Venture 150 Ocean Pro, won't start when warm

[Bestkl]

I have a 1996 Evinrude Ocean Pro. Runs great at start up. I have ran it for an hour and all is fine. As soon as I shut it off, the motor will not start until it cools off again. Then it runs great again. I changed the power pack, thermostats, impeller and plugs. Nothing has helped. What can I do?

[Joe Reeves]

The usual characteristic or symptom pertaining to an engine that has a stator melting down is that it will have spark when cold, but will have weak or no spark when hot. Many engines will run fine at first, but after being shut down, then attempting to restart 30 minutes or so later will not start. However, after sitting and cooling down, the engine may once more start and run. Eventually the stator will fail altogether resulting in no ignition/spark even when fully cooled.


The stator under the flywheel can be checked visually for a meltdown. Look closely at it. If there is any cracks and/or a sticky substance dripping down on the timer base and powerhead area, that would result in a AC voltage drop to the powerpack. Should this condition exist, replace the stator. Check the resistance of the stator with an ohm meter between the Brown wire and the Brown/Yellow wire. Check for whatever the proper readings should be in your service manual. If you have no manual, your local library may have one.

If a meltdown exists, replace the stator regardless of what readings you may obtain from the stator.

[Bestkl]

Thank you

Thank you, I appreciate the advice.

[Bestkl]

New stator

Okay, the new stator came today. The old stator was melted, so I installed the new one. The motor started right up, ran great for ten minutes or so. I shut it down, went to restart and I have no spark. I seriously hate this Evinrude. What else can I try?

[Joe Reeves]

Okay, the new stator came today. The old stator was melted, so I installed the new one. The motor started right up, ran great for ten minutes or so. I shut it down, went to restart and I have no spark. I seriously hate this Evinrude. What else can I try?

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Obviously, with the stator melting down, you didn't waste any money as it was failing big-time. However, apparently you have more than one problem.

1 - If you are absolutely sure the engine has no spark and you do a proper test of the spark that should jump a 7/16" gap with a strong blue lightning like flame... a real SNAP!...... Prior to starting the engine a second time, remove the Black/Yellow wire (kill circuit) from the ignition switch.


NOTE: Having this wire disconnected will result in NOT being able to shut down the engine via the key switch. If you now have spark as described above, and none with it connected... replace the ignition switch as it has an intermittent short within it.

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2 - A "Slow" cranking engine will also result in no spark as the engine must crank over at least 300 rpms in order for the stator to provide the AC voltage to the powerpack's capacitor in order to engage the powerpack.

If you have a fast normal cranking speed engine/starter, ignore this mention.

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(Spark Tester - Home Made)
(J. Reeves)

You can use a medium size philips screwdriver (#2 I believe) inserted into the spark plug boot spring connector, then hold the screwdriver shank approximately 7/16" away from the block to check the spark or build the following:

A spark tester can be made with a piece of 1x4 or 1x6, drive a few finishing nails through it, then bend the pointed ends at a right angle. You can then adjust the gap by simply twisting the nail(s). Solder a spark plug wire to one which you can connect to the spark plug boots, and a ground wire of some kind to the other to connect to the powerhead somewhere. Use small alligator clips on the other end of the wires to connect to ground and to the spark plug connector that exists inside of the rubber plug boot.

Using the above, one could easily build a spark tester whereas they could connect 2, 4, 6, or 8 cylinders all at one time. The ground nail being straight up, the others being bent, aimed at the ground nail. A typical 4 cylinder tester follows:

..........X1..........X2

.................X..(grd)

..........X3..........X4

Thousands of parts in my remaining stock. Not able to list them all. Let me know what you need and I'll look it up for you. Visit my eBay auction at:

joe_omc32 | eBay
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[Bestkl]

I will give it a try. Thanks for all your help. None of these suggestions are in my book.

[Joe Reeves]

I will give it a try. Thanks for all your help. None of these suggestions are in my book.

That damn secretary... I told her to put them in that book over 30 years ago!

I neglected to mention.... During the spark test, have "all" pf the spark plugs removed.

[Bestkl]

Still no spark

I have tried the spark test. Spark is fine on all three coils when cold. I ran the motor at an idle for a half an hour today. It ran good. I shut it down, waited ten minutes and it won't start. Again no spark. I removed the black and yellow wire off the M terminal off the ignition switch. This did not help. I removed the wire from the other terminal labeled M. I don't know why I have two, but I do. Nothing helps.

[Bestkl]

M terminals

Okay, I know this doesn't make sense, but since I have two terminal on the ignition switch labeled M, could these wires be switched?

[Joe Reeves]

If one of the "M" terminals is a raised terminal... that is the one that requires the black/yellow wire.

See if you can find the black/yellow wire at the powerpack and if so, remove it from the pack. That would eliminate any conductance intermittent shorts within the wiring harness.

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(Ignition Kill Circuit)
(J. Reeves)

A Black wire (ground) should lead from the powerhead to the powerpack. There will also be a Black/Yellow wire leading from the powerpack to a raised "M" terminal of the ignition switch. To complete the circuit, there will be a Black wire from the other "M" terminal of the ignition switch to ground.

When the key is in the OFF position = The two "M" terminals are connected,. effectively shorting/killing the ignition.

When the key in ON position = The two "M" terminals are not connected and the ignition is engaged.

Thousands of parts in my remaining stock. Not able to list them all. Let me know what you need and I'll look it up for you. Visit my eBay auction at:

joe_omc32 | eBay

[Bestkl]

I ran the motor today, it ran great. Used the boat for about an hour. Shut the motor down at the dock for about 20 minutes. When to leave and again no fire. I towed the boat home, about another 20 minutes and it fired right up like nothing is wrong. I know when you shut your motor down it gets hotter because of residual heat. It seems like I have a heat related issue, I tried disconnecting the black/yellow wire from the ignition. This did not help. I did the same with the rectifier, this did not help either. I will try disconnecting the black/yellow wire from the power pack tomorrow after I run it and lose spark again. Thanks for all your advice, this one is tough.