Honda 90 Engine Controls

D

dellandsteve

New member
We have a 2005 C-25 whith twin Honda 90s which are carburated. When we purchased this wonderful craft in 2007 the former owner would start the engines by turning on the ignition, press the key down a couple of times (he said this was to prime the engine) and then turn the key to start the engine. If the engine did not start right up, he would press the key again several times to prime it again with the starter engaged. I have continued to follow this procedure with no problems. I recently took our boat in for service and the authorized Honda repairman said that pressing the key did not prime the engines and may in fact damage them. He did not exactly state what happens when the key is momentarily pressed as I had been doing.

What have other Honda 90 carburated owners been doing and do you use this procedure? Does this prime the engine? Is there another way to Choke the engine other than by the lever on the engine itself? Is choking better than priming?

Steve Nash (310) 377 7911
 
I have been pushing my key in and out to prime my 1987 Johnson 90 HP 2 stroke for 21 years and it still runs like a top. :D I don't think it is a problem. Somewhere on this site is information about cold starting Honda's, do a search. I bet key prime is on most outboards.

C-Otter.
 
Hi Steve,

After we talked, I downloaded an owners manual for the BF 90. I did not see anything that mentioned pushing the key down to prime. There were several manuals that corresponded to serial number ranges on the engines. The only references to priming were with respect to the bulb. You might go out and google for Honda manuals and see if there is anything different in some of the other serial number ranges. Again, my boat is a single engine installation.

I would cut and paste, but the pdf requires a password in order to do that.

Kind Regards,

The other Steve
 
Pushing the key down does not prime the motor, it engages the choke. I push in and turn to start when the motors are cold. Now that is for a honda 90 w/carbs. lord knows what it does to other motors. You can on the honda 90 put the throttles in neutral, by pushing in the large round black section at the bottom of the throttle handle, then push the throttle to half throttle to help start the engine. on very cold days I have to do that and use the choke to get the cold hearted best to start. I WANT FUEL INJECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
starcrafttom":45cggudy said:
Pushing the key down does not prime the motor, it engages the choke. I push in and turn to start when the motors are cold. Now that is for a honda 90 w/carbs. lord knows what it does to other motors. You can on the honda 90 put the throttles in neutral, by pushing in the large round black section at the bottom of the throttle handle, then push the throttle to half throttle to help start the engine. on very cold days I have to do that and use the choke to get the cold hearted best to start. I WANT FUEL INJECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Tom, what kind of a control do you have? My control has a lever on the right side that you lift up to engage the choke. Both of the BF90s that I have owned were the same. I also did not find anything in the manual that refers to pushing the key in. The panel style does have a choke switch.

Steve
 
I was just looking at the owners manuals on line and I forgot that there are three different types of controllers. You have one and I have another. My key is on the dash not the throttle body like yours. So you have a hi idle choke lever and I dont. My choke is on the key at the dash and the hi idle is the throttle after you take it out of gear by pushing the button at the bottom of the throttle handle itself. Some folks that have my type dont even know that they have a hi idle.

ps. I dont have a switch on the panel under the key like in the manual. you just push the key in.
 
on some outboard motors pushing the key in does prime the motor. some choke by pushing key in. My 2004 honda has no primer or electric choke. I do not think they changed anything in 2005. Pushing the key in most likely is doing nothing. With the engine running push the key in. Should it bog down then it is most likely a choke. Should it rev up it is most likely a primer. When it is a electric choke you will also be able to hear the choke engage by pushing the key in with the engine not running. When cold just pull manual choke on motor and start /turn engine off. Push choke back in and fire her up. I have never seen one engage the choke by lifting the idle lever.
 
When I had a 75hp Honda on a 96 22 footer I always raised the idle lever when starting. It started right up and then would 'automatically' go down and seat itself. When I got the 04 16 footer with a 40 horsepower Honda I couldnt start it with the lever up. I called Sportcraft Marine and the guy told me "don't do anything, just turn the key". It started right up and has everytime since..
 
A friend of mine had the carb 90 and had to replace the fuel pump at close to 200 hours---- the mechanic told him to prime the first start by using the bulb in the fuel line.
Using the fuel pump to prime the engine was wearing out the pump.
After the first start and the engine is warmed up- it's ok to bypass the bulb procedure.


I have a fuel injected 90---- LOVE it :D -- and I still give the bulb a couple squeezes before the first start.
 
dellandsteve":34fdb8ps said:
We have a 2005 C-25 whith twin Honda 90s which are carburated. When we purchased this wonderful craft in 2007 the former owner would start the engines by turning on the ignition, press the key down a couple of times (he said this was to prime the engine) and then turn the key to start the engine. If the engine did not start right up, he would press the key again several times to prime it again with the starter engaged. I have continued to follow this procedure with no problems. I recently took our boat in for service and the authorized Honda repairman said that pressing the key did not prime the engines and may in fact damage them. He did not exactly state what happens when the key is momentarily pressed as I had been doing.

What have other Honda 90 carburated owners been doing and do you use this procedure? Does this prime the engine? Is there another way to Choke the engine other than by the lever on the engine itself? Is choking better than priming?

Steve Nash (310) 377 7911
Click to expand...

We have a 98 Honda 90 on our Arima, and 2004 Honda 90s on our TomCat. The 98 only has a manual choke on the front of the motor. The lever on the 98 is a throttle for use when the engine is in neutral.

The 04s have a manual choke on the front of the motor, and pressing the key also is a choke.

Priming is done with the squeezey bulbs. You can crank the engine until the fuel pump finally draws gas through the lines, but why run your battery down needlessly?
 
This courtesy our rigger, Les Lampman, and elaborated slightly by examination of the Owner's Manual:
(The J.C.Lately has a single Honda BF90A6LRTA - last of the carburetted 90s)
Design - individual single-throat carbs on each cylinder with simple butterfly chokes ganged together and lever-actuated with a single manual pull shaft on the port side. This shaft has a concentric solenoid actuator which is controlled by a push switch on the starter keyswitch. Hence, you can actuate the choke from the helm by pushing the switch into the panel as you crank the engine.
For easiest starting you need also to engage the fast idle which is accomplished by moving the throttle lever forward about 40-45 degrees which of course also increases the throttle setting a bit.
Since you'd like to start the with it disengaged from the propellor (like starting your car out of gear) you'll want to press the black button at the throttle pivot point while moving the throttle forward for starting.
After several attempts at cold starting where the engine resisted running, I experimented to find the appropriate fast idle position and marked it on the throttle quadrant with a piece of tape.
I also determined empirically that I could get a cold (<45F) start most reliably as follows:

1. Use the fuel line bulb to get the engine well-primed;
2. Manually pull the choke lever on the engine as far out as it goes;
3. Press the black button in and move the throttle to the fast idle position (more is better than less - too little and it won't catch);
4. Crank it with the key switch.
5. If it doesn't fire promptly, advance the throttle just a bit and crank it again.

When mine fires the choke lever will begin to return on its own. When it's really cold I usually go back to the engine and manage the choke lever manually until it really gets going. If it stalls the first time you return the throttle to normal idle. it can usually be restarted just holding the key in the choke position a second or two. You may need to reset the throttle to the fast idle position for a little longer.

Once I got the hang of the throttle position for fast idle it's been quite reliable at cold starting.

Good luck,

Paul Priest
Sequim
 
Back
Top