1990 115hp Evinrude has problems starting....?

Question

I have a 1990 Henry O with a 115 Evinrude outboard motor. My problem is that my battery dies after trying to start it.

Here's my process:

I try starting without using the choke or giving it any gas.

It never starts, but I'm always afraid that I'll flood it, so I'll do that to start with. My key is also the choke ... so next I'll push the key in while trying to start it to give it a little gas ... but it still doesn't start.

I'll continue this process for about ten minutes with out any luck.

I rarely smell fuel like you do when it's flooded.

Yesterday this happened to me, and I had someone come to help me after about ten minutes of trying to start it. He sprayed some starter fluid into the carb and it fired right up. By that time my battery was almost dead, and I had to jump it off the rest of the day .. it would start fine, it's just the battery was dead.

I could very well be the problem here. Kinda new at starting motors with a carburetor. It has new spark plugs.

Answer 1

Most common cause of hard cold start:  operator error.

You don't have choke plates, you have a primer system instead.  The motor will not start cold unless you prime it, as you know by now.

Pump primer bulb till firm, hi-idle lever full up (unless your motor is equipped with the "quick-start" feature), push the key in and turn it to "start" and hold until it catches then release the key.

Warm start, should only need a bump of the key.

If it won't start like this within a few seconds, then you need to troubleshoot the engine to pinpoint the cause.

You are wearing out your battery and your starter motor.  You're doing way more damage than if you flooded it every once in a while.

And put the battery on a charger, for Pete's sake, your motor's alternator will never put a full charge on it in the condition it's in now.

One more thing.  Never but never spray starter fluid into a 2-stroke motor -- it has no lubricating qualities.  But it is a very effective solvent, and will strip whatever oil is there, right off the cylinder walls.  If you wouldn't run your motor with no oil, don't use starter fluid.

Answer 2

I have a 1993 Evinrude 115, yours is probably the same. It does not have a choke but a primer. How I start mine is I squeeze the bulb until hard, press the key in for 10 seconds, advance the throttle a little (or fast idle on OMC control) & turn the key. What the primer does is shoot a little gas into the motor. when it starts & tried to die, I press the key in again,,