Starting The Engine; Stopping The Engine; Throttle Only Operation - Mercury 350 Scorpion ECT MerCruiser Operation & Maintenance Manual

Starting the Engine

1.
Check all items listed in the Operation Chart.
2. Place the remote control handle in neutral.
Without sufficient cooling water, the engine, the water pump, and other components will overheat and suffer damage. Provide
a sufficient supply of water to the water inlets during operation.
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.
NOTE: MerCruiser DTS models are equipped with SmartStart. The SmartStart feature incorporates push button 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 DTS system signals the engine
PCM to start the engine. If the engine does not start, the starting process times out after eight 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 ignition key to "RUN" position.
4. Turn the ignition key switch to the "START" position then release, or depress 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 60 °C (140 °F).
5. 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." Release key when the engine starts and allow the switch to return to the "ON"
position.
6. If the engine does not start after step 5:
a. Move the remote control handle.throttle lever to the full throttle position, then return to 1/4 throttle.
b. Turn the ignition key to "START." Release key when the engine starts and allow the switch to return to the "ON"
position.
7. Inspect the power package for fuel, oil, water, and exhaust leaks.
8. Move the control handle with a firm, quick motion forward to shift to forward gear, or backward to shift to reverse. After
shifting, advance throttle to desired setting.
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.

Stopping the Engine

1. Move the remote control handle to neutral/idle and allow the engine to slow to idle speed. If engine has been operated at
high speed for a long period of time, allow the engine to cool at idle speed for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. The engine can be stopped by any one of the following 4 methods:
a. Move the ignition key switch to the "ACCESSORY" or "OFF" position. The engine will stop and the control system will
be deactivated.
b. Depress the start/stop button, if equipped. The engine will stop and the control system will remain active.
c. Momentarily move the ignition key switch to the "START" position, then release immediately. The control system will
recognize that the engine is running and will stop the engine. The control system will remain active. Moving the
ignition key switch to the "START" position again will issue a start request to the control system and the control
system will start the engine, if appropriate.
d. Activate the lanyard stop switch, if equipped. The engine will stop, but the control system will remain active. The
control system will not allow the engine to start if the lanyard stop switch is activated.

Throttle Only Operation

NOTE: When operating in throttle only (neutral) mode, the DTS control system will not allow the engine speed to increase
above 3500 RPM.
Zero effort remote controls: Zero effort remote controls have separate throttle control and shift control levers. Advancing the
throttle control lever beyond the idle position while the shift control lever is in the neutral position will cause engine speed to
increase, but only up to the maximum neutral engine speed of 3500 RPM.
90-8M0099729 NOVEMBER 2014
eng
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NOTICE
Section 3 - On the Water
Page 35