Running issues

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

Hey guys. I am brand new to Four Winns. My brother and I just got an 07' Vista 278. It had 85 hours on it so it was basically a new boat. They day of our test ride we had a problem where the boat just wouldn't get up on plane. It would rev to like 3,000 rpms but then it choked and did a backfire. Runs at idle and a little higher but at the moment that's it. The high pressure fuel pump was whining pretty loud all this time. The marine yard we bought the boat from brokered this boat for someone. He said this fuel assembly was the weakest point of this boat. It seems like it is hit or miss whether the boat runs fine or not. My brother almost got stuck on Sunday and we want it fixed but don't know whats the right piece to change. We had a friend change the high pressure pump last night but that only stopped the whining but didn't fix the issue. Any ideas what it could be before we spend $800 dollars or so on the entire low pressure assembly... I appreciate the help guys..

ric · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:47 am

Average of 14hrs of use a year, bad. Do all this first. Ignore the fact if the broker/owner said they already did. Do it again.

Change all oils. Out drive and engine
Replace plugs/wires
new Fuel filter/water sep
Did you drain the gas that was in it? If not, drain it all out. New gas
Replace accessory belt, check all hoses for cracks. Replace any with cracks.
Replace impeller/thermostat
sanitize all water tank

After all that, then it's time to start troubleshooting.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:03 am

Scratch the above list for now. You need to get it running with adequate fuel delivery first. Just replace both high and low pressure pumps, for the big $'s. Your problem will be solved.

Also, at time of purchase, on a brokered boat, it should have been the responsibility of the previous owner to fix the pumps at his cost before you take delivery. Or reduce the price accordingly to compensate your expense in having them replaced.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:04 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

Scratch the above list for now. You need to get it running with adequate fuel delivery first. Just replace both high and low pressure pumps, for the big $'s. Your problem will be solved.

Could be filter and bad gas? Broken plug wires? Plugs with 1/2in gap? They all do that

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:46 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

Scratch the above list for now. You need to get it running with adequate fuel delivery first. Just replace both high and low pressure pumps, for the big $'s. Your problem will be solved.

Also, at time of purchase, on a brokered boat, it should have been the responsibility of the previous owner to fix the pumps at his cost before you take delivery. Or reduce the price accordingly to compensate your expense in having them replaced.

In many ways Capn Morgan is right!

If it was me and maybe you have already done it? Replace the fuel filter, it may not be your problem, but its to cheap & easy not to do first. Than the pump, but thats me.

Than I would replace parts, just so you know and have peace of mind. Later, change the engine and out-drive oils. Do the impel la, but not the thermostat (unless you are having temp problems). Do the cap & rotor, clean the plugs & go from there, look the wires over good. Again, eye ball the belt & hoses they should be in good shape with 85hrs on them.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Replace plugs/wires
new Fuel filter/water sep
Did you drain the gas that was in it? If not, drain it all out. New gas
Replace accessory belt, check all hoses for cracks. Replace any with cracks.
Replace impeller/thermostat

This is exactly what I did except the thermostat and the peace of mind it gives me when out on the water is worth every penny spent! I replaced all the hoses and the belt even though there was nothing wrong with the ones it had, I keep them as spares now. The sparkplugs that were changed were NOT!!! :evil:

It even had two different sparkplug types and they were all corroded. Don't trust the dealer on brokered boats they just want to make money.
My new sparkplugs the dealer told me the boat had :twisted:

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

We already put 10 hours on the boat. We had an eighth of a tank when we got it. We put 150 bucks of premium in it. Used it all and now put another half a tank. Already has brand new platinum plugs in it. And the dealer checked fuel pressure twice. Before we got the boat and another time. As of now we changed the whining high pressure pump but that didn't fix it. I know everyone says to change everything but if you saw the motor you would say it almost looks brand new. So to change hoses and wires is irrelevant.. it just got 2 brand new batteries and a new battery isolator too...it has to be something simple...I hope

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

If I started the boat now at the dock you all would say the boat sounds and runs normal and perfect.. starts instantly with one turn.. its just when we pull out of the marina and try to get it going and up on plane that it chokes out at some point..could be a minute or seconds or not even at all...its weird..

97_245_sd · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:06 am

I'll throw a couple more things in to add to the confusion.

It sounds like it could be a fuel delivery problem as mentioned above. There are two other things besides the low pressure fuel pump that could be factors.

1. The fuel tank vent tube could be clogged and limit fuel delivery at high engine loads. You can check this out by loosening the fuel cap slightly and see if that clears up the engine when it starts to act up.

2. The anti-siphon valve in the fuel supply line from the tank could be faulty and also limit fuel delivery. You can do a search here and learn all about that item.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Vista278 wrote:

If I started the boat now at the dock you all would say the boat sounds and runs normal and perfect.. starts instantly with one turn.. its just when we pull out of the marina and try to get it going and up on plane that it chokes out at some point..could be a minute or seconds or not even at all...its weird..

Exactly what mine would do when I had it at home on the muffs ran great! The minute it was off the trailer at the marina it would start running rough hardly idling. Try to give it throttle and cough cough backfire cough cough and running like total crap. I changed the spark plugs and when I was changing them I noticed that one of my wires was broken so I changed the wires also. I flushed the fuel tank and added non ethanol fuel and it has been running fine since, don't forget to empty the fuel separator periodically into a clear glass container that way you can see if the fuel has water or anything else in it.

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

I am going to check the fuel filter later to see if it is dirty or if there is water in the fuel... plus I will try the gas cap idea too... thanks guys..its frustrating..

ric · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:05 pm

Looks mean nothing, hours mean nothing. Hoses can look brand new and be 100% dry rotted and crumble upon squeezing. I wouldn't even turn the thing on without a new impeller, if that thing is original it's hard. If that breaks you will spend a grand or 2 having the engine cleaned out. The parts are 6 years old. Most likely original oils in the engine/drive. That's a ticking time bomb.

Never trust the word of someone else that it was done unless you saw them do it or did it yourself. It's the same as buying a used car, you do a full maintenance/tune up so you have a known starting point.

Personally I prefer a boat with "normal" hours for it's age. That means it works. At least 50 a year.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:32 pm

"Normal Hours" is impossible to define. A cruiser may have more or less hours per year depending on the owner, than a small runabout. So there is no such thing as normal hours. 87 hours on a 2007 boat would indicate to me adequate use. And if no overheat condition is present, ignore the impellar replacement and get your fuel issue fixed first as stated before in this thread.

Anti siphon valve, fuel filter/water seperator and the other pump would be the first place to start.

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

He boat was used normal.. maybe a little less than most people are used used to. It was only one owner, maintained by a Four Winns dealer, winterized by them and that's who I bought the boat from. The guy is a mechanic and dealer and he winterized it last. And changed the fluids for us and put brand new plugs boat was used for 3 years and then he wanted to sell it but never did. The boat sat for 2 years. The boat ran fine when we got it. So why now did it have the same problem again like it did a month ago when we test drove it.. I wanna believe its the low pressure pump because the high pressure one was whining loud.. we changed that one already and it didn't fix it. The boat also has the Neutra salt injection system.

Vista278 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:41 pm **Posts:** 10

Ok so I took the fuel filter off tonight and it was barely full. No wonder why the high pressure pump was working so hard and whining. The low pressure is barely working. Shouldn't the fuel filter have been full and over flowing??

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