Need help, yamaha 15hp 4-stroke won't start after getting water in the gas line

jb0nez

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May 13, 2013
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2
Let me preface by saying I'm not particularly mechanically inclined. I learned the hard way that for example I need to buy ethanol free gas.
I have a 15HP 2005 Yamaha 4 stroke on an 11-foot zodiac.

I live on the Windward side of Hawaii where it rains constantly during winter. Each summer I add the recommended fuel additive, something with "ring" in the name, run it out to the sandbar a few times a month. Winter comes and I make sure it's got lots of the additive, and go out and start it (in a trash can of water, another lesson I learned the hard way) every few months. This last time I kind of forgot about it, and about 4 months passed - with the gas from summer still in the tank. I started it and it started right up. Made sure the fuel pump was pissing, let it run for 15 minutes when it died on its own. It wouldn't restart. I checked the fuel lines to make sure it was getting gas, I got as far as the fuel pump (I think that's what it is, the small metal box on the rear with an "in" and an "out") and pulled the line off and pumped the pump on my fuel tank, it squirted gas out just fine so I figured the problem was farther up. My roommate came along and made the observation that the gasoline felt like it had water in it. Sure enough, it didn't feel or smell like pure gasoline.

I'm guessing my fuel tank is not humidity proof and the constant rains got water in the tank, and the motor ran fine on whatever gas was inside it until it hit that water-gas. So I dispposed of the bad gas, bought a new tank of ethanol free, hooked it up and open the line on the fuel pump again. Pumped and pumped until what was squirting out was gasoline. Put the line back on, gave it a few more pumps, and tried to start it. I figured if I cranked it enough times the old bad water-gas would eventually get pushed out the exhaust and it would draw the good gas in and start. After about ten minutes of cranking I gave up.

I'm thinking of trying some of that engine starter stuff you spray into the carb intake while I start it. Is that a bad idea? Of course I'm not even sure where the air intake is, when I looked at some diagrams a few years ago the best I could tell it was under a metal plate. so I wouldn't even know where to spray the stuff.

Other than that I'm out of ideas. The local boat shop are extortionists, I've NEVER taken it there and left without paying at least $600. But they're the only ones accessible to me where I live.

Please someone help me. Do I just need to crank it more? I know it can run fine, it ran like a champ for 20 minutes until it hit the bad gas.
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
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Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
Re: Need help, yamaha 15hp 4-stroke won't start after getting water in the gas line

carbs need to come off and get cleaned
The lines, primer, and pumps need to be cleaned out not to mention the carbs need to be readjusted to specs
 

jb0nez

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Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
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Re: Need help, yamaha 15hp 4-stroke won't start after getting water in the gas line

carbs need to come off and get cleaned
The lines, primer, and pumps need to be cleaned out not to mention the carbs need to be readjusted to specs



Thank you for the fast response. So no amount of cranking will flush things through? Like I said it ran like a champ til it hit that watered gas.

IOW, it needs to go into the shop for a $1000 repair :( (did I mention these people are extortionists?)
 
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