Stalling

andysdad

andysdad

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Engine spluttered and quit - restarted (eventually) then ran for a few minutes then quit again. Repeat x 4.

Suspect contaminated fuel so have drained all fuel, changed fuel filters and cleaned tank because I found black dregs in it (not a lot, they smeared into red stuff - old lead?).

Due to seeing colour as I drained tank, I was convinced it was dirty fuel but have now found out that fuel is coloured (at least in Oz).

So now I don't know why it stopped. :nenau

Actually not a bike but a boat outboard engine (2-stroke, automix, nearly new, only done 20 hours). When it ran it ran fine so I don't think it is an engine issue.

Has anyone got any suggestions for anything else to look out for?

Water in fuel is a possibility but I don't know how to check as I now have 2 x 20L drained off (had 2 tanks) so need at least a 20L+ glass container to visually check if water is floating below fuel IYSWIM.

Thanks in advance,

A
 
May seem a stupid one but...
Is the fuel definitely coloured from pump? No chance if you've an autolube motor that it's been filled with premix fuel (fuel+2 stroke) - so it's then getting a double dose of 2 stroke oil?
Is it carb or injection? If it's carb, clean that out. Either way, fit fresh plugs, new fresh fuel and see how it goes!
Hadn't heard of coloured fuel in Aus! :nenau
 
Thanks

for the comments but no, not premix into autolube motor.

Had run c.5 hours fine on existing fuel (age unknown, just bought the boat) then topped up with fresh (say 1/4 old, 3/4 new mixed). No local reports of duff fuel from BP.

Motor is direct injection Evinrude E-Tec 90bhp (1200cc 3 cylinder); when it runs it is fine. Cut out when running at 3500 rpm/25kts so unlikely to be plugs? That's why I assumed fuel starvation.

Has external fuel/water separator filter too (now changed) so unless lots of water in fuel that looks unlikely.

Stumped.

Will try it out with new fuel and trust to luck!

A
 
Might also be worth checking the fuel line hose connectors (assuming you're running from a separate tank?) Happened to me last year. There's a little spring loaded ball bearing in each connector, one of 'em had got a bit of shit stuck in it and caused an intermittent fuel flow. Gave it a poke with a small screwdriver and (a) covered my self with the fuel built up in the hose and (b) solved the problem :thumb
 

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Thanks for the last 2 posts - I will check the line and valve and clean them out anyway.

Tank vent was open on both tanks so unlikely.

Will test it all tomorrow with new fuel.

BTW I did find a tip for clearing water from the tank, add c.250ml Methylated Spirit per 5l of fuel. Or run Ethanol fuel for a tank - the ethanol in both combines with water and then combines with the fuel and is burnt off.

A
 
andysdad said:
BTW I did find a tip for clearing water from the tank, add c.250ml Methylated Spirit per 5l of fuel. Or run Ethanol fuel for a tank - the ethanol in both combines with water and then combines with the fuel and is burnt off.

A
Click to expand...

But be aware that you can only clear up relatively small amounts of water contamination this way - search for phase separation if you want details, too much water and you end up with a water/ethanol layer underneath the petrol (at least so says the theory).
 
Water in fuel

Thanks Ahutcheon, but that only applies in NZ not in Oz!

Only kidding.

Anyhoo, connected up with all new fuel in cleaned-out tank, new filters (inline and on-engine) and she fired up first turn and idled smoothly for 10 minutes.

I still don't really have a firm cause for the original problem, but I'll try it out and see what happens.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

A
 
Blast

So - idles fine, but on the water as soon as more than idle is selected it still dies.

Wondering if the fuel pump is at fault (engine only 20 hours old!).

Only other possibility is an air leak in the fuel line as previously suggested. To get back (at idle), we had to pump the fuel bulb continuously and it kept going flat/soft (oooer) - felt like the fuel falling back into the tank due to loss of suction. Thinking that at higher throttle this disruption in fuel supply causes stalling/hard to restart.

Off to the dealer?

A
 
Can you swap the fuel tank/hose (ideally for a known good one borrowed from a mate's boat)? That way you might be able to pin down whether it's the motor or the supply.

No doubt a real kiwi would suggest a solution using no. 8 wire, but I'm an imported model...
 
Tank swap

Did that originally - my thinking now is it is an air leak in the fuel line, maybe the separator or bulb.

Prepared to let the dealer diagnose it from here - too many variables, I don't want to ix it without realising what was wrong and miss out; if it is warranty I'd prefer not to pay!

I will update this after visit to dealer a week on Friday.

Thanks everyone for the comments so far.

A
 
Shuck Raider --

and ahutcheon -- you were right!

It was the connector to the external tank.

I had checked it for a sticking valve but not knowing any better, I presumed if was clicked into place it should be OK even though it was loose. The looseness was letting air in......£5 for a new fitting, all good (plus another £95 to the Dealer to find the above and fix it. That'll teach me:blast)

Also found no pipe clips on fuel line; now properly clipped onto all fittings.

Engine runs 100% again.

A
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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