Suzuki 50hp 4 stroke outboard

[jdavid17]

Have Suzuki outboard. Engine fires up first time every time. Ticks over perfectly. Put accelerator in forward and boat pulls away at 15 mph like Rolls Royce More acceleration and engine enters shut down mode. What can it be?

[jonnyboat]

Going into shut down mode is usually usually due to overheating or low oil pressure. I would check the oil level on the dip stick (and top up if necessary). I would also check to make sure that there is a good strong tell tale that runs cool to the touch.

The other thing to do is to make sure there is fresh gasoline (if it is a carb model drain the carb if its stood for a while and pump some fresh through). If you do drain the carb check for signs of water. If its fuel injection make sure the fuel filter is clear.
Hope that helps

[jdavid17]

hi there Thanks for advice. Oil checked and some top up. No overheat for definite. It is fuel injection and the fuel filter has been changed. Was running perfectly the other week.

[tugboat]

Check for fuel line problems ie air leaks blockage etc, when you say goes intoalarm what is the number flashing?

[jonnyboat]

OK great. The next thing is to check for is fuel starvation - often when the engine struggles at higher rpm either there is not enough fuel getting through or its sucking air in. Start with the tank pick up (sometimes they become loose or blocked), fuel connections and fuel pipe. The seals in the push fit fuel connections can fail as can the primer bulb so try a spare fuel line (and tank) if you have one. Pump the primer bulb and see if it firms up - if not it could indicate air in the pick up side. If the primer bulb collapses at higher rpm then there is a bockage in the fuel line or the primer bulb has failed. The fuel lines don't last that long, especially if outside, so they are worth replacing from time to time. Sounds obvious but make sure the fuel line is the right way round! There should be a direction arrow on the primer bulb.

Water in the fuel can also can also cause these types of problems. Do you have a water separating filer installed? Check the seal around the pick up on the tank as these can perish and let water into the tank if its out on the deck.

If that doesnt solve the problem the next possibility would be a partial blockage in the engine side of the fuel system - I think there is a low pressure and high pressure fuel filter on these. Unless you are sure they are good it would be worth replacing them. Fuel injection models really need clean and dry fuel.