electric choke question

just wondering how the electric choke works on 1980 40 hp. mercury , do i hold down for 8 seconds then turn the key or use while cranking? reaeson for asking is cold starting is difficult , thanks in advance for your advice

I have a 1971 20 hp Merc with electric choke and mine is a solenoid that closes the choke when pressed. So in my case I hold the choke button and crank the engine, when it starts I release the button, in cold weather you might have to hold it a little longer.

Mine also got to where it wasn't always working and I had to take the button apart and clean the contacts.

You can see if yours is like mine, take the cowling off & look at the carb throat when you press the button you should see the coke plate cover the opening. This helped me understand how mine worked.

thanks for the advice GRAMPS I appreciate it a lot