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ENGINE STOP - what to do?

Why my engine doesn’t start?

 

One of most struggling moments in boating is when you are out at sea and you cannot turn the engine on anymore.

Frustration after trying and trying grows and we all somehow panicked…

But what happens?

Why the outboard suddenly stops?

And why doesn’t turn on anymore?

Here you will find a small but smart guide to detect any simple problems which are the reason of about 90% of engine problem out at sea.

 

STEP 1: BE UNDER CONTROL

You know something in boating of course, so try to apply very basic rules and try to sort things out with manner.

Don’t panic, nor act in a bad behaviour.. we all have been in a distress situation, the only thing makes sense is just to keep the CONTROL.

You are now in charge of detecting the issues, people will rely on your skills and knowledge more than a nautical license, so again, remain still and go politely towards the following points.

 

STEP 2: WHY THE ENGINE STOPPED?

Finding the cause is the first thing to do, and sometimes is easier than you think.

In order to answer to this question we have to distinguish on HOW the engine stopped:


1) THE ENGINE REMAINED ON, WITH NO POWER, THEN SUFFOCATED

This is a very common issue 90% of the time due to FUEL STARVATION. Most probably you just finished the fuel in the tank.

Another very elementar but at the same time tricky issue, is the cap vent.

Wen refilling small outboard tanks, most of the time we close the cap AND the small screw on top of it, which is its breather.

If this vent is not open, air is not allowed in, therefore no fuel will go out, resulting in a tank squeeze.


2) THE ENGINE REMAINS ON FOR A WHILE AT LIMITED POWER

The main cause of this issue is cooling, most of the time water doesn’t circulate properly and doesn’t cool down the engine. First thing to do is to check the temperature.

The main reasons are three:

  • Impeller

  • Clogged lower unit

  • 2 strokes oil


3) THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED, LIKE PULLING A HANDBRAKE

This can be a dangerous reason so be careful. Most probably something (likely a line, a rope or a piece of wood) got tangled into the propeller and stopped the engine from a very delicate part of the engine.

For very easy reason to understand… DON’T EVER TRY TO ENGAGE WHILE PEOPLE IS AT SEA BEHIND THE PROP. I know it might seem ridiculous, but I personally witnessed a very bad attempt and had to intervene before a lady lost her husband’s favorite part so… Don’t play silly in that very specific point.

Another reason is a blow up, but we don’t want to think of things we cannot sort out ourselves at sea!


STEP 3: HOW TO FIX THINGS AND START AGAIN

Now that we detected the reason, and acted a bit with common sense, after verifying all the above issues, let’s see what we can do!

 

IF THE ENGINE DOESN’T MAKE ANY NOISE

If you try to start and the engine doesn’t even try to kick in reasons are quite easy to detect because most of the time this has to do with contact and switches, electric components to be checked are:

 

  • Battery switch

  • Battery terminals

  • Gear Engaged

  • Killcord

Now that you excluded these problems, probably you either started the engine, either you need to keep reading.


IF THE ENGINE TRIES TO START, BUT DOESN’T FIRE

The following problems are more related to fuel starvation and happen when you have a clear and safe electrical setup, therefore once you cleared the above mentioned steps you are at the stage with an engine trying to fire and for some reason doesn’t:

 

  • Fuel tank not connected

  • Fuel selector/tap

  • Connectors air leak

  • Manual pump

  • Clogged fuel intake

  • Killcord

  • Trim too high


This is a brief guide for how to sort out initial problems at sea.

Bare in mind:

  • be responsible

  • don’t panic

  • use common sense


For anything else let a specialist check for you, but at least you have a guide to which issues you can encounter.

Stay safe!

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