motor problem, 1997 200 merc.

If the bulb is OK, check the filter, water separator if you have one, and then the fuel pump becomes a suspect. If, when it bogs down, is the primer bulb collapsed? If so you might have a restriction on the tank pickup, and that will starve the thing for sure.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

Part of the issue is related to how it bogs. For example, does it bog when you hit the throttle, almost immediately? If so, you could have a pickup problem (although with dual tanks and switching from one to the other with no change suggests you dont have this problem). You could have a pinched fuel line problem anywhere between the tank and the powerhead. You could have a cracked line anywhere along that same path. I dont remember where the inline filter is on that specific motor, but I have always used a glass filter with a ceramic element that can be replaced. Got it at Wal-Mart for maybe 10 bucks or so. With that, you can make a quick run and watch the filter. Bubbles? You have a leak somewhere that is letting air into the fuel, which will starve the motor, obviously. I have seen cracked lines between the fitting near the splashwell where the fuel line to the motor attaches. I have seen cracked bulbs that leaked. I have seen the o-rings in the line-to-motor connector that have gone bad. And I have seen lines under the engine cowl get cracked. The glass inline filter will let you see what is getting into the powerhead, and it should be a solid stream of fuel without bubbles. If you dont have bubbles, and it still bogs, then I would begin to suspect the fuel pump. Its 11+ years old and works pretty hard to supply pressure for the EFI system. The symptoms to look for, again. 1. collapsed primer bulb indicates a restriction between the bulb and the tank, not further upstream. 2. bubbles in the fuel filter indicate a problem between the filter and the tank, where you have a small air leak. On a carbed motor you can use the primer bulb and squeeze it when it bogs. If it “picks up” you have a fuel pump problem. The EFI motors operate at a much higher fuel pressure however, and you cant use this test to diagnose a bad pump. My “curbstone opinion” would be that if the thing cranks, and idles and runs slowly with a normal sound, you most likely have a fuel issue. Whether it is a pump or a filter/separator issue is probably the only question. If you are pretty close to the water, Id replace the filter. If there is a water separator, Id open it up and make sure it is clean and not full of trash/water also. Once you have eliminated those, it is really likely you have a fuel pump issue. Note that this is all based on your description that the motor seems to “bog”. When you run one long enough you develop a feel for the way the thing sounds, where you can tell if it is “running out of fuel” or if something else is more likely. Now, back to the top. If the motor runs a bit and then starts to bog, I have run into 2 or 3 cases, my boat included, where the dirt daubers / wasps will build a nest in the fuel vent, and plug the thing up. The motor will run fine for quite a while, and then start to run lean when the fuel pump cant overcome the vacuum in the fuel tank to get fuel to the powerhead. Loosening the filler plug will relieve the vacuum and let you know if this is the problem. But if it instantly bogs down, this is not the problem, it takes pulling a lot of gas out of the tank to cause this problem to show up. Most everyone that has fished for many years has likely seen this problem in a different way, namely when you forget to open the vent on the old remote-tanks we used to use. I can remember one occasion up on Guntersville many years ago where my 85hp merc died, and when I looked in the back, the 12 gallon remote tank had collapsed into a “wad” about 1/2 the normal size. I opened the vent, it hissed like a dozen cobras, and the tank slowly expanded back to its normal size and we continued fishing.Last edited by oldtimer57 on May 28th, 2009, 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

another thing i just remembered was my volts were very low, around 9 volts. Could a bad stator do this

Boat ran fine last Thursday ran all over the lake never had an issue. Fished a 2 day tournament this last weekend and on Sat. it ran fine, Sunday it did it once all day had to idle around awhile then it took off again and ran fine. Local Merc. Mech. that Ive been talking to has a motor in the shop doing the same thing and they havnt come up with a solution as of today. Need Help or ideas to check