Yamaha Problem

I have a 2119 SHO 90hp. Went over to the river yesterday, yes it was cold out. Backed the boat in, put the motor down and it would not start. It would fire a little and then die. I tried everything, checked kill switch, pumped the bulb up and nothing helped. On the way home I stopped at LaCanne’s. They checked it out and got back to me later in the day and said they changed the spark plugs and that solved the problem, but they wanted to check it out again this morning and see if it would start. They felt it could be the winter blend gas sitting in the tank since November. Would that foul the plugs? I use non-oxygenated gas and always put Stabile in the tank. I’ve been going over to the river in March and April for 45 years. I’ve never had problem like this before. Does this make sense? To me it doesn’t, but what do I know.

I had an outboard mechanic tell me that 90% of all engine issues are fuel related.

LaCannes is my dealer. They leave the old gas in and add some brand of stabilizer. It’s only 2 years old so fingers crossed this spring.

We had a 4 stroke Jetski years ago that had similar issues, first run of the year it ran like complete **** . Stuttering sputtering running on 2-3 cylinders wouldnt stay running. Thought it was odd as we siphoned all the fuel out and put in fresh premium and always ran premium. Took the plugs out – One had A LITTLE corrosion around the porcelain part where it meets the metal, otherwise all looked like new on the outside and nice light brown on the electrode end like they should . Doubtly – Put new plugs, ran great. Couldnt hardly believe it .

Wonder if you had water/moisture in the cylinders. I leave gas in my boat all winter but I put in some Seafoam on my last trip out.

nord wrote:

They checked it out and got back to me later in the day and said they changed the spark plugs and that solved the problem, but they wanted to check it out again this morning and see if it would start. They felt it could be the winter blend gas sitting in the tank since November. Would that foul the plugs? I use non-oxygenated gas and always put Stabile in the tank. I’ve been going over to the river in March and April for 45 years. I’ve never had problem like this before. Does this make sense? To me it doesn’t, but what do I know.

No, it doesn’t make sense.

Engines need 3 things. Fuel. Air. Spark. They’re saying it’s bad fuel so they fixed it by changing the spark? If it was truly bad fuel and they didn’t pump out the tank and replace all the fuel, then how did changing spark plugs fix the bad fuel? It should now still run like crap, but with a slightly better spark if it was bad fuel.

Moreover, if the spark plugs really were the culprit, then putting the old plugs back in should reproduce the problem perfectly, right? And if it doesn’t, then they didn’t really find the problem.

Yes, it IS possible it was just the spark plugs and the comment about the fuel is just bullsh!t. When’s the last time you changed plugs and did you gap them correctly? Have you checked the gaps since?

I wonder what we blamed everything on before we could blame everything on ethanol/winter blend/summer blend/spring blend/fall blend fuel? Man, the wacky “ethanol done killed the engine” theories I’ve heard… Running non-ox and stabil preserves fuel as well as it can be preserved and certainly should be good for many months unless the fuel was bad when you bought it.

My 2020 yamaha sho did this starting its first year in the cold(below 40 degrees) there have been posts before about it that others have had the same issue with what just seems to be the 90 horse. I brought it to lacannes as well as others on here and basically got told they don’t know why it happens nor do they have a fix and will be updated if there is. Fast forward on my 3rd year now and have not heard anything more. Mine will usually always start the 2nd try when it’s cold out. Rarely takes 3 then 1st time the rest of the day.
When warm out always the 1st turn

I have been seeing a few problems across the board with injected four strokes that have cold start issues.
Most often it is because the idle speed control valve is a bit gummed up and sticking shut when it gets cold out.
It will have fuel pressure and good spark but it they cant get any air you are essentially flooding it.
If it happens again, try cracking the throttle open a bit, if it takes off and runs, your issue is the idle speed control valve sticking.
A lot of times you can remove it and clean it with solvent and you are good to go.

billy03z71, I too have that problem. LaCanne’s even called Yamaha and no one knows what causes it.

iowaboy1, I was hoping you would reply to my problem. I will certainly try that. I don’t know you but I have a lot of trust in you. Thanks

nord wrote:

iowaboy1, I was hoping you would reply to my problem. I will certainly try that. I don’t know you but I have a lot of trust in you. Thanks

A lot of us feel the same way, even though I have had the privilege of getting to know him. You a good man, you old farm boy from the south!