Apparent Fuel system issues

[cedarcreek216]

We have an 09 216V and have had the same issue three times now. The first two times it happened while maintaining 20+ mph for a few minutes and the last time it was while surfing, so speed can vary when the problem occurs. Basically going along like everything is perfect and all of the sudden the boat sputters and slows down to the 5 mph limp mode. If you give it more gas nothing, no speed and just a sputtering action. The first time they replaced the low pressure fuel pump and fuel/water separator. Second time filter and other fuel pump. This time, 15 hours worth of use since the last occurance, they can't get it to recreate the problem.

Any thoughts on what this could be? We're at the end of our patience level with it as it's a pain to get it off the water and back to the shop from our lake house every time. We bought a new boat so we would not experience these types of problems, but we're still having them. The last thing I want to do is pull it back to the lake house and have it happen again and have to tow it back to town. They took the fliter apart this time and there was nothing in it that was out of the ordinary. So we're all confused about the issue.

[rubclt]

Is it while you are using your Zero Off speed control? See link

http://www.planetnautique.com/vb3/sh...AN-210-ZO-only

[cedarcreek216]

No, under self controlled throttle. We don't have zero off, just nautique cruise.

[cedarcreek216]

Is it while you are using your Zero Off speed control? See link

http://www.planetnautique.com/vb3/sh...AN-210-ZO-only

I read through the thread you posted and it's a totally different issue it seems. From what I understand they were experiencing a slight difference in speed control while zero off is engaged. This problem is it goes from 22 mph to 0 mph and sputters. Almost like the fuel system is getting choacked. Any way there can be something in the gas tank?

[slidin_out]

have a similar issue with an 03 SANTE, runs fine then drops to nothing for speed, but I can give it a few pumps on the throttle and it is back to normal

[cedarcreek216]

How often does your do this? When you mean pumps on the throttle with it in gear or with the choke button engaged?

[slidin_out]

mine is fuel injected, when it starts to bog just pump the throttle back and forth a couple of times

[cedarcreek216]

Ours is too, I guess I was talking about the button you push in on the side of the throttle that gives it gas without putting it in gear. Not a choke, but wasn't sure what you call it when you do that.

[janswake]

just had the same problem on our 08 236

ours was doing the same thing we changed the primary fuel filter not the one in the fcc or water fuel seperator,there is another one in the hull near the vdrive.we replaced with a regular filter from an auto shop seemed to fix the problem.my buddy took the filter apart and it did not look dirty or blocked but I tried to blow through it and it was almost impossible might be a bad batch of filters.our boat only has 20 hours on it and this is our second major problem I also bought a new boat to not have to deal with this stuff.I love correct craft but they need to tighten up a bit on QC

[cedarcreek216]

ours was doing the same thing we changed the primary fuel filter not the one in the fcc or water fuel seperator,there is another one in the hull near the vdrive.we replaced with a regular filter from an auto shop seemed to fix the problem.my buddy took the filter apart and it did not look dirty or blocked but I tried to blow through it and it was almost impossible might be a bad batch of filters.our boat only has 20 hours on it and this is our second major problem I also bought a new boat to not have to deal with this stuff.I love correct craft but they need to tighten up a bit on QC

Good info, i'll talk to our dealer and see what they're putting back in there and which filter they're changing. I'd hope they're changing everything short of the gas tank at this point as I threatened next time it happens to leave it at the dealer and not take it back. He mentioned this trip when they changed the filter it had "normal clogging" which I thought was oddd, that a fuel filter if working properly would not have any clogging.

[DanielC]

Unless you have an engine with catalytic converters, the engines computer has no feedback on the fuel air ratio, and indirectly, the fuel pressure, at the injectors.
You have to check the fuel pressure when the symptoms are occurring.

I do not know what your fuel pressure there should be. The number is probably on your engine.

If your boat has the FCC, I am going to guess that your low pressure pump should put out about 5 PSI, and flow about a quart of gas in 15 seconds.

If it does not, it does not necessarily mean the low pressure pump is bad. It could be a clogged fuel filter, or other issue.

[cedarcreek216]

I agree with this, but there has to be a reason that is causing these pumps to go bad or the filters to get clogged. I can take it back to the dealer every couple weeks and they'll fix it for me, but the problem will never be fixed. Any possibility the stand pipe in the tank is getting clogged? Is there a sock over the intake line in our gas tank that could have something that blocks it? My Dad was an airplane mechanic and he pulled all kinds of items out of fuel tanks that were left in during original production.

[DanielC]

Obviously, anything could be a possibility.
I do not know if there is a sock or any kind of filter on the gas line inside the tank. There is probably an anti-siphon valve where the fuel line attaches to the tank, although in V-drives with the tank below the floor, there may not be an anti-siphon valve.
You could of just gotten a load of gas with dirt in it. Marina gas can have this problem, because it is more likely to sit around than the local gas station selling cheap gas just off the interstate.
It is also possible that you filled the boat at a gas sation on land just after they got a dirty load of fuel, and maybe stirred up some sediment in their tank.
The gas cap could of been left off the boat, and some small rodent crawled in to your tank.

It takes some time to diagnose problems, and sometimes it is easier to replace parts. It is also very easy to sometimes fix a symptom to a problem, and miss the root cause of the problem. In that case, the problem will probably return.

Go back to basics. Is the gas in the tank clean? Does it have any water in it?
does the low pressure fuel pump have the pressure, and flow it should?

If you have a filter between the tank and low pressure fuel pump, is it clogged?
You might have to do a little time consuming detective work.

I have dealt with older cars that have had the fuel line in the tank get clogged with debris. A quick fix is to blow air backwards toward the tank, and dislodge tha crud around the fuel pickup. But the dirt is still in the tank. Eventually, you have to remove the gas tank, and clean it out. Do not do this if you have an anti siphon valve in your boat. you have to remove the anti siphon valve to blow air back in to the tank.

[HS]

Obviously, anything could be a possibility.
I do not know if there is a sock or any kind of filter on the gas line inside the tank. There is probably an anti-siphon valve where the fuel line attaches to the tank, although in V-drives with the tank below the floor, there may not be an anti-siphon valve.
You could of just gotten a load of gas with dirt in it. Marina gas can have this problem, because it is more likely to sit around than the local gas station selling cheap gas just off the interstate.
It is also possible that you filled the boat at a gas sation on land just after they got a dirty load of fuel, and maybe stirred up some sediment in their tank.
The gas cap could of been left off the boat, and some small rodent crawled in to your tank.

It takes some time to diagnose problems, and sometimes it is easier to replace parts. It is also very easy to sometimes fix a symptom to a problem, and miss the root cause of the problem. In that case, the problem will probably return.

Go back to basics. Is the gas in the tank clean? Does it have any water in it?
does the low pressure fuel pump have the pressure, and flow it should?

If you have a filter between the tank and low pressure fuel pump, is it clogged?
You might have to do a little time consuming detective work.

I have dealt with older cars that have had the fuel line in the tank get clogged with debris. A quick fix is to blow air backwards toward the tank, and dislodge tha crud around the fuel pickup. But the dirt is still in the tank. Eventually, you have to remove the gas tank, and clean it out. Do not do this if you have an anti siphon valve in your boat. you have to remove the anti siphon valve to blow air back in to the tank.

Just saw this information from the White Lake web site about ethanol. As I understand it, they are suggesting using ethanol free gas or use a stabilizer year round and with every tank...

http://www.whitelake.com/files/the_p...th_Ethanol.pdf

[DanielC]

I have been running E-10 gas in my boat here in Oregon for many years. 1997 Ski Nautique, 2261.0 hours. I do not think Ethanol causes nead as many problems as people think it does. E-10 gas in a fuel system with water in it already will cause problems, but once you get the water out of the fuel system, the alcohol will dissolve any traces of water, and then ti should not be a problem. If there is some junk in the fuel system that the alcohol will dissolve, that gas does not, it will also be moved onto filters, or the strainer in the fuel pump.

I just spent a little time with two old GT-40 Fuel pumps, in my garage. The first one would not suck up gas, until after I primed it, then it moved gas like crazy.
The second one, even though it had been sitting on a shelf worked fine. Do not know it I will trust them in my boat, yet.

The pumps do have a screen inside of them. If that screen is clogged, the pump will not pump enough gas.

Apparently, it is possible for the pumps to lose prime. Avoid running your boat out of gas.