RandyLinden

Hi When you go to start your engine and the graphs show low voltage it is because the engine is pulling power from the battery not leaving enough for your electronics at the same time. As others have pointed out there are a number of things that need to be checked. You have indicated that the battery is new. Make sure that it is correct for your boat, confirm that it has enough cold cranking amperes for your engine. Larger modern outboards need 1000 CCA and often have starting issues if lower a CCA battery is used. As an example there are some engines like Mercury Verados that specify AGM batteries because the characteristics of an AGM works better when starting a Verado. Next test the new battery to ensure that it is actually good. It is not uncommon for a brand new battery to have a problem like not fully charging or holding a charge or not capable of producing the required amperage. Once you are confident the the battery is correct and good double check all the wiring and pay extra attention to all connections and connectors. A bit of corrosion or a poor connection will cause problems. Wiring your electronics directly with heavier gauge marine wire is a good idea. Depending of the length of the run and the equipment it powers I use 12 awg to 10 awg for most electronics make sure there is a fuse or better a breaker with a shut off near the battery. Confirm that you charger is actually fully charging the battery. As AKRISONER has mentioned it is possible that your on board charger is not shutting off at the correct time and is destroying the battery by over heating and boiling them. After all of this you still have a problem follow smitty55's advice and trouble shoot for a parasitic drain. If all checks out and problems persist you could install an additional dedicated battery just for all your electronics. From your description I'm betting that you need a need a new battery... hope this helps.

You will get a variety of replies to this one. I do not like the the traditional "transom savers". The ones that connect the trailer to the lower unit on the engine. This type induces every bit shock and vibration directly into the lower unit of the engine and ultimately into the transom. They kind of do what you really don't want and are trying to prevent by using a "transom saver". In my opinion the boats transom probably sees much higher levels of stress while powering the boat up on plane and carrying the weight boat at speed out on the water. Add in some rough water conditions and the punishment that the transom has to endure increases even more. The travel while on the trailer should in comparison be much easier. I think that it is important to keep the engine from bouncing and it would also be good to keep the engine from flopping to one side and then the other. The good old block of wood strategically placed between the engine and mount will do the job and there are a broad range of modern stabilizers and engine supports, some of them expensive that also do the job. There are a few engines that have a good tilt lock mechanism that is perfect for trailering and even recommended by the engine manufacturer. There are also a variety of steering locks that keep the engine centered and prevent it from flopping over to on side or the other. Most of these are intended for the newer hydraulic steering systems.

Hi, I suggest that before you get too worried about what might or could happen with the engine, you or a experienced mechanic should perform a thorough inspection of everything to make sure that there are no evident service or maintenance issues such as fuel lines, chaffed or damaged wires, leaks etc. Then do another compression test and actually confirm that there might be a problem. It is very important to use a high quality reliable gauge. I have seen some widely variant readings from cheap low end compression gauges, so find a good one to do the testing with, you need good consistant readings to confirm what the compression is. You can also try doing a cold and warm test that might show that the compression is within spec when warm and may explain why the engine seems to run well. If the compression is not bad go ahead and enjoy your boat and stop worrying, Should the new testing show that there is a potential problem then it becomes a question of how bad is it really? If it is not to severe use it this season and have it freshened it up in the off season for use over the next few years with no worries. If it turns out that it is in fact bad enough to be worried about then bite the bullet and fix it now. That engine as others have pointed out is a good, reliable, and relatively simple engine that any good experienced outboard mechanic can overhaul in a few hours without having to spend a fortune. Finding a good and honest mechanic might be the biggest challenge... Best of luck and have fun with your new boat!

I would like to begin by saying that I am not opposed to technology nor the implementation or application of new and better technology. I have all the tech on my boat and I know how it works. I have also used it enough to be fairly proficient at using it and can attest to it's effectiveness in the right conditions and circumstances. There is no question that this technology is effective and that it can provide a significant advantage over not having it. It has to be noted that no matter what the technology is learning it, understanding it, and knowing how to use it are essential or it is just a decoration on your boat. The fact is: That anglers using and learning this new technology, are able to be very successful, without the skills, experience, and knowledge that the traditional or "Old School" anglers have, and have worked hard to acquire. As a result there are many skilled anglers that are no longer as competitive when fishing against the ones that have the technology. I believe that In tournament fishing this the main reason why so many old school anglers are turned against the use of this technology more than anything. The other factor leading the opposition of this tech in tournaments would be the high cost of rigging a tournament boat with it. As good as this new technology is, it is not effective all of the time resulting in some disappointed anglers that rely only on forward-facing sonar and do not have any other skills to catch fish. I have actually witnessed tournament participants load their boats and go home part way through the day because forward facing sonar fishing was not working for them and they didn't have a plan B. There have always been advancements in the technology used in fishing. All the best fishing reels that are available today benefit from advanced engineering, high tech, light weight materials and better quality. The same holds true for fishing rods, fishing lines, lures and baits, fish attractants, etc. Items like trolling motors with brushless electric motors and spot lock anchoring functions, lithium boat batteries, and GPS mapping systems to mention a few. None of these advancements have had as much of an impact as forward-facing sonar when it comes to success locating and catching fish. It actually changes completely the way you can catch fish. It is my opinion that this removes a piece of the challenge. Scouting out a body of water, the fun of figuring out the structure, and coming up with a pattern to catch fish. For me it's that exploring and experimenting based on what I have learned and experienced that is the most fun and rewarding when fishing. For now I will keep the equipment on my boat but it will soon be obsolete and then I will probably not reinvest another small fortune in the newer, better, latest gear and maybe just go back to "Old School" This is probably the most important thing: The question we should all be concerned about is: Technology has already diminished traditional fishing skills, when does the technology completely erase the pleasure one can get from this hobby and sport?

Thanks Terry, I apologize for the highlighted text in the previous post, it showed up and I was unable to switch it off.

Hydrogen is volatile for sure but from what I have read it is safer than gasoline. Both fuels are dangerous if there is a leak and there is enough oxygen with an ignition source. Gasoline being a liquid can be more dangerous if there is a leak because it can spread over an area and remain there for a long time with the possibility of igniting the gas and its vapors while hydrogen leaks and escapes into the air it is dangerous if the concentration of hydrogen and oxygen is high enough along with an ignition source. (Like in the Hindenburg) In fact the Hindenburg's fire was mostly due to the diesel fuel that was used to power the engines and a flammable lacquer on the outside of the ship. There seems to be little concern that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are more dangerous than gasoline powered cars with internal combustion engines.

Why? Just wondering why you don't think it's a good option? Hydrogen is safe, It can be easily produced, It is clean & green, existing engine technology can be used to operate on hydrogen... IMO it is a far better alternative than battery powered electric options.

Sometimes the bolt is ok and new crush washers is all you need...

I agree with making sure that everything is in proper working condition and for some reason these kicker engine carburetors get messed up quite easily. I think it might be because they are tilted up and the fuel drains out of the system leaving only the bowl with residual gas and over time this deposits some ugly crap that can mess up the carburetor. So I would suggest a thorough carb cleaning to begin with. Starting and running these smaller kickers is a bit of a trial and error exercise you will need to find out what works with your particular engine. I suggest that the primer bulb is squeezed to be firm then choke to start, squeeze the primer again to make sure its firm, don't turn the choke off all the way, set it to maybe the half way on point or where the engine sounds like it likes it... You may need to run it for a bit with the choke partially on, usually to a point where the engine has some heat in it and no longer needs any choke. I often see it where the choke is completely shut off too soon and the engines just stall out, wait a bit and even drive a while then slowly ease the choke off as the engine warms up. Good luck!

Part of the problem is that it is difficult to prove what someone is fishing for. If a CO see's someone tossing a spinnerbait and the angler claims he's fishing for pike, was there a regulation broken? It's hard to prove intent and all too often there is no real proof or evidence. There are also many anglers that do not know about lures and the types to use along with very little knowledge about the habitat, biology and spawning cycles of various species that the regulations are based on. I have a cottage on Loughborough lake and have watched and reported a number of obvious offenders but it is difficult to prove. The only successful intervention occurred when an out of province angler was actually putting large mouth bass in his live well. As an early season Crappie guy with a serious bass glitter boat I get hassled and accused of bass fishing constantly, to the point that it's no longer an enjoyable activity. I understand the challenges and actions from concerned folks watching out but it's equally important to understand that not every angler is out there hammering out of season fish. More information and education is required but as long as it is legal to catch some species while other species are out of season I feel that this problem will just continue and it becomes a matter of personal ethics to go fishing at this time of the year.

Hi I would suggest if this is an engine you want to be good and reliable, that this is the time to bite the bullet and spend some money to get it into the best possible operating condition. You can replace the oiling system with new components so it will operate like new and be serviceable for many years or you could remove the oil injection system completely, and then mix your fuel with a high quality TCW-3 2 stroke oil. Given the age of the engine one or the other will be necessary. Before spending any money you should do a compression test to confirm that the engine is in good condition internally. As Crowman mentioned overheating is bad news, so it is most important to replace the water pump (I recommend every 2 years on these engines) check/test/replace the poppet valve and thermostat, cooling on these is critical and you don't want to destroy the engine due to overheating. Other items include possibly cleaning and rebuilding carburetors, replace fuel filter, install new spark plugs, replace the fuel lines with new ethanol compliant lines, change the lower unit oil and pressure test, check the condition of the plug wires and replace if needed, inspect all wiring for exposed terminals, chaffing etc. Make sure you have a good battery. It is very important to make sure that your RPM are in the proper range at WOT with a good quality prop in good condition. The boat should have a normal load in it for testing purposes. I believe you want the WOT RPM to be between 5000 and 5500 RPM. If you are not comfortable working on an engine like this then you should take it to good reputable mechanic. Hope this helps.

You might want to try Roy Brunner 1-613-561-5079 He guides out of Treasure Island Marina just east of Kingston and is known locally as Muskie Ace. I know it's not Cornwall but there are still a lot of musky being caught in this area. Timing is everything there seems to be periods where many fish are caught.

Hi, I'm not trying to argue but using Crossborderpickups cost about 15.00 per package plus duties and taxes plus a 3% transaction fee. It could be good if you live in the GTA but elsewhere not so great. If you live within a reasonable distance to a border crossing a Kinek address works really well. You will need to drive over and pick it up and then clear it thru customs. Kinek provides you with a US address to ship things to and in some cases you can save a bunch of money however I don't see it with the Weize batteries in this scenario.

I looked at the Weize but wasn't able to find them available in Canada. You can buy them on Amazon.com but theywill not ship to Canada. Even if you have them delivered to a Kinek box they cost more than the Flypower with the high dollar exchange and then you still need to pay applicable duty and taxes. Even though they have a 10 year warranty I think the Flypower"s with the 5 year warranty are a better deal right now and they have good support from their warehouse in Montreal.

Hi I was at the point where I needed to replace my boat batteries last spring and wanted to get a new set of Lithium's but the cost was more than double that of Trojans (One of the best wet cell batteries I have ever used and what I was replacing after 5 years of heavy use) but when I took a look at Amazon I found these for about $100 more and decided to give them a go. LifePo4 Battery 12V 100Ah 10000+ Deep Cycles with 100A BMS Grade A Cells for Solar Trolling Motor RV Camping Off-Grid System Household Appliances with Low Temp Protection : Amazon.ca: Sports & Outdoors Used them last season and I am pleased with how well they work. I no longer fish tournaments so I just used the charger that was supplied and had no issues. The batteries were delivered within two days from a warehouse in Montreal. They were well packaged. After hooking up the chargers I noticed that one was not functioning (no LED indicator and no cooling fan operation) I reported the problem and immediately received a replacement charger, so great customer service from Flypower. I plan to add a battery monitoring system this year just because I think it would be interesting to understand how much power I'm actually using. My boat has two Lowrance 12" and one 9" display as well as structure scan, active target and a stereo system all operating from one battery and the Ghost trolling motor operates on two more batteries on 24V. I still have a big wet cell cranking battery for the engine. The batteries have reduced the weight in the back of the boat significantly and I feel like it gets on plane a bit easier. At about $400 a piece I would buy these again and may repower my electric golf cart this summer with them.