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Author Topic:   2003 Evinrude 225 Run Problems

Take Em posted 05-08-2009 02:22 PM ET (US)
Last year we had some challenges with our 2003 225 Evinrude that were discussed here on CW. The marina diagnosed a complete fuel system cleaning was in order, they did that and our motor ran pretty well thru the fall and several times out this spring. It did do one thing consistently even after the work, and that was to slightly hesitate or burp up through the RPM's upon slow acceleration. If you hammered it you didn't notice. The 2,000-RPM range it did not like.
Fast forward to this year, and I have had the boat out for perch five or six times. The coughing and sputtering seemed to worsen with every trip. Last time out after one drift she would not continue at idle. It would catch for a few seconds and quit. I messed with it for a half an hour or so at anchor off Waukegan with a stiff west wind wanting to blow me to Benton Harbor. Fortunately there was a guy in a 1973 Montauk nearby, and he continued to fish near us and offered to yank us in when he was done if we still had trouble.
Thirty minutes later I get it to keep idling and yank the anchor and get ready to head in. On the way in it seems to run fine. Talk to the marina and what they tell me is that I need to run several OMC products. First, the fuel system cleaning product and second the Carbon Guard product. Since no codes were produced, no warning sounds, [the service tech] said that it is likely a problem with dirty injectors. Also, he told me never run premium-grade fuel. Low compression motors like 89 octane and no higher.
This sounding familiar to anybody? Any advice on running these and or other products to combat ethanol effects? Also, I purchased the above mentioned products and will run them next time out. With a 70 gallon tank and no clear way to tell how much is in the tank I will just have to do my best to guesstimate the amount to add. He strongly cautioned against spark plug removal or trying to do any cleaning any other way.
Tohsgib posted 05-08-2009 02:54 PM ET (US)
Have you tried new plugs? Yes I always used the OMC products such as Carbon Guard (which is also in their oil) and the cleaner every fall. It is convenient because they connect to that [Schrader valve inlet] on the engine. You can use other brands like Techron or Seafoam as well. You will be amazed what a decarbonizing and a fresh set of plugs can do. Two-strokes don't like to idle for long, even if DFI.
Take Em posted 05-08-2009 02:59 PM ET (US)
Hmmmm. I know exactly what that [Schrader valve inlet] is. Had one on my 1991 Evinrude 115. I don't think you can do that with a FICHT.
I used to run the engine tuner and fogger that way in my 115 every fall too. Worked great.
Tohsgib posted 05-08-2009 03:02 PM ET (US)
Most EFI's have a Schrader valve (air valve thingy) on the fuel rail. I am now intrigued to see if I have one on the Zukester.
Take Em posted 05-08-2009 03:10 PM ET (US)
I am definitely going to look too when I get home, but I did ask my guy and he told me no.
What motor do you have?
Peter posted 05-08-2009 04:02 PM ET (US)
Symptoms sound like you have worn sparkplugs with a large gap much much greater than specified 0.028 to 0.030-inch. When was the last time the sparkplugs were changed? Ficht engines are tough on sparkplugs. If you do a lot of idling, you'll need to regap them back to 0.030 at about 50 hours. Make sure they are indexed too. If you don't know how to index, see www.boatsetup.com/PlgIndex.pdf
Assuming that it has worn sparkplugs, the reason why it doesn't run well at low engine speeds and seems fine at higher engine speeds is that at low engine speeds the engine is running in stratified charge mode which puts a blob of fuel in the combustion chamber that is difficult to ignite. At about 2000 RPM or so and above the charging changes to homogenious where the entire combustion chamber if charged with fuel/air which is easy to ignite.
There is no "air valve thingy" on a Ficht that is used to introduce "stuff" to the fuel mixture. You simply spray Engine Tuner into the air intakes. Decarboning is a good thing but I don't think carbon is the problem. Worn sparkplugs is the first thing I would be checking for.
Take Em posted 05-08-2009 04:42 PM ET (US)
Peter thanks for your reply and especially the link on indexing. Plugs were changed in August as a part of the fuel system issue and were properly indexed. The motor does run well at idle--usually. It was just this recent trip where that occurred. Otherwise it had been starting easily and it was just sputtering upon acceleration
Peter posted 05-09-2009 08:19 AM ET (US)
How many hours has it run since last August? I would still pull a plug and check the gap.
When I first got my Fichts (they were used), one was really hard starting in cool weather and would occasionally stall at idle. I pulled a plug and it turns out that there wasn't much left of the center electrode, gap was probably 0.080 or more (I was actually amazed that the engine would run at all with the size of the gap). The former owner of the boat had a very long no wake run to open water which is hard on the plugs.
jimh posted 05-09-2009 08:39 AM ET (US)
I don't have a Ficht, but I do have an Evinrude 225. Whenever I notice that the engine seems to stumble a bit when accelerating from 1,500-RPM upward, I have found the spark plug gap is out of tolerance.

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Author	Topic: 2003 Evinrude 225 Run Problems
Take Em	posted 05-08-2009 02:22 PM ET (US) Last year we had some challenges with our 2003 225 Evinrude that were discussed here on CW. The marina diagnosed a complete fuel system cleaning was in order, they did that and our motor ran pretty well thru the fall and several times out this spring. It did do one thing consistently even after the work, and that was to slightly hesitate or burp up through the RPM's upon slow acceleration. If you hammered it you didn't notice. The 2,000-RPM range it did not like. Fast forward to this year, and I have had the boat out for perch five or six times. The coughing and sputtering seemed to worsen with every trip. Last time out after one drift she would not continue at idle. It would catch for a few seconds and quit. I messed with it for a half an hour or so at anchor off Waukegan with a stiff west wind wanting to blow me to Benton Harbor. Fortunately there was a guy in a 1973 Montauk nearby, and he continued to fish near us and offered to yank us in when he was done if we still had trouble. Thirty minutes later I get it to keep idling and yank the anchor and get ready to head in. On the way in it seems to run fine. Talk to the marina and what they tell me is that I need to run several OMC products. First, the fuel system cleaning product and second the Carbon Guard product. Since no codes were produced, no warning sounds, [the service tech] said that it is likely a problem with dirty injectors. Also, he told me never run premium-grade fuel. Low compression motors like 89 octane and no higher. This sounding familiar to anybody? Any advice on running these and or other products to combat ethanol effects? Also, I purchased the above mentioned products and will run them next time out. With a 70 gallon tank and no clear way to tell how much is in the tank I will just have to do my best to guesstimate the amount to add. He strongly cautioned against spark plug removal or trying to do any cleaning any other way.
Tohsgib	posted 05-08-2009 02:54 PM ET (US) Have you tried new plugs? Yes I always used the OMC products such as Carbon Guard (which is also in their oil) and the cleaner every fall. It is convenient because they connect to that [Schrader valve inlet] on the engine. You can use other brands like Techron or Seafoam as well. You will be amazed what a decarbonizing and a fresh set of plugs can do. Two-strokes don't like to idle for long, even if DFI.
Take Em	posted 05-08-2009 02:59 PM ET (US) Hmmmm. I know exactly what that [Schrader valve inlet] is. Had one on my 1991 Evinrude 115. I don't think you can do that with a FICHT. I used to run the engine tuner and fogger that way in my 115 every fall too. Worked great.
Tohsgib	posted 05-08-2009 03:02 PM ET (US) Most EFI's have a Schrader valve (air valve thingy) on the fuel rail. I am now intrigued to see if I have one on the Zukester.
Take Em	posted 05-08-2009 03:10 PM ET (US) I am definitely going to look too when I get home, but I did ask my guy and he told me no. What motor do you have?
Peter	posted 05-08-2009 04:02 PM ET (US) Symptoms sound like you have worn sparkplugs with a large gap much much greater than specified 0.028 to 0.030-inch. When was the last time the sparkplugs were changed? Ficht engines are tough on sparkplugs. If you do a lot of idling, you'll need to regap them back to 0.030 at about 50 hours. Make sure they are indexed too. If you don't know how to index, see www.boatsetup.com/PlgIndex.pdf Assuming that it has worn sparkplugs, the reason why it doesn't run well at low engine speeds and seems fine at higher engine speeds is that at low engine speeds the engine is running in stratified charge mode which puts a blob of fuel in the combustion chamber that is difficult to ignite. At about 2000 RPM or so and above the charging changes to homogenious where the entire combustion chamber if charged with fuel/air which is easy to ignite. There is no "air valve thingy" on a Ficht that is used to introduce "stuff" to the fuel mixture. You simply spray Engine Tuner into the air intakes. Decarboning is a good thing but I don't think carbon is the problem. Worn sparkplugs is the first thing I would be checking for.
Take Em	posted 05-08-2009 04:42 PM ET (US) Peter thanks for your reply and especially the link on indexing. Plugs were changed in August as a part of the fuel system issue and were properly indexed. The motor does run well at idle--usually. It was just this recent trip where that occurred. Otherwise it had been starting easily and it was just sputtering upon acceleration
Peter	posted 05-09-2009 08:19 AM ET (US) How many hours has it run since last August? I would still pull a plug and check the gap. When I first got my Fichts (they were used), one was really hard starting in cool weather and would occasionally stall at idle. I pulled a plug and it turns out that there wasn't much left of the center electrode, gap was probably 0.080 or more (I was actually amazed that the engine would run at all with the size of the gap). The former owner of the boat had a very long no wake run to open water which is hard on the plugs.
jimh	posted 05-09-2009 08:39 AM ET (US) I don't have a Ficht, but I do have an Evinrude 225. Whenever I notice that the engine seems to stumble a bit when accelerating from 1,500-RPM upward, I have found the spark plug gap is out of tolerance.