www.iFourWinns.com

Greetings All;

Just came back from two weeks cruising Cape Cod and the Islands (Ma.) with the family (5 of us) on the boat. Was great time. Went through fog, rain, and three footers, but the 348 handled it all just fine. Put on it some 30 hours; it averaged about 12 gph.

Some thoughts, projects, and glitches:

- Must find a place to install the 48" Sunsei 1500 to keep the batteries charged and the beer cool.

- Has anyone thought of moving the holding tank out of the cabin (for the obvious reasons) into the engine compartment? any ideas? thoughts? objections? Has this layout changed in the newer models? has the waste tank always been set up in the cabin on the 348 / 358? I find it alarming.

- One issue I faced - One engine just died on me and would not start for about 10 minutes while I was trying to anchor. It happened after a couple of anchoring trials using the windlass. I had to run on one engine to get out of the area ... few minutes later things went back to normal. Batteries are new, voltages were fine, no drop in oil pressure, or overheating. Did not happen since.

I hope you all are having a great summer
Cheers

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Vista 348 - 2006
Maxum SCR 2700 2002

What was your depth? Sometimes in shallow water the engine will shut down because the props can't spin.

Update on my previous post about warranty work and not being able to contact FW. My repair company heard from FW and they ARE honoring my warranty and sending someone over to look at the previously discussed issues. Glad to hear this! I feel better already.

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

Plenty of boats put the black water tank in the cabin. Some do put it in the engine compartment. But if the system is functioning properly and the lines are kept in good condition there's really not much difference where you're going to put it. There's certainly no room to spare for it in the engine compartment, not if you have a generator, that is.

When you say "would not start" did it crank over? Or did it just 'click' when you turned the key. If it just clicks then it could well be the battery. If it happens again, just clicking, then press the Battery Parallel button at the helm. If that allows it to start then you've definitely got a possible battery issue (or the wiring connections). If it cranked over but wouldn't fire then you've probably got a fuel delivery problem. Which engines are in it? In a car, having to wait for 10 minutes would be indicative of a fuel vapor lock sort of problem.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

BL, glad you heard back from FW! I'll be talking to them tomorrow. I'm going to see what they can do on a T+H floor since I've knocked out my two major issues myself. The Blackwater tank is in the cabin, huh? I'm pleased to report that it's in the engine room on the V338. It had a very slight odor (inside the engine room, right next to it) since I didn't pump it out for two weeks.

guys the black water tank is under the floor in the cabin, so it's pretty well isolated. There is a fiberglass cover over 90% of it and just a small opening for hoses. I did have concerns about the length and complexity of the hose runs, just based on clogging and pump out ability. But so far so good. You may be able to but a small tank in the engine room under the vacuum pump but these is not much room. With my stern drive setup there is a ton of room in front of the engines but then you would have to climb over and around it to get at the engines.

My advice is, if it ain't broke...


sfive00, whenever I had mystery problems with starting, it was always the control levers not being in neutral. Next time try moving them a little.

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2008 V358 Two-tone Blue V/P Dual Prop 320 HP
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

Greetings all, and thanks for the replies.

re the engine not starting: When turning the key; I did not get the "beep" that confirms all is well before you crank the ignition. I know I had a lot of water under me as well. The gear lever not in the neutral position 100% seems to be most probable. !! but then why did the engine stop running in the first place.

re moving the holding (dark water) tank: Other than bad odors in the cabin, I don't think that a tank in the same place you sleep, eat, and breath is healthy no matter how tight those pipes are...

I have the 6.2 V drives I believe there should be enough space on the starboard side - the Gen and batteries are on the port side.

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Vista 348 - 2006
Maxum SCR 2700 2002

I've made the mistake of trying to start while not in neutral. Just happened the other day at the fuel dock. I've been having a battery problem (one has quit, but after four seasons that's not so bad). I thought that was the problem. Ooops, has that engine still in gear...

I do not recall if it beeps when powered on while in gear or not. I do know it won't beep if the battery powering that engine is too low. But then I have 6.0L inboards, not stern-drives so the engine and throttle setup is a bit different.

As for the health of the tank placement, you do realize that the engine room bulkhead isn't sealed, right? Putting the black water tank back there isn't really going to accomplish much. I'm not arguing against the idea of moving it, just that it really isn't going to make much difference. Heck, mold is more likely to be more of a problem than the waste system. I think this is one of those cases where notions about 'peace of mind' often conflict with realities.

But don't get me wrong, I do understand your point. The best bet with the holding tank is to empty it as soon as possible after use. Don't let it get full and don't let anything sit in there for more than a few days. The main cause of waste system issues is solids left to accumulate in the hoses. The less time anything is left sitting in there, the better. Personally I'll take having the larger tank running down the centerline of the bilge vs a smaller one that will require trim changes as it gets filled.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Sierra, how are you liking the dual SC31DM house setup? I picked up one today to add on. I'm going to make a slow run up the bay and take my time so I can continue to heat cycle the engines. So I'll have plenty of overnighters with two weeks off. Is it getting you through the night ok?

Steve, I can't help but think you have another loose ground issue. I might have some time early in the week or possibly this weekend if you'd like me to look I probably can. Is SS coming out any sooner than this weekend?

Thanks for the offer Brenden. SS is coming on Tuesday and since this weekend's forecast is not the best, I don't think we'll be boating that much any way according to The Admiral. I might head over to the marina this morning to just check the house battery for corrosion but seriously doubt that is the case.

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

Having the tank in the center of the boat keeps your S**t balanced.

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

The dual AGM's for the ship's systems have done the trick for me. I get through the night on the hook with both fridges running, occasional lights, stereo and fresh water pump without any issue. While I haven't specifically tested the run-down time, I have not experienced a situation where the CO2 low battery alarm went off before I was firing up the genny for another reason anyway. I am very pleased with how it has worked out - great mod.

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

I should note that I was a cheap a$$ and just upgraded to dual group 29 Walmart batteries.

I made it overnight with one fridge, lights, water pump, vacuflush, TV, etc. Batteries showed no significant sign of drain.

I'm guessing that the 2nd fridge would 'maintain' without issue as well.


Going to dual house batteries seems like such an easy upgrade. Why would FW not do that already? wow.

I got both batteries, a tray, and a cable - for less than 1 Optima would have cost me.

However, had I gone Optimas, I would be replacing all of my batteries to have them all be the same style. Optima tech support that you could combine lead acid and their agm's with no problem - as long as they weren't on the same bank. But - I didn't think it was worth the risk.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Anyone add a second house battery on a 348/358 with sterndrives? I need pictures as to where to locate the second house battery. Seems tight down there.

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

OK, today was boat repair day. My electrical issues were in the Molex connector for the electrical grounds. I had problems with this last season and the problem came back. The fix was to actually remove the Molex connector and attach regular posts. It solved the problem 1,2,3. That should take care of that.

Next project is to add a check valve to the shower sump since the little backflow rubber thing is worthless.

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2008 Four Winns V358 (T 6.2L Merc Bravo III's with DTS and SeaCore)
2006 Sea Ray 340DA
2006 Sea Ray 320DA
2005 Maxum 3100 SE

Aha! I had a strong feeling that it was a bad ground(s). From what I've seen, everything on the 338 has post - grounding. I'd like to see where the molex connectors were, to check if I have them. Also, Sierra is kind enough to see what brand of battery tray his guys used to install his add'l optima. The generic WM group 27 tray is just a bit too small. I prefer a tray over a box both because of visual inspection and it's gonna be tough getting the battery to the tray let alone into a box! I don't know the battery layout on the sterndriven 358, it sounds a lot different than the 338. But I have the bank of batteries on the port side sitting on a slab of starboard. Luckily the house is to the aft and there's plenty of room behind it. I'm going to call FW today to make sure it's ok to drill there and to what depth..