Just purchased a small 3.5 HP four stroke from Defender three days ago. Also picked up some Star Tron Enzyme fuel treatment and the proper crank case oil. Returned home and topped oil level and placed on appropriate labeled side for storage. Added fuel treatment to mid grade unleaded gasoline (recommended by service dept at Defender) in container and left over night to settle.
Two days later, filled internal gas tank and packed my stuff for fishing..transported engine to boat launch on appropriate side.
Mounted engine on motor mount in PVC inflatable in water.
Okay, fuel lever and choke on...straight forward..new engine, probably not going to want to start...finally started and puttered out many times as expected...After a dozen times, it finally idled. I let it idle for 20 minutes (confirmed water pump was running) and then attempted to put it in forward but it continued to stall. Eventually I was able to shift into gear and start to leave the launch, but I had to be extremely careful just to give it very little gas or it would stall. This went on for hours and hours..at some points it would seem like it was working itself out and then just when I thought things were working out, I would hear the motor start "bogging down" and I knew it was coming, the stall. I could smell some gasoline. It was like the gas would build up to the point the engine was being flooded. I continued to have this problem until the close of the 10 hours or so of running on the water. I was respectful not to try and blast around or abuse. The load in the inflatable was me and my two kids and gear. I realize new motors need a break in, but this seems insane and I'm concerned about taking it out again. Any feed back very much appreciated.
Two days later, filled internal gas tank and packed my stuff for fishing..transported engine to boat launch on appropriate side.
Mounted engine on motor mount in PVC inflatable in water.
Okay, fuel lever and choke on...straight forward..new engine, probably not going to want to start...finally started and puttered out many times as expected...After a dozen times, it finally idled. I let it idle for 20 minutes (confirmed water pump was running) and then attempted to put it in forward but it continued to stall. Eventually I was able to shift into gear and start to leave the launch, but I had to be extremely careful just to give it very little gas or it would stall. This went on for hours and hours..at some points it would seem like it was working itself out and then just when I thought things were working out, I would hear the motor start "bogging down" and I knew it was coming, the stall. I could smell some gasoline. It was like the gas would build up to the point the engine was being flooded. I continued to have this problem until the close of the 10 hours or so of running on the water. I was respectful not to try and blast around or abuse. The load in the inflatable was me and my two kids and gear. I realize new motors need a break in, but this seems insane and I'm concerned about taking it out again. Any feed back very much appreciated.
Geeeez Snap, that sux no doubt. Is there a vent on the gas cap??
I'm not real familiar with 4 strokes, but your problem sounds fuel related.
I don't think I would mess with it just bring it back and exchange it.
Next motor you get, test it out in a barrel or your local boat ramp before packing for a trip.
I'm not real familiar with 4 strokes, but your problem sounds fuel related.
I don't think I would mess with it just bring it back and exchange it.
Next motor you get, test it out in a barrel or your local boat ramp before packing for a trip.
I dont know about boat motors but others in power products have some interesting failures. Sometimes the plug sucks, and swapping that out will help out. The oil in the cylinder to keep the rust out, is just one of the possibilities. I would go to the place you got it and have it checked out. I think it will be something simple, and if not they should set you up with a new, replacement.
Geeeez Snap, that sux no doubt. Is there a vent on the gas cap??
I'm not real familiar with 4 strokes, but your problem sounds fuel related.
I don't think I would mess with it just bring it back and exchange it.
Next motor you get, test it out in a barrel or your local boat ramp before packing for a trip.
Yes Lung it does have a vented gas cap. This got me thinking very hard and going through the entire day again. I recall towards mid day, the motor was running much better, even my daughter commented the problem seemed to be resolved. About an hour later we were in a drift for fluke and I was alarmed to see some rocks coming up on us. It was a knee jerk response to trim the motor up/tilt it to protect the prop and when I did that, I forgot to turn the gas lever off and tighten the gas cap vent. The motor must have been like that for at least a half hour.
I'm hoping that is why the problem "seemed to return." And now I am thinking it is possible with all the items packed in the trunk with the motor, things could have shifted and maybe the gas lever was moved out of place... That's my best guess. Thank you so much for the input! I will test it out in a couple of days in a barrel and let you know how it turns out.
I think it will be something simple, and if not they should set you up with a new, replacement.
Hopefully you are right ...Defender will not take a returned engine back...but they do service them as far as I know. It does have a five year warranty, so hopefully soon I'll know one way or the other. Thanks!
Official cause of engine stalling, "Bad gas from China at the factory." This caused blocking of the carb jets." When you pick your engine back up, you will see a color change in the fuel because we put an additive in ours." Hmm..why don't they do that in China and why did this happen to my engine? Don't you think I should get a new one after the 20 hours of back firing and stalling during break in? "No I'm sorry, we can't." (But you can drive an hour back here and get it) Well, I like to choose my battles. I'm not sure if I should escalate this, but it doesn't seem right...for them to say one out of 50 engines has this problem but its okay just because they make all the stripped Mercurys, Evinrudes, and who knows what other engines.
Just wanted to follow up with this situation. As the problem returned when I used the motor out in Niantic bay, I decided to contact the CEO of Defender and left a voice message. The next day I received a call from the Service manager. I detailed the entire situation again, and he wanted to talk about ethanol and not the fact that the motor out of box never worked properly. I insisted on a new motor. Then he tried to talk me into buying other more expensive motors. I said no. I just want a new motor. He said he would have to check and would call me the next day. He did call me and said really slow, "We have three options, 1. You can come and listen to your current engine run, it is running fine." I said "No." He said 2. You can bring this motor to a local Tohatsu dealer in your area." I said, "No way." He said 3. You drive here tomorrow and we will replace with a new motor." Duh.
I said that is what I have been asking for all along. He said when can you be here tomorrow. I said "noon." He said "Ohhh, I'm short on mechanics at that time, but okay. I said, this is what I would like. "Lets open up a new motor in the box, lets put the oil in it and go over some things we discussed about draining the carb bowl, etc. He said "okay" and we ended our call.
I drive to Defender, eventually am escorted out to the bay with the mechanic. There is an engine sitting in a barrel and does not look new. I'm like, WTF, something is not right. So the mechanic says "the engine is not warm and I promise we are not pulling any BS here." (He looks nervous.) The engine runs fine. I said this does not look new. Then I feel someone walk up behind me and not say a word..I turn around, and its the manager I had on the phone the night before. He stares at the floor and puts out his hand. I said "No eye contact hauh?" And he let out a stupid laugh. I'm getting shafted here...WTF...So I start it up and I'm still confused...Either it stalled or we shut it off and I looked at both of them and said, "How do I know this engine is new?" And then they both said it's not, this is your engine. I looked at the manager and it took everything I had in me not to choke him. I said "Are you kidding me?" "Now you are pissing me off and I've been a gentleman about this entire ordeal. " He said "I just thought you would want to first see your engine run." I said you are lying to me and you know that, that was not the arrangement. "He said looking at the ground "Oh I must have misunderstood." I said "I was to have a new engine and we were to unbox it together. What a chooch scumbag.. So he and the mechanic bring me to get a new motor. We put the oil in it, he makes some idle adjustments and shows me a few things about the engine. I said that is all I wanted. Thank you and left. I couldn't even look at his boss.
Any reputable company, would have first, apologized. Stood by the product they sell and reassure it is not okay to buy any of their engines and have it malfunction on the first day. They would have said "Please come back down and we will take care of you." And for the dangerous situation you and your children were involved in, the inconvenience of the driving, we'd like to offer you 100 dollars towards any of our other products in the store. Not even close!
So now I get the new motor home, I ran for an hour last night and a little more then an hour today. The motor will not throttle past the half way point. In the manual, its says for break in, after two hours, run it full throttle for one minute. WTF. I had to make a video and upload to youtube and email to him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDzELJHdmk
I said that is what I have been asking for all along. He said when can you be here tomorrow. I said "noon." He said "Ohhh, I'm short on mechanics at that time, but okay. I said, this is what I would like. "Lets open up a new motor in the box, lets put the oil in it and go over some things we discussed about draining the carb bowl, etc. He said "okay" and we ended our call.
I drive to Defender, eventually am escorted out to the bay with the mechanic. There is an engine sitting in a barrel and does not look new. I'm like, WTF, something is not right. So the mechanic says "the engine is not warm and I promise we are not pulling any BS here." (He looks nervous.) The engine runs fine. I said this does not look new. Then I feel someone walk up behind me and not say a word..I turn around, and its the manager I had on the phone the night before. He stares at the floor and puts out his hand. I said "No eye contact hauh?" And he let out a stupid laugh. I'm getting shafted here...WTF...So I start it up and I'm still confused...Either it stalled or we shut it off and I looked at both of them and said, "How do I know this engine is new?" And then they both said it's not, this is your engine. I looked at the manager and it took everything I had in me not to choke him. I said "Are you kidding me?" "Now you are pissing me off and I've been a gentleman about this entire ordeal. " He said "I just thought you would want to first see your engine run." I said you are lying to me and you know that, that was not the arrangement. "He said looking at the ground "Oh I must have misunderstood." I said "I was to have a new engine and we were to unbox it together. What a chooch scumbag.. So he and the mechanic bring me to get a new motor. We put the oil in it, he makes some idle adjustments and shows me a few things about the engine. I said that is all I wanted. Thank you and left. I couldn't even look at his boss.
Any reputable company, would have first, apologized. Stood by the product they sell and reassure it is not okay to buy any of their engines and have it malfunction on the first day. They would have said "Please come back down and we will take care of you." And for the dangerous situation you and your children were involved in, the inconvenience of the driving, we'd like to offer you 100 dollars towards any of our other products in the store. Not even close!
So now I get the new motor home, I ran for an hour last night and a little more then an hour today. The motor will not throttle past the half way point. In the manual, its says for break in, after two hours, run it full throttle for one minute. WTF. I had to make a video and upload to youtube and email to him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDzELJHdmk
Yes, it is in gear. Not sure if you saw the video posted at the bottom.
Here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDzELJHdmk
Here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJDzELJHdmk
Have you run the "new" new engine out of the barrel? I'm not sure if you can spin it up to full throttle with that little water. Just a thought. I can imagine you're pissed as hell. Glad I didn't buy from Defender. I ran a 20hp Tohatsu for 2 seasons without a hitch that I purchased from OnlineOutboards in TN. They are the same engine off the same lines as the Mercs up to 25hp. Never heard the Chinese gas excuse. Pretty disgraceful service.