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Ongoing problem with a 1990 Evinrude 150 not turning past the first compression. Two year old battery load tested OK last year, charged to 12.89v this year, and adding a second battery didn't help. Jumping from a running truck got it to turn slowly and start. After warming up, it started instantly multiple times with just the installed battery.

Cleaned connections and the starter + wire shows 12.77v but I don't have a way to measure amps. Removed starter and it appears to spin freely when connected to a battery. Going to try again today to see if it starts without help.

Not sure if the next step is a new starter or a new battery, somehow amps are being lost. Amazon has starters ~$60 but they work for some buyers and not for others. Battery costs a bit more.

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Cy -

If jumping the engine at the starter motor helped, I think the problem is not the boat battery but the wiring. I had a similar cold start/bad starter /no start issue on my 1987 Montauk 17 with a Yamaha 90.

If it were me, I would check the connections at the starter and the ground screw on the engine block. Look at the battery cable, about 3' and 6' from the motor. This is where battery cables get spliced. If you do have a splice, it may very well be corroded wire.

If the battery is in the console, to get to the cable at 6' you may need to pull it out of the tunnel (tie a string at the console end and pull at the stern)

Check the crimped connectors. If they are really old, cut them off and install new connectors and use liquid electrical tape.

Check the ignition wires. Are the connectors tight on the wires, give a tug. If loose, cut off and re-install.

I did all the above with my boat. Problem was a hidden splice in the tunnel, buried in electrical tape. Totally corroded. Ran new cables and walla!

On my next boat, a 1991 Outrage 17, I re-wired the entire boat in year 2 to avoid gremlins. Found a host of buried problems from prior repower. What a mess.

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Thanks for the suggestions Phil. Slight correction, jumping battery to battery from a running vehicle got it to turn over continuously while jumping from a spare battery didn't help. I will look again but my engine ground is a heavy wire that goes from battery, in the rear, to the starter without splices. Each battery terminal has several connectors feeding other areas of the boat (1979 Outrage V-20).

I did remove the starter and it appeared normal when powered. Cleaned connections before reinstalling. With the relay + wire disconnected from the starter you can hear the relay click and the wire shows almost battery voltage.

Mildly surprised today when we tried again. It slowly crank past compressions until I hit the right amount of priming. Not as fast as when jumped from a running vehicle but it didn't stop like yesterday.

Rain Thursday so will wait until Friday's high tide for the real test.

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Use jumper cables directly from the battery to the starter. This will tell you if the cables are the problem.

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Got it in the water, after running on the driveway, and it ran after a few starting attempts. Staying near the launch area everything seemed fine at 1200-1400 rpm. Went to more open water, started to speed up and the engine died. Half a dozen attempts to start and it does, running fine in the low teens rpm.

Once again I pushed up to 2200 rpm, speed came up, acted as if it wanted to plane, and then the engine rpm started a smooth drop off again. Before it did I throttled back to 1600 rpm and every thing was normal. Ended up about 90 minutes of 1600 rpm with repeated higher attempts. No signs of misfire or roughness, just a smooth decline in rpm.

New fuel lines, new gas, drained the fuel filter, tank fuel line filter seemed clear when I blew into the tank, even took the fuel filler cap off. Time for a trip to the shop.

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I still think you have an electrical continuity problem in the starting circuit.

Did you try pumping the primer bulb when running?

My guesses of possible culprits:

fuel pump
carbs
dropping cylinder

Keep us informed.

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I want to try jumping battery direct starter to see if it spins any faster. Yes, tried squeezing the bulb but made no difference.

Today I bypassed the Moeller filter/separator to see if that is a restriction. Only test runs on the filter from deck tanks but have now changed to the inboard tank. Guess I could go back to a deck tank for a test.

Had hoped to get it off the grass but today's 8.5' high tide barely got the stern damp. Evening high tides go to 11' + over the next week. Bow nav lights work, better find my stern light.

Got a new Venture VAB2825 from Tilton Trailer Outlet, Tilton NH. ~$500 less than Port harbor and other dealers in mid coast ME.

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And the answer is starter. With the two year old battery and a new starter I had instant driveway starts today. Now to see how it does in the water.

Actually it was the very worn bendix/pinon gear jamming in the flywheel at times.

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Good to hear you solved the mystery.

Keep us informed.

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Ditto.

On the cost spectrum of things that can go wrong, a starter is relatively painless. Hope you get back on the water soon.