2000 Evinrude Ficht 150 Hard Starting When Cold

[HydraBlade]

I have a 2000 Ficht 150 (model number E150FPLSSV) that I purchased in the fall of 2011. The issue I am having is starting during the winter months. In the summer, the motor will start with 2 or 3 tries. It will idle low for a minute then come up to normal idle speed. During the winter, it takes 15 to 20 tries to get it running. At first, when cranking, it will hit then die. After numerous times of this, it will finally start and idle really low for a couple of minutes thne gradually the idle will increase to normal. After this, it starts and runs fine the rest of the day.

I have the diagnostic software and factory service manual (with the supplement for the "V" model number). There are no codes. Compression is good on all cylinders. The CPS is gapped at .032. I have ran one can of engine tuner through it while in the driveway on the hose. I checked the Air Temp Sensor resistance this morning while the outside temp was 37 degrees and the resistance was 870 ohms. I check the TPS and it checks good.

Any other ideas? My next thing to do is to perform a full sync on it and do a shock seafoam treatment. Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

[ChampioNman]

When was the last time you put plugs in it? Are you waiting for the fuel pump to fully prime before starting? May be a worn lift pump if the plugs are fresh. When was the last time the fuel filter was replaced?

[HydraBlade]

I put fresh plugs in this summer. I forgot to mention that I pulled them this past weekend and checked them. They were still gapped to .030. I set them to .028, which didn't make a difference. The plugs had carbon on them, but didn't look bad. I am waiting 10 seconds for the pump to prime and shut off. The fuel filter was replaced in March 2011 (that is the date written on the filter). I have a new one and plan to replace it soon.

Thanks!

[HydraBlade]

Also forgot to mention the motor has 469 hours on it. The previous owner stated that the only thing other than normal maintenance was a TPS that was replaced under warranty.

[ChrisCarsonMarine]

These motors will not start properly or at all if the cranking speed is below that required to cycle the injectors,somewhat faster than a carburetor motor.The threshhold to produce nominal voltage is often overlooked,borrow a hot jumper pack and put it on the cranking battery next time,see if it makes a difference.We often trace hard or no starts to worn starters,weak batterys,small or poor condition battery cables,or bad connections,Chris

[HydraBlade]

Chris, thanks for the info. I have a new 975 CCA marine starting battery. The cables are on the battery post with stainless lock nuts. I took the starter off and had a starter/alternator shop look at it and said it was fine. There was an issue with the teeth on the bendix gear almost worn out. I bought the kit that comes with a new flywheel cover and bendix and installed it. It cranks over better now, but still have the issue with cold starts.

[ChampioNman]

Does the motor spin normally when you attempt to start it? And the plugs are gapped correctly?

[HydraBlade]

Yes, the motor seems to spin normally. When the outside temp is low, it spins just a bit slower, but still fast enough (at least I think it does...) I checked the plug gap this past weekend, they had worn to .032 or so, I re-gapped to .028. It didn't help.

Thanks for the responses guys!

[ChampioNman]

Indexed correctly? Fuel pressure OK?

[HydraBlade]

Plugs are indexed correctly. I haven't checked fuel pressure, I will try to borrow a fuel pressure gauge and check that next. One note, it seems that when I let the fuel pump run with the key on, it sounds like the gas has air in it when the pump is pressurizing. Hard to explain, and it might be normal. Also, I will pull the pulse lines to the lift pump off and see if I get gas coming out when I pump the bulb.

Thanks for the help!

[ChampioNman]

See if there is fuel at the manifold test point. Follow Chapter 4 in your manual. It could also be a bad solder joint in the PDP those have been known to give fits. Use chapter 4 and the schematics in the back of the manual and give it a whirl.

[HydraBlade]

Will do! The help is much appreciated, I will report back when I get a chance to work on it again. Thanks!

[HydraBlade]

Got a chance to work on the motor some more yesterday. I rented a fuel pressure gauge, however the piece was missing to allow me to use the gauge on the motor, so I didn't get a pressure reading. However, there seems to be plenty of pressure since fuel sprayed out pretty good when attaching the fitting. I will buy a gauge to get a true reading. The lift pump held pressure when checked and didn't let gas out when the bulb was pumped and the pulse lines off. All sensors had correct resistance readings.

I did find that on the main fuel line supplying the lift pump, the hose clamp was very loose, as in not applying any pressure at all to the hose. I tightened this back up. Also, after idling for 20 minutes on the hose, the engine temp never got above 107 degrees. Also, while idling, the diagnostics showed the exhaust pressure as -.47. Is this normal? I have attached a monitor printout. Thanks for the help!

Report.jpg

[ChampioNman]

Need to find out about that oil fault.

[HydraBlade]

Championman, in what little I researched about it was that it was a bug in the software. There are no hard or stored codes. Have you heard of such a thing as a bug in the software? I am running version 4.5.

[ChampioNman]

Possibly, I run V5.3.

[HydraBlade]

Champ, I did find out for sure that the oil fault light does not pertain to Fichts, only to Etecs (at least in versions 4.5 and 4.6). I have a fuel pressure tester ordered. Do you think there could be a partial blockage of the screens in the inlet and return of the VST? Ever heard of such a thing, or would that even cause my issue? I will be taking the lower thermostat apart to see if there is something stuck in it or it is bad.

[Pro's Choice Pete]

This thread is cool!

Don't know why, but I love to read treads on FICHT motors.

I am mostly a "lurker" in this forum, but guys like ChampioNman really make it easy on guys that need advice. And I was one of them at one time.

Keep it up!

And thanks for the quality entertainment everynow and then, I always check in often!

[ChampioNman]

Champ, I did find out for sure that the oil fault light does not pertain to Fichts, only to Etecs (at least in versions 4.5 and 4.6). I have a fuel pressure tester ordered. Do you think there could be a partial blockage of the screens in the inlet and return of the VST? Ever heard of such a thing, or would that even cause my issue? I will be taking the lower thermostat apart to see if there is something stuck in it or it is bad.

I wouldn't think that would be temperature related if that was the case. I'm still inclined to believe it is electrical. And would look at the PDP first.

[HydraBlade]

Thanks! I will check all the connections in the PDP next week and report back. I will also test fuel pressure.