Please analyze this fuel sample and give opinion for 99 ficht

[Bdoss85]

Hello everyone. I recently ran into an issue this weekend with my 99 ficht 200. Boat has been running good last few times out then all of a sudden I was coming off plane and check engine light came on and buzzed and went back off and I was put into slow mode. Restarted and was out of slow mode but when I would try and get on plane boat would stutter very bad when I got up to about 2200rpm or so then I would be put back into slow mode and had to reset again. Basically as long as I was at 2000 rpm or below boat idled back in ok. Anything above that and it would break up bad and want to put me back in slow mode if I tried to get on plane. An aunt of mine said its happened to her before and it was her fuel water separator. I've never had an issue like this before so I got a new one and drained the filter into a jar for observation. Now I've never had to analyze water in fuel before so I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at but I know 2 tone isn't good. Can someone tell me if this appears to be what my problem is or was by the pictures or if not (I am unable to test run the boat for a few days) point me in a general direction of where to start diagnosing? Also which is fuel and which is water? I know they say water usually settles at the bottom of gas but the top looks more like water to me. What came out of the filter on the engine was same color as what was on top in this picture, this was poured out of the fuel water separator in transom. Thanks in advance!

 

[GA_Boater]

Gas and oil float while water sinks.

I don't see a pic.

 

[Bdoss85]

No Title

Sorry forgot to attach photos lol. First one is the fuel water separator in the transom. Second one was the fuel filter on the motor.

 

[sutor623]

Didnt get any pictures. You are correct, bad gas starts to separate into layers. Buttttttttttt, it sounds to me like your water pump is not supplying sufficient water flow at higher RPMS and the SLOW sensor may have saved your AZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! Bad fuel will not set the engine into slow mode. I would do a few things.
1.) Make sure you arent overheating!!!! You should do this with a temp gun on both heads when the SLOW sensor goes off. If you are overheating, change out your waterpump (or check poppet valves, not sure how they are set up in this motor.)

2.) If you arent actually overheating, you need to check your temp sensors to make sure they arent faulty. You can disconnect them, once again, AFTER you verify you are not overheating, and see if you still go into slow mode. If you continue to go into slow mode when the motor is NOT overheating, and when the sensors are disconnected, then your issue likely lies upstream of the temp sensors. If the problem resolves after the temp sensors are disconnected, they need replacing.


What exactly does that buzz sound like? I believe a fuel restriction will also make the horn sound.

 

[sutor623]

Got the pics. YEOWCH!!!! Change that gas out immediately!!! How old is that gas? Is it ethanol free?

 

[Bdoss85]

12, 14, 17, 26 and 28 were the codes I got when I manually checked the codes. The buzz sounded for about 3 seconds or so then went off. Then the check engine light went off about 10 seconds or less after that. I'm not sure exactly how old it is. I recently bought the boat from my cloak who said he put gas in it last earlier this year. There was maybe 1/4 tank of gas in it when I got it and then I filled it up before I took it out (102 gallon tank). So maybe 20 or so gallons is what was in there before. I've had the boat out for a total of 5 hours or so but didn't drain the filter before that. It has 2 batteries on it both of which are Napa 660cca

 

[Bdoss85]

I plan on siphoning out the gas from the bottom of the tank until I get only good gas coming out. Or is it just wise to cut my loses and get it all out of there? (About 70-80 gallons left)

 

[GA_Boater]

No matter what type of gas is in the tank, you have water. I guess the boat has a built-in tank.

 

[Bdoss85]

Yes. The tank is under the deck accessible through a port where my fuel sender is.

 

[sutor623]

I wouldn't bomb 70-80 gallons of gas!!! Especially if you just put most of it in there. I'd use the primer bulb to siphon the water out of the bottom of the tank until you do not see the separation or layering that you see now. Then change your fuel/water separator and see how she does. You ought to just look up the codes that the engine threw. That's part of the beauty of ECM motors.

 

[Bdoss85]

The codes came out to be for TPS, low voltage in both systems and shift interruptor switch. I'm thinking one of the batteries is bad, they are also both only 660cca which I believe I read somewhere that this motor requires significantly more? One more question I forgot to ask, the clear blue bowl on the bottom of the racor filter, does that only fill with water or does gas sit in there too?

 

[tphoyt]

By looking at the fuel sample there are a few things I would do if I were you.
First try to get the water out of the tank and save the fuel if you must but I personally would bite the bullet and start fresh.
You will also need to change the filter and you are going to need to clean out the lines beyond the filter going to the motor as well.
It sound like the water made it way past the separator. Don't take any short cuts or you will end up doing it all over agin anyway.
Pull all the lines and blow them out blow out the filter on the motor and pull the carbs off remove the bowels and blow them out as well.
If you have a manual choke don't forget to clear that of any old gas as well.