Outboard suddenly stopped running?

Question

My 1998 nissan 50 hp outboard suddenly shut itself off after about five minutes at half throttle. It wasn't the kill switch, because it would start up again after several cranks. The outboard did this same trick 3 times, run for 5 minutes at half throttle and then completely shuts off. My day of boating was cut short as I didn't want to risk getting stranded. Gas was about 1 month old and about 1/2 tank. Oil level ok. Never did this before in 9 years of operation. Any ideas what it might be?

Answer 1

I would look for fuel issues. make sure the air vent is open all the way or open the tank cap while running. Try replacing the hose and pump up bulb. It can go bad and some can even hook up backwards. Drain the carbs to remove any water that might have accumulated in the carbs and run some water remover or change the fuel to eliminate the water issue. Finally look for air leaks in the fuel intake system. Good luck

Answer 2

Start looking for a fuel issue.  I heard of one motor that shut down repeatedly because of an errant piece of fishing line.

Answer 3

check fuel filter, you might want to replace it,if you haven't allready