Honda 115 Outboard Problems: 4 Typical Issues (Explained)

When most people think of Honda, they first think of cars, and rightfully so. However, decades ago, in 1964, Honda made its move into the Marine Outboard industry. They brought the same approach of reliability and durability to boating.

Honda engines are ideal for bay boats, catamarans, and pontoons. They were the first company to provide four-stroke motors in America. The Honda engines range from 2 to 250 hp.

While the Honda 115 Outboard has outstanding capacity and range, you may find owners have some concerns.

This article provides you with the most common problems you may find with the Honda 115 Outboard.

We will discuss those problems in-depth and give you some solutions in case you run into them with your Honda 115 Outboard.

1) Engine Will Not Start

You may find that your starter motor is functional, but your engine will not start. This could be caused by something as simple as you do not have any fuel. Refilling your fuel tank will resolve the problem.

Your fuel could be contaminated. You may need to remove all the fuel, clean the fuel tank, and refill your tank. In addition, you may have a clog in your fuel tank filter or your fuel filter. Replacing these filters may resolve your problem.

There could be a more significant concern, such as you have a bad fuel pump. In this case, you should visit the dealer. You may have a problem with your spark plugs, such as damaged or dirty spark plugs. You may also have an incorrect gap with your spark plugs.

There are some other larger concerns that require you to visit the dealer. These include an ECU malfunction, faulty wire harness, bad ignition coil, and an electrical leak with the emergency stop wire.

You may have an ignition coil or emergency stop switch that is not installed correctly. You may need to reinstall either of them; that could resolve the problem.

2) Problems with Indicator Lamps

There are many indicator lamps that may appear on your engine. They each are indicators of a different problem. Some of the problems you may encounter include:

Overheat Warning System:

Your Honda 115 Outboard has an overheat indicator. During normal functioning, this indicator is off and not present. However, when you have a problem with the overheat warning system and buzzer comes on.

When this happens, you may also find that the engine slows down and stops. You may not be able to increase the engine when you open the throttle.

There are some common causes for the overheat warning system to come in. These causes may include that the cooling water intake port is clogged. If you clean the cooling intake port, it may resolve your problems.

Another cause could be that your spark plugs do not have the correct heat range. When this happens, the spark plugs must be replaced. Some other reasons for these concerns include a bad water pump, clogged thermostat, and clogged water passage. You may also find that you have exhaust gas in the cooling system.

Oil Pressure Indicator:

When functioning properly, this indicator stays on. However, when it does not working properly, the indicator goes off, and a buzzer sounds. At the same time, the engine slows down gradually.

This happens when your engine does not have enough oil. In this case, adding oil could resolve the problem. However, it can also happen when an incorrect type of oil is used. If this occurs, you should change the oil.

You may find that a buzzer goes off, but there is no indicator light to go with the buzzer. If you find that the buzzer is sounding at short intervals, it usually is a warning about the water separator.

When this occurs, water has built up in the water separator. It needs to be drained and cleaned. You want to check the fuel line and fuel tank to ensure the water has not built up there. If this does not resolve the problem, see your dealer.

3) Engine Stops Suddenly

You may find that your Honda 115 Outboard suddenly stops after it has started. It may also stop suddenly after it has been running. One of the main reasons for this could be that you ran out of fuel.

So you should check that first.

Your engine could stop if you have water in your fuel. If this is the case, you should contact the dealer. You may have a clogged fuel filter that needs to be replaced. You may also have a clogged fuel tank filer that needs to be cleaned.

Some other causes for your engine to suddenly stop include your engine idling at too low of a speed. You may also have a bad fuel pump, or it could be sucking air.

If you believe it is any of these problems, you should contact your dealer. Your engine may also be getting air from the hose joint, fuel hose, primer bulb, or connector.

4) Submerged Outboard Motor

If you realize that your 115 outboard motor has been submerged in water, you should have it serviced right away. Having it serviced will help to minimize the corrosion.

If you cannot take it to a dealer, you can take some steps on your own.

• First, you want to remove the cover for the engine.
• Then, rinse the outboard to remove sand, mud, saltwater, and anything else on it.
• Next, you want to drain the fuel. To do this, you want to place the end of the tube on the outside of the engine undercase. This makes draining the fuel easier because the front end of the drain tube is as low as possible.
• After that, you should tilt the outboard up. Then you can loosen the vapor separator drain screw.
• This allows you to drain the petrol into a drain pan as it flows from the tube.
• Once all the fuel is drained, you should tighten the drain screw.
• Once you clamp the drain tube on the front bracket clamp, you can lower the outboard motor down.
• Next, you want to change the oil by removing the oil cap.
• Before you do anything else, you want to place a container under the drain guide. The drain plug cover should be placed under the guide, then remove the bolt and washer.
• Drain the oil until it reduces to a slow trickle.
• Once the oil is drained, you want to use a new sealing washer and replace the drain bolt tightly.
• Now, you can refill the oil. You do not want to overfill, but be sure to fill to the upper mark on the dipstick.
• Next, you want to remove all of the spark plugs and pour about a teaspoon of oil into the holes. This lubricates the inside of the cylinders.
• When installing the spark plugs, be sure to tighten them by hand to ensure you do not over-tighten them.
• Replace the cover and start your engine.

If your engine does not start, you want to take out the spark plugs to clean and dry the electrodes.

Then, you can reinstall the spark plugs and try to start the engine again.

If there was any sign that there was water in your oil, you should change the oil again after you have run the engine for about 30 minutes.

If the engine starts and there does not seem to be any other problems, let it run for at least another 30 minutes. You still want to take your 115 outboard to the dealer as soon as you can.

General Pros and Cons For Honda 115 Outboard

Pros:

Overall, Honda Outboards are reliable engines that perform well.

They have a moderate price point and are easy to operate.

The Honda 115 Outboard is powerful but quiet.

Cons:

• The Overheat Warning System comes on often.
• Your outboard may become submerged.

Sources:

Honda Troubleshooting Guide