2.4L 200 merc acceleration issue

[jamesbalog]

2.4 200 merc.

the problem im having is very inconsistent. Sometimes the motor will run good all day. sometimes the problem will happen 1 in 5 times sometimes almost every time.

The motor will bog and sound and feel like it is only running on a few cylinders. It will do this until it either A dies or B just takes off out of no where and runs fine.

It has new plugs, compression is good, spark was good when checked.

if anyone has some advice as to what to look at i would greatly appreciate it.


I would normally just take this to a shop to get looked at but i have 3 tournaments in the next 4 weeks and really really need the boat at home.

[THEFERMANATOR]

On those engines the stator has 2 sides iirc. A slow speed and high speed winding. When the stator starts to fail, it will cut out when they switch over, and do what you describe. Bad switch boxes will also do it.

[jvitiel]

I have a '95 2.5L 200hp EFI Merc. It had a similar issue and it turned out to be a switch pack. The stator was replaced a few years before I got it for unknown reasons and per the mechanic, a bad stator will stress the switch packs so they should be replaced at the same time. Mine weren't (until I did them).

[jamesbalog]

Thanks guys. I had the switch boxes and the stator as well as pretty much everything else electrical changed 4 years ago. I was hoping this issue was something stupid but i think ive already checked all the dumb things.

Now to figure out if i can swap these parts out myself

thanks again

[jamesbalog]

I also forgot to mention the tach will intermittently not work, this doesnt always Correlate with the other issue though

[phatdaddy]

I was about to ask about the tach, usually means stator. Do you have a volt gauge or voltage readout on your gps.

When they were replaced, was it with OEM or look-a-likes. I think the sierra switchboxes are ok, heard mixed reviews on the stators.

Also might want to get a merc manual and do a link.n.sync. Probably Will not help, but will eliminate some things.

[jamesbalog]

I was about to ask about the tach, usually means stator. Do you have a volt gauge or voltage readout on your gps.

When they were replaced, was it with OEM or look-a-likes. I think the sierra switchboxes are ok, heard mixed reviews on the stators.

Also might want to get a merc manual and do a link.n.sync. Probably Will not help, but will eliminate some things.


I do have a volt meter, and I dont think Ive ever looked at it when the problems have been occurring. I have noticed some higher than normal readings while running though in the past.

[steplift20]

I had a problem like yours years ago, I would be out and the motor was running fine than all of a sudden the oil alarm would go off and o would lose 3 plugs It turned out to be one switch box that was also hooked to the low oil alarm, changed the switch box and problem solved Also it could be the stator . If you are lucky enought to run the motor on dry land and it happens I bet half your ignition is not firing but you can only check it while it's happening Good luck and the y
Tach issue could be cause by a bad rectifier The big guns Hopefully will give your there thoughts soon

[phatdaddy]

There are a lot of expensive variables in this equation. The merc manual has some very good instructions to troubleshooting. But, before i run down the electronic rabbit hole, i would Try running it on a seperate fuel source. Fuel pump could do as u describe also. When it stalls , is primer bulb full or collapsed?

The tach issue is a good indicator, but might be seperate issue.

Not trying to muddy the water, but there are a still a few unknowns. U know your boat better than anybody, its just as important to find out what its not as what it is.

[jamesbalog]

There are a lot of expensive variables in this equation. The merc manual has some very good instructions to troubleshooting. But, before i run down the electronic rabbit hole, i would Try running it on a seperate fuel source. Fuel pump could do as u describe also. When it stalls , is primer bulb full or collapsed?

The tach issue is a good indicator, but might be seperate issue.

Not trying to muddy the water, but there are a still a few unknowns. U know your boat better than anybody, its just as important to find out what its not as what it is.

Im going fishing tomorrow. Ill bring a 6 gallon tank along.

I also swapped out the water/fuel separator and put a back up fuel line and primer bulb on just to eliminate that.


another thing i forgot to mention is when this happens if i pop her out of gear and give her some throttle it will solve the problem, at least until the motor is turned off again

[steplift20]

We are waiting

[Destroyer]

Almost sounds like a flooding issue, which will happen if there's no spark for a second or so. Although all the suggestions are good and should be checked, if I had to put my money on any one of them I'd probably go with what THEFERMANATOR said. To me it sounds like a hi-low problem with the stator. Don't forget your engine is turning at several thousand rpms. At just 1000 rpm loss of spark for even one second means that your engine has revolved 16+ times without an explosion in the cylinders. More than enough time to flood and or start to foul the plugs. IMHO. :head:

[jamesbalog]

Fished today and had zero problems. Will be out again tomorrow.

Truth be told it probably needs someone with more knowledge and skill than me to diagnose it. The only problem is all of those guys around me are slammed and backed up.

Debating buying a stator and a pair of switchboxes and hoping that fixes the issue

[1224bret]

Not as familiar with the 2.4s as I am with the 2.5s but if it has a similar ignition system then I would check the wires going to the trigger. The trigger moves every time you move the throttle and sometimes the wires break from all of the back and forth motion. Not sure if it acts up long enough to get a good idea of which cylinders are firing and which aren’t but I know on the 2.5s if 1 cylinder isn’t firing it’s normally an issue with the coil pack. A switch box will usually effect 1 bank of cylinders. The stator will cause issues on all cylinders and a trigger issue will effect two cylinders on opposite banks. Maybe when it does it pull and read the plugs or shoot the cylinders with a heat gun and see if there are any that are drastically cooler than the rest. It will rev and run a lot better when in neutral because there is no load with out load you can run on 3-4 cylinders and still sound like it’s running ok sometimes. Not sure if this helps since it mainly pertains to the 2.5l stuff I’m used to but with a shot.

[jamesbalog]

Ran it again Tuesday. may have possibly had one issue, it started sounding like it wasn't making power but then took off immediately... talking 1/2 second time frame. Other than that it ran great. Tournament tomorrow, so if its going to fail tomorrow is the day.

[steplift20]

Sounds like an electrical issue

[steplift20]

Just to let you know I had to replace my stator three times in two years once twice in one year while it was still under warranty, so it sounds like yours went bad It happens it happened to me

[jamesbalog]

Ran it again Tuesday. may have possibly had one issue, it started sounding like it wasn't making power but then took off immediately... talking 1/2 second time frame. Other than that it ran great. Tournament tomorrow, so if its going to fail tomorrow is the day.


Boat has ran fine since. Ive had a couple 1/2 second hiccups like mentioned in the above quote but other than hat she has been good (knock on wood)

Weird to me that i had a ton of problems for a week or two and then all seems well, ill take it though

[Destroyer]

Boat has ran fine since. Ive had a couple 1/2 second hiccups like mentioned in the above quote but other than hat she has been good (knock on wood)

Weird to me that i had a ton of problems for a week or two and then all seems well, ill take it though

Was there a difference in the gas between those trips? Could be you had a fuel problem. Maybe E15 instead of E10 or straight gas? Or old fuel?

[Pipe_Dream]

Was there a difference in the gas between those trips? Could be you had a fuel problem. Maybe E15 instead of E10 or straight gas? Or old fuel?

That would be my guess, too.

[bigshrimpin]

2.4 200 merc.

the problem im having is very inconsistent. Sometimes the motor will run good all day. sometimes the problem will happen 1 in 5 times sometimes almost every time.

The motor will bog and sound and feel like it is only running on a few cylinders. It will do this until it either A dies or B just takes off out of no where and runs fine.

It has new plugs, compression is good, spark was good when checked.

if anyone has some advice as to what to look at i would greatly appreciate it.


I would normally just take this to a shop to get looked at but i have 3 tournaments in the next 4 weeks and really really need the boat at home.

I had a problem like this (1987 175 merc) and it turned out to be plug wires. I rebuilt or replaced the entire fuel system and most of the ignition components. It can be a LOT of different things, but in my case it was the plugwires (exact symptoms you describe above).

[Destroyer]

I had a problem like this (1987 175 merc) and it turned out to be plug wires. I rebuilt or replaced the entire fuel system and most of the ignition components. It can be a LOT of different things, but in my case it was the plugwires (exact symptoms you describe above).

Never thought to suggest checking them. Good catch Bigshrimpin!! :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap: