won't start - fuel issue I think

(rich_g) · (rich_g) **Join Date: May 2003** 05-04-2008, 6:57 PM

Took the boat out of hibernation yesterday, it was running great when I winterized it, and I've had it in the garage since. Put in a new battery cause the old one was on its way out last season.

Here's the situation:

put the boat in the water and it started immediately; its an MC with the 310 TBI; we let the smoke burn off from the fogging oil in the engine; let it warm up for a minute then my son backed it off the trailer (I was driving the truck)

About 30 seconds later the engine died and will not start again. It seems like its getting no fuel. Today, still won't start. I sprayed some starter fluid in the throttle body and it will fire up for a second or two; so it seems like it has ignition.

I think when it started on the trailer it was just running off the fuel in the fuel line; all the gas was treated with stabilizer from last winter.

Kill switch was in place.
I checked the fuse for the fuel pump and it was good.

What else do I need to check before I have to give up and take it to a mechanic?

(bkoz) · (bkoz) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 05-04-2008, 7:35 PM

Fuel pump? Clogged fuel filter?

(Message edited by bkoz on May 04, 2008)

(boarder_x) · (boarder_x) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 05-05-2008, 2:35 PM

that sounds a lot like the problem I had. Except I was in the middle of the delta. Left Lost Isle. Got to the house boat. Then it died.

I tried everything before a fuel pump. ... Mostly, because the fuel pump was a lot more expensive. Anyway, I finally bought the pump, and then it started. I filled the pump with fuel, before installing it. Even still, it took a long time, before the fuel made it through the system. I was worried that I still hadn't solved the problem. I was pouring fuel down the carb. Then after about the 4th or 5th time, it ran by itself.

Hope it all works for you, but with those symptoms, I say fuel pump. Could try to change the fuel filter first (probably needs changing anyway, & it's $7).

Good luck.

(ttuclint) · (ttuclint) **Join Date: Sep 2003** 05-05-2008, 2:42 PM

fuel line shut off valve closed ?

(rich_g) · (rich_g) **Join Date: May 2003** 05-05-2008, 2:43 PM

does anybody know where the fuel filter is on this boat?

99 MC 205V with the 310 TBI engine

Is the fuel filter inside the tank?

(boarder_x) · (boarder_x) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 05-05-2008, 3:09 PM

It looks like a canister oil filter. You will have two. (Well, one.) One is the actual oil filter, the other is fuel. The oil filter is usually a little larger.

(chpthril) · (chpthril) **Join Date: Oct 2007** 05-05-2008, 5:12 PM

Remove the fuel/water sep filter and pour it's contents into a glass jar. Let it settle for a few minutes and see how much water is in there. Water will settle to bottom.

You may have a fair amount of water in the tank caused by condensation in the garage if it was warmer in there then outside. It would run fine until the separator filled up and then had no choice to pass the water through to the TBI unit.