Periodic hard starting....help needed!

[Leojay]

Yamaha Nation I Need Your Help!
Since new in 2014 I periodically have had a hard start situation with my naturally aspirated 1.8 engine. When it happens It always eventually starts after cranking for several seconds for one or two cycles. Sometimes I go a full season with out it happening, but sometimes its a few times in one season, but its rare. You just never know when it's going to have this difficulty starting.
Recommended solutions by those who have experienced the same situation are:

1. Let the engine cool and idle a bit before shutting it down each time
2. Run the blower for longer periods before starting
3. Its been suggested its possibly vapor lock and may happen more when pushing the engine hard.

Here is how you can help. I'm trying to determine if this problem is limited to certain years. I ask if you could simply comment here with the word "yes" or "no" if this has ever happened to you followed by the year of your boat.
I'll start - Yes 2014
I can't thank you enough!!

 

[Neutron]

Yamaha Nation I Need Your Help!
Since new in 2014 I periodically have had a hard start situation with my naturally aspirated 1.8 engine. When it happens It always eventually starts after cranking for several seconds for one or two cycles. Sometimes I go a full season with out it happening, but sometimes its a few times in one season, but its rare. You just never know when it's going to have this difficulty starting.
Recommended solutions by those who have experienced the same situation are:

1. Let the engine cool and idle a bit before shutting it down each time
2. Run the blower for longer periods before starting
3. Its been suggested its possibly vapor lock and may happen more when pushing the engine hard.

Here is how you can help. I'm trying to determine if this problem is limited to certain years. I ask if you could simply comment here with the word "yes" or "no" if this has ever happened to you followed by the year of your boat.
I'll start - Yes 2014
I can't thank you enough!!

How long of a cranking are we talking about? 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20.......?

 

[RiverRat]

No, 2014 supercharged
No, 2018 N/A

 

[Leojay]

How long of a cranking are we talking about? 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20.......?

approx. 5-7 seconds each attempt. Normally starts in 1 second or so.

 

[Levi Weatherford]

yes. 2017 212 Limited S(starboard side mostly I think) I now let it idle to cool down some and it never happens anymore.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

2014 neutral safety switch periodically just move the throttle back and forth a bit and retry it usually starts up after that I had the exact same problem with a 2014 1800 engine and I mean exact it did it out of the clear blue sky once in a while with no obvious reason.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Yes 2020

In the words of The Dude in the big Lebowski, “Hey mannn…new shit has come to light”

One of our members @MrBubbaGump (210 FSH owner) appears to have unearthed the fix for this issue on the 21’ hulls with the TR-1 engines.

Thread 'Hard to start'

Jul 25, 2020

Ok guys. I need someone to explain this to me. After spending a few hours in float mode One of my engines on my 2018 212 limited s was hard to start. It took five attempts to start. After it started it missed until I gave it throttle after that no problems. This happened a few weeks ago and it was both engines, on separate occasions. Can someone explain this to me.

• Jason spanick
• Replies: 83
• Forum: General Discussion

I linked page three so you can skip to the end so to speak. The short version is that on the 21’ hull TR-1 engines configuration the fix from Yamaha is to run the boat hard in reverse for a couple of seconds to remove water (excess?) from the water locks before shutdown. Member @anmut has confirmed that this procedure works with his 21’ 212S bow rider, with the boat in neutral use the no wake mode button and raise the rpm’s to level three hold it there for 10-15 seconds, then back to normal idle before engine shutdown. I have also recently used @anmut’s method to have reliable crisp re starts. The way I see it doing this removes enough water from the water locks to create a bubble of gas in there, when the engine starts there is somewhere for the exhaust gas to go since a gas can be compressed, whereas if the lock is full of water (water can’t be compressed) there isn’t anywhere for the exhaust gas to go and that creates a lot of back pressure when the motor is trying to start so much so it can’t start. The motor must pump enough water out to create that bubble in the lock and once the back pressure drops enough it will start.

I believe Yamaha stated that this issue was not limited to one model.

So, it stands to reason that your 1.8L engine boat could possibly benefit from this procedure as well, see my post #54 in the linked thread. Why not give it a try and let us know.

 

[Dixemon]

yes: 2020 210 FSH TR-1's, Starboard motor randomly hard to start. Better if i allow it to idle a minute prior to shutdown.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Was out all day yesterday, I cruised all the way around Lake Poygan and went over to Lake Butte Des Morts, probably 60 miles at least, I burned 20 gallons of fuel. I ran a test, a couple of times I just came to a stop and turned off the motors and the other times came to a stop and ran the engines at no wake level three approximately 2300 rpms in neutral for 10 or 15 seconds. The times I did not do the no wake the starboard engine either started lazily or one time I had to crank it a bunch, with the no wake treatment both engines started briskly after a few revolutions from the starter motor just like when I put the boat in for the first time of the day, like @anmut said.

Thanks @MrBubbaGump! The information you got from Yamaha has worked very well.

 

[Cambo]

When surfing with the 850lb ballast and stock ballast weighting the surf side, the motor is buried deep in the water and has been a known issue to hard start. My solution that seemed to help was having everyone go to the opposite side of the boat to even it out as much as possible this could have possibly siphoned some water out of the water lock. The neutral rev seems like it would also be helpful before shutting down the motor. I did have a two hard starts but just recently replaced the spark plugs and have not had it since.

 

[OntheWater77]

Yes, 2022 210 FSH deluxe.
This has been the exact issue I have been experiencing! Sluggish start on one engine in my 2022 210 FSH, typically the Starboard engine. Boat plugged into an onboard charger overnight, first thing in the AM batteries read full and both engines fire up great. Ride around for most of the day, typically fishing off of the trolling motor only, and when I go to fire up the engines, Port fires great Starboard is super sluggish to start. Starter battery was only 2 yrs old, but I went ahead and changed it out and am still experiencing the same issue. Starter battery show >12V on the connext screen, Eventually it fires up, but this makes me very nervous as I fish quite a ways away from civilization many times. I now carry an emergency jump kit on the boat just in case, but I am starting to think it is not a battery issue, but more of an engine issue... maybe flooding or something.. @FSH 210 Sport, this is the issue I contacted you freaking out about while I was in the middle of no where northern MN walleye fishing! I am so happy to have seen this thread, this has been really bothering me! I will give the "soft stop" fix from @MrBubbaGump a try and report back on the outcome!

 

[Leojay]

Thanks for your response, I added your feedback to a spreadsheet I'm keeping. Unfortunately, I tried the slow stop method a well as reving it in reverse for a few seconds to blow out any water back up in the exhaust box and it did not seem to help. I also intentionally abruptly stopped a few times and it fired right over. Couldn't get it to replicate.

 

[suke]

Yup 2020 212x. It's very very random. Only things I've found to be common is it's hot out, and/or long/hard runs. No amount of high idle, reverse, no wake mode, etc changes mine. I have found what limits it is when surfing just don't turn off the motors in between riders. Then when it's time to put everything away let the boat idle while draining ballasts, and putting everything away. One other item I've found that is 100% effective is to open the engine hatch for a couple of minutes when it has hard start issues. It'll fire right up then. To me it seems like heat soak more than anything. That engine bay gets hot AF and when it's 90*+ outside with water temps also in the 90's that doesn't help.

 

[AZMark]

Yes. 2018 212. Infrequent but it definitely happens.

 

[1BadTundra]

YES: 2016 212x

 

[Leojay]

Ive been considering installing a second blower to blow fresh air in? Both blowers would run at once, atleast that's the plan.

 

[David Martin]

Leojay I feel you are on the right track. Others have seen an improvement on exhaust water clear out on certain models......water in exhaust causing back pressure which causes hard starts......an engine needs to breath(in) as well as breath (out) or explosion/starting suffer.

Engines are fairly simple Fuel, Air, Spark if any one of these are off just a little, no start or run. Now on the Yamaha ignition system.....it a stator/COP system. Coil on plug......their are listed Pro & Cons of this system, under PRO's is low cost, simple, (no belts, pulleys ect....) highly adjustable with EMC, light weight........that's why used on motorcycles, outboards and jet skis. Cons, Not as robust as a big iron systems, and due to how stators are installed deep in the motors attached to crank ect......are more likely to have heat related issues!!!!!!

Another con listed is hanging Accessoires off the ignition side of the switch.............and no one puts accessories on our stock boats....RIGHT! LOL. I'm sure no one ever add Radar, color GPS or fish finders with bottom contour side scan sonar......or large stereos or extra speakers or under water lights ect ect ect.........Right! lol. Anyway accessories on the ignition side can effect the voltage/magnetic field of the less than robust stators, causing hard starts.

Good luck on this adventure because this word usually gives me a headache......INTERMITTENT electronic trouble ........ugh........hate that word.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Thanks for your response, I added your feedback to a spreadsheet I'm keeping. Unfortunately, I tried the slow stop method a well as reving it in reverse for a few seconds to blow out any water back up in the exhaust box and it did not seem to help. I also intentionally abruptly stopped a few times and it fired right over. Couldn't get it to replicate.

Did you try running at no wake mode level three in neutral for 15 seconds before shut down?

 

[OntheWater77]

Next time I experience this I will make sure to pop the helm seat up and check the temp in the engine bay, but it seems that I only experience this after the engines have been off for a significant period, like when fishing w the trolling motor, swimming, sandbar time, etc. You would think if this was a temp issue, it would be more prevalent after long runs on the engines...

 

[JETSKIJIMMY]

Yamaha Nation I Need Your Help!
Since new in 2014 I periodically have had a hard start situation with my naturally aspirated 1.8 engine. When it happens It always eventually starts after cranking for several seconds for one or two cycles. Sometimes I go a full season with out it happening, but sometimes its a few times in one season, but its rare. You just never know when it's going to have this difficulty starting.
Recommended solutions by those who have experienced the same situation are:

1. Let the engine cool and idle a bit before shutting it down each time
2. Run the blower for longer periods before starting
3. Its been suggested its possibly vapor lock and may happen more when pushing the engine hard.

Here is how you can help. I'm trying to determine if this problem is limited to certain years. I ask if you could simply comment here with the word "yes" or "no" if this has ever happened to you followed by the year of your boat.
I'll start - Yes 2014
I can't thank you enough!!

I have found with all my 1.8 motors that if I have idled them for long amounts of time, they tend to do the same more often. Easiest fix was replacing spark plugs more often. cheap fix and never hurts to change them more often than not.