90hp Merc

[cabin boy]

I am having trouble advancing the throttle while in neutral, I held the release button in but I could not get it to release or advance the throttle. Any ideas from the experts?

[kjgmh]

Could be a problem in the control box, have seen lots of them with problems.

[Valv]

Do you press the center release button and depress lever under handle (red), or button on lever to get it into gear ?

[cabin boy]

The way it is supposed to work is:Depress large center button while advancing throttle arm, when engine is warm return throttle to idle position then put into gear using trigger button on throttle arm. Sounds easy enough?

[Valv]

Yes, it sounds very easy, but to move the handle you have to release the locking mechanism from neutral to forward or reverse which is the red trigger lever on most of remotes or the black trigger on newer Mercury.

I am trying to figure out what you are doing. It's easy to say remote is bad, then when you take boat to dealer and show them what you did, it doesn't look too smart if solution was just depressing a lever....

What I am trying to say is you have to do same thing as when you put motor in gear, except push "large center button" before you do anything

[cabin boy]

Val-Here's the story-I just purchased the boat and put it in the water for the first time this weekend. The motor starts good but I was unable to keep it running while cold because I couldn't get it in high idle while in neutral.My last 2 boats had mercruiser io's so I am somewhat familiar with the set-up. What I did was depress the large button at the base of the throttle arm while at the same time trying to advance the throttle forward. I was not able to free the throttle to advance it in neutral. I did try and depress the trigger on the throttle handle and all I accomplished by doing that was putting the motor in gear. When I looked at the boat prior to purchase it worked fine. My last merc was a 2000 io-are the io's different than the outboards or have they changed since 2000? I am thinking that since it worked one week and not the next I must be doing something wrong? Whaddya think?

[Hemlock]

Cabin Boy, I know exactly what you are talking about, and I think you are doing everything right. Even our 2001, 130 Honda has the same set up. Press big button (at bottom of throttle lever) and advance throttle lever forward, allows high rev in neutral. Depress other button on top of throttle lever and push forward, and you are in gear and off...

[Valv]

Ok, I understand where you come from, but it's very easy to operate, just we are not comunicating at same level.

To move the main lever back and forth you have to depress the trigger, no matter what you do.

The trigger lifts a tab inside remote, and it's made so you won't put it in gear by mistake, you will not be able to move throttle lever until trigger is depressed.

If you want regular operation (in water) depress trigger, move lever forward and you are in FW gear, to put it in reverse you have to return lever to center, depress trigger again and move it back, and it's in reverse gear.

To advance throttle without being in gear you have FIRST to push the warm up button at bottom of lever, THEN depress trigger, THEN move lever forward as much as you want since it will activate throttle cable only.

You will NOT be able to move main lever unless you depress trigger, no matter how hard you try and which condition you are looking for. If it moves without depressing trigger it's broken and you have to have it fixed.

A little trick to keep motor running, if you don't have throttle, is to push key in (activates choke) until it starts, then if it's dieing just give it another push in (a little more choke) but not much or it will flood. You will be able to keep it running just from giving it a little of choke here and there.

Wish you were close, I could show you.

[cabin boy]

Val-You are correct! I went down to the local boat dealership and looked at the new ones and it works exactly as you said. Either my previous boat was different or after 30+ years of boat ownership I forgot how to start em!!Thanks man!!

[Valv]