Getting Started; Starting The Engine; Traditional Maneuvering With Steering And Thrust; To Maneuver The Boat In Forward Or Reverse - Mercury Axius Manual

Section 2 - On the Water

Getting Started

Starting the Engine

1. Place the remote control handle in neutral.
Explosive fumes contained in the engine compartment can cause serious injury or death from fire or explosion. Before
starting the engine, operate the bilge blower or vent the engine compartment for at least five minutes.
2. Turn the ignition key to the RUN position.
NOTE: This power package is equipped with SmartStart and may have a push button for starting. Rather than holding the
start button or key switch to start the engine and then releasing it when the engine starts, SmartStart completely controls
the starting process. When the start button is pushed, the PCM signals the engine to start. If the engine does not start, the
starting process times out after a few seconds or when the engine reaches 400 RPM. Attempting to start the engine with
the engine already running will turn the engine off.
3. Turn the ignition key switch to the START position then release, or press the start/stop button and release. If the engine is
cold, allow the engine to operate at idle for 6–10 minutes or until the engine temperature reaches 71° C (160° F) for closed
cooling and 60° C (140° F) for standard cooling.
4. If the engine does not start after three attempts:
a. Push the throttle only button and position the remote control handle or throttle lever to the 1/4 throttle position.
b. Turn the ignition key to START position then release, or press the start/stop button and release. Be prepared to
quickly move the control handle to the idle position. Allow the engine idle RPM to stabilize before shifting.
Shifting into gear at engine speeds above idle will damage the drive system. Shift the drive into gear only when the engine is
operating at idle.
5. Inspect the power package for fuel, oil, water, and exhaust leaks.
6. Move the control handle with a firm, quick motion forward to shift to forward gear, or backward to shift to reverse. After
shifting, advance the throttle to the desired setting.

Traditional Maneuvering with Steering and Thrust

You can maneuver your joystick piloting‑equipped vessel much like a traditional sterndrive boat. However, the joystick piloting
drive system expands the maneuvering capability of your vessel at both slow and planing speeds. At slow speeds, the drive
system is capable of directing the thrust through independently articulating drives to produce more responsive turning of the
vessel. The joystick piloting drive system features counterrotating propellers that do not produce any propsteer when
accelerating or slowing down.

To Maneuver the Boat in Forward or Reverse

Place one or both engines in forward or reverse gear and steer with the steering wheel as you would any comparable boat.

To Steer the Boat in Tight Turns at Low Speeds

• To turn the boat in tight turns at low speeds, turn the wheel in the direction of the turn.
• To increase the turn rate of the boat after the wheel is completely turned, you may increase the power to the inside drive.

To Spin the Boat at Low Speeds

• Turn the drives to straight forward.
• To spin to the right, place the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine in forward.
• To spin to the left, place the port engine in reverse and the starboard engine in forward.
• To increase the rate of turn, simultaneously adjust each ERC lever for more throttle. More reverse throttle will be needed to
compensate for the forward drive.
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90-8M0099745 MAY 2015
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