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Hello All,
Boat won’t start. Troubleshooting & Conclusion. Would love you advice / opinions / comments.
Background:
Boat won’t start. Troubleshooting & Conclusion. Would love you advice / opinions / comments.
Background:
- Ran boat last week on water, ran great. I’ve owned boat for 13 years, put 700 hours on it (total 1100), boat has always been great. Runs great.
- 1999 ski Nautique 196 with Ford GT40 fuel injected engine.
- Did end of year oil and oil filer change and transmission fluid change. Ran in driveway on fake a lake just fine.
- Did FCC fuel filter change. The fuel filter in the high pressure silver fuel can that feeds fuel injectors.
- Went to winterize by sucking antifreeze in the boat and engine would not start. Cranks and cranks, but does not fire. This NEVER happens on this boat.
- To me feels like fuel issue, especially give that my last act was to change fuel filter in FCC. Note, I’ve changed the fuel filter annually for 13 years, so not a new process.
- Battery is new this year
- Tested pressure at fuel rail via Schrader valve. 0 pressure.
- Low pressure pump is working fine. I’ve removed the silver can to look at the high pressure fuel pump multiple times to see if I’ve messed anything up in there (wires, tube, filter placement, etc.). And each time I look into the silver FCC it’s full of fuel. Note, I empty fuel out in-between looks. So I know the low pressure fuel pump is working. Plus, I can hear it and feel it as usual when you turn the ignition key 1/4 turn clockwise
- Checked all breakers on panel on back of engine. I have 60, 15, and 12.5. All seem to be fine. All electric accessories on the boat appear to be working fine (radio, heater, shower, etc.).
- Checked the two relays back there. Removed from boat, and bench tested them. Applied 12 volts to close switch. When relay is not powered, impedance between switch poles is infinite (open). When switch is powered (closed) impedance is less than 1 ohm.
- Voltages at the relay connection sockets appears normal. 12 volts on the right pins when ignition key is turned 1/4 turn to the right. This tells me the computer is trying to close relays at the right time during the ignition sequence
- Tried to measure voltage at both pumps when key is turned. Disconnected the connector to the low pressure pump (which is clearly working). Put meter across connector. Turned key, voltage goes up to 12, then drop to zero. Pretty sure this is a feature in that the computer senses no current flow and then therefore shuts off voltage. Replaced connector, turned key, and low pressure pump cycles as expected.
- Repeated above step for high pressure pump. Disconnected electrical connecter, connected meter across connector, turned key, saw voltage jump to 12, then go to zero. Again, I think this is a feature b/c computer senses no current flow and therefore kills voltage to pump.
- Ignition sequence of events appears to be working. Key turn - power flows to pumps.
- Low flow fuel pump working fine
- Power is getting through breakers and relays to the fuel pumps
- High pressure FCC silver can is filling with fuel, and yet no pressure at the fuel rail.
- Conclusion - high pressure fuel pump has died after 25 years. I don’t love the fact that it died after I messed with changing the filter in the silver can, so still makes me wonder, but I believe this is the part I need to replace. The high pressure fuel pump is the culprit.
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