Volvo Penta 4.3 GL fuel issue

[natev68]

I have a 1999 Reinell 185 with a Volvo Penta 4.3L GL engine. I have been battling a fuel issue last year and now again this year that either myself nor a shop has been able to figure out. I am hoping maybe somebody has come across a similar issue and can provide any suggestions. It is an intermittent fuel issue, where when I am getting the boat up on plane all of a sudden the fuel just cuts off. Sometimes I am able to get it back started again within a few minutes and it will run just fine again. Other times I have been left stranded and had to get a tow back to the launch. The scenario is the exact same every time it happens. We will launch the boat and it fires up great and runs great to get to a beach to set up shop for the day. Usually it will sit for roughly an hour and we take the kids tubing. The times it has cut out has either been getting on plane for the first tube ride or other times it will run great the first go around, but then it will sit again for another hour or so and cuts off on the 2nd time getting on plane with a tuber. Every time it has happen it has been this scenario and pulling a tube. It has only happened while getting on plane. To make things more frustrating, I have gone on a week vacation twice where it has run great the entire week pulling kids on the tube. Leading me to think I had finally resolved the issue only to have it happen again. At this point I have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, anti-siphon valve and the fuel line going from the fuel pump to the tank. I have taken it into a shop and they haven't been able to get it to fail out of the water. They have tested the electrical systems and confirmed power was getting to the pump. It is a great boat for my family and runs great when it is actually getting fuel. I don't want to give up on the boat yet, but its getting frustrating constantly having to deal with the boat dying on the water with young kids. If anyone has any possible suggestions I am all ears. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[tpenfield]

Perhaps it is not a fuel issue at all. I would look through the ignition system for loose connections or corroded wiring.

 

[Scott Danforth]

agree with Ted. if it was fuel pump, it would simply gradually stumble as the fuel bowl on the carb will hold enough fuel to go about 600' when on plane

since it happens when you are tubing, my guess would be a bad connection in either the power feeding the ignition key or the ignition fee (purple wire). do your gauges all remain powered? if they do, the issue is after your ignition switch. if they dont, the issue is before your switch

no ignition power, no fuel pump power

could be connection at safety lanyard
could be connection at main harness connector
could be connection at coil

 

[Misterbulbous]

I'm running a 2002 5.0 GL-B (carbureted) and have a similar problem. During "steady" boating (without extended breaks), the engine starts up at the touch of the key, has plenty of power, no hesitation...but if we take a long break to swim or float around, it will start right up but as I get on plane it will stumble and die - from there it's usually 5~10 minutes of cranking and keeping fingers crossed. Eventually it will catch and then it's back to normal. My issue has persisted for 8~10 years - so I've kinda ruled out bad gas or other one-time causes.

I haven't tried a ton of countermeasures, but this year tried seafoam and insulating my fuel line (no help)...I'm basically assuming it's vapor lock and recently just make sure I start the boat up every 10~15 minutes or so. Note, that it seems more prevalent in the very hot boating season in Kentuck/Tennessee.

 

[Lou C]

Might be fuel boiling in the carb due to heat coming off of the intake manifold. They make insulated carb spacers to keep the fuel cooler, I wonder if that would work. Check Holley’s website if you have a Holley carb.

 

[Lou C]

I have a 1999 Reinell 185 with a Volvo Penta 4.3L GL engine. I have been battling a fuel issue last year and now again this year that either myself nor a shop has been able to figure out. I am hoping maybe somebody has come across a similar issue and can provide any suggestions. It is an intermittent fuel issue, where when I am getting the boat up on plane all of a sudden the fuel just cuts off. Sometimes I am able to get it back started again within a few minutes and it will run just fine again. Other times I have been left stranded and had to get a tow back to the launch. The scenario is the exact same every time it happens. We will launch the boat and it fires up great and runs great to get to a beach to set up shop for the day. Usually it will sit for roughly an hour and we take the kids tubing. The times it has cut out has either been getting on plane for the first tube ride or other times it will run great the first go around, but then it will sit again for another hour or so and cuts off on the 2nd time getting on plane with a tuber. Every time it has happen it has been this scenario and pulling a tube. It has only happened while getting on plane. To make things more frustrating, I have gone on a week vacation twice where it has run great the entire week pulling kids on the tube. Leading me to think I had finally resolved the issue only to have it happen again. At this point I have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, anti-siphon valve and the fuel line going from the fuel pump to the tank. I have taken it into a shop and they haven't been able to get it to fail out of the water. They have tested the electrical systems and confirmed power was getting to the pump. It is a great boat for my family and runs great when it is actually getting fuel. I don't want to give up on the boat yet, but its getting frustrating constantly having to deal with the boat dying on the water with young kids. If anyone has any possible suggestions I am all ears. Thanks in advance for any help.

Sounds like you covered most of the bases but have you had the shop take off the sending unit for the gas tank and look in with a bright flashlight to see if there is debris or water in the bottom of the gas tank? It maybe that it is getting sucked against the pick up screen under high load conditions. Ever dump out the fuel water separator and let the contents sit in a clean container, see what collects on the bottom...

 

[SunkenShip2]

Check the fuse panel under the helm. The plastic is failing/cracking on mine and many fuses are loose as a result. Maybe the key switch? Just trying to toss around some ideas for an inspection at least. Key to fixing issues like this is to start probing with a test light and wiggling wires in the no-run state. I would probe the positive lead to the fuel pump first thing when it starts acting up. With it on the water muffs at idle start lightly touching the fuses, wires running to the fuse panel and the key switch. Hang around the dock though....

 

[Gator5713]

I had pretty much the exact same problem on my (was my Boss' at the time) '99 Larson w/4.3GL.
In the shop I couldn't re-create the problem, chased fuel issues, replaced relays, etc. Finally I took it to the lake and as soon as I was almost planed out I was eating windshield! NOW I knew what my boss was trying to describe and I started chasing wires. I bypassed the safety cut off and the problem all but went away and when it did cut out it was typically only momentary and came right back. After a couple hours laying under the helm re-doing all the spade connections I haven't had the problem since!

 

[FishingwithDave]

I’ve been having the same problem for the last couple of years with a 2002 4.3gl. Lots of troubleshooting by the boat shop and myself. Tended to encounter the problem after the boat sat for extend periods of time (6+ weeks). I use my boat for trolling and it would be fine for hours and then when trying to get on plane, it would die and never fire back up. I recently replaced the anti-siphon valve and have not had the problem since even after extended times between use. My issue is definitely fuel as it would fire if I poured gas or sprayed ether into the carb. I’m still not confident that the problem is fixed, so I’ve armed myself with the tools and knowledge learned from this site to test a couple of components of the fuel system on the water should it fail again. I think it’s a matter of a process of elimination for my problem so I can test the fuel pump to see if it’s working, and if it is, is it actually pumping fuel and if it is, then maybe it’s something in the carb like a stuck needle valve. I have carb cleaner on board to see if spraying it into the fuel inlet solves the problem.

 

[USA_boater]

The guy I bought my boat from warned me of what sounds like a similar issue...he said if the boat sat while swimming for hours and then you got in and rommped on it it would die and not restart...he said you'd have to let it sit awhile and then it would start. He figured out if he let it idle a bit before gunning it then the problem didn't happen...I've had the boat out twice since I got it and tried it both ways and no issue...but I poured 2 cans of seafoam into the tank...if it is some weird carb issue, I've seen seafoam make outboards, mowers, etc. run right so perhaps the issue isn't going to happen to me at all (finger crossed)...