Mercury Outboard Engine Runs Lean
Mercury-Mariner outboard engine runs lean refers to when the internal-combustion engine fuel mixture has a high proportion of air. Meaning the charging air-to-fuel ratio has more air than what is ideal. Too much oxygen causes the flame to burn hotter and faster and this increases the temperature within the combustion chamber.
A Mercury outboard motor that operates too lean is always a symptom of another problem. This fuel system troubleshooting chart identifies possible causes and corrective action needed to fix a Mercury outboard engine that runs lean.
Mercury Outboard Runs Lean
| ENGINE RUNS TOO LEAN | |
| Possible Cause | Corrective Action |
| Loose carburetor allowing excess air to leak past mixing chamber cover. | Torque carb bolts securely. Replace gasket or tighten cover as necessary. |
| Low fuel level. | Adjust float level. |
| High speed jet clogged. | Clean high speed jet. |
| Insufficient fuel going to carburetor. | Check fuel filter(s) and lines for restrictions or leakage. |
| Wrong high speed jet installed. | Replace with proper jet. Refer to download factory repair manual. |
| Idle mixture screw set too lean. | Adjust idle mixture screw to run richer. |
| Excessive air leaking into fuel system. | Inspect fuel line connections, fuel pump and fuel hose clamps. Check fuel outlet tube for loose fittings (inside fuel tank). |
| Anti-Siphon valves restricting fuel flow. | Check if anti-siphon valves clogged with debris, valves too small or have to heavy of a spring. |
Symptoms of Running Lean
So what are symptom of running lean? A lean mixture, especially at or near wide-open throttle, will cause detonation, which somewhat resembles the “pining” heard in an automobile engine. The best way to describe it would be as a tin-like rattling or plinking sound.
Detonation can cause catastrophic engine failure. It will create shockwaves throughout the engine and create weaknesses in the piston dome, rings, ring lands, piston pin and bearings. So it’s important to fix a lean condition right away.
A lean condition can cause the outboard to cut out or hesitation upon acceleration, especially when throttling up quickly. It can also cause high speed surging or backfire.
Model, Year Application
The information on this page is specific to the following model, year Mercury-Mariner outboard 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder motors. This includes 75XD, Marathon and Seapro models.| Year | Model | Country | Serial Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-1993 | 70hp, 75hp | United States Belgium Canada | S/N 0A996142 thru 0D283221 S/N 09502135 thru 09793576 S/N 0A722297 and Above |
| 1987-1993 | 80hp, 90hp | United States Belgium Canada | S/N 0A996142 thru 0D283221 S/N 09502135 thru 09793576 S/N 0A722297 and Above |
| 1988-1993 | 100hp, 115hp | United States Belgium Canada | S/N 0B209468 thru 0D283221 S/N 09523034 thru 09793576 S/N 0A731673 and Above |
