it was clicking when someone pressed the key in and manually pressing the button on top of the primer solenoid/(enrichment valve?) didn't do the trick either.

What else could this be? It seems physically impossible to pull the hoses off, but if I pulled one of the two off at the solenoid what one would it be the top of bottom one (to see if priming is letting gas in)?
 
Do you have a squeeze to prime bulb on your inlet fuel line? The fuel enrichment is just a valve that lets pressurized fuel (by the action of the primer bulb) into the carburetor when energized. No prime no fuel to make it up the hose to the carburetors.
 
Texasmark said:
Do you have a squeeze to prime bulb on your inlet fuel line? The fuel enrichment is just a valve that lets pressurized fuel (by the action of the primer bulb) into the carburetor when energized. No prime no fuel to make it up the hose to the carburetors.
Click to expand...

Ya, its a squeeze ball that does get hard, so the enrichment valve was all I could think of since I cant seem to flood the engine even if I try
 
With the bulb hard and after you attempt to crank for a period of time, does the bulb become softer and respond to pumping back up? Yes OK. No fuel blockage somewhere.

You can disconnect the hose at the/a carburetor, and with a firm bulb, push the key. You should get fuel out of the hose. If not, go to the input of the enricher solenoid. Pinch off the hose before you remove it and get a container ready to accept fuel when you remove the pliers. No fuel, blockage.

Blockage could be in the fuel line between the bulb and the engine, or in the bulb itself. I have tan/light brown hard slivers of something in two different boats occur recently. Don't know if it's the Grey OEM fuel line deteriorating, or something fuel related but it can load up your fuel filter and block it.....installations were over 10 years old with no replacements over that time to the items mentioned.
 
Pull the feed line off the primer solenoid and pressurize the system to make sure gas is getting fed to it. You may want to have some vise grips handy to pinch off the line until you can hook it up again to keep gas from going everywhere. If gas is being fed to it then disconnect the discharge line from the solenoid and check that gas is flowing out of it when you push the choke button. Put a rag under it to catch the fuel. If you hear it clicking you know have voltage being applied but its a simple matter to pull the two wire harness out far enough to check it with a voltmeter at the plug in connector.
 
OOPS! Got previous backwards. Check the discharge side of the primer solenoid 1st. If fuel is flowing when choke button is pressed your done. Its working.
 
Back
Top