www.iFourWinns.com

Had a great day out on the water Saturday until we came in for the day. We were going along fine at 40-45mph and then all of a sudden.....sputter.....sputter....sputter....and then completely dead. Couldn't get the engine to turn over at all. Got towed back. Next morning, checked all fuses, looked for loose wires, plugs were dry as a bone, and valves that should have been spraying fuel had no pressure or fluid at all. Fuel pump does not make any noise at all when trying to start the engine. Right now, it seems that either there is a bad wire or electrical connection to the fuel pump, the fuel pump itself is dead, or there is a blockage of some sort in the fuel line itself (seems least likely since I am hearing no noise from the pump itself).

Any thoughts or suggestions? It's always something isn't it? At least it happened the second to last day of our season and my buddy was right there ready with a tow. Could have been much worse!

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

My thought are, keep it simple. Have you replaced the filter??

Not yet--couldn't do much on a Sunday during a holiday weekend and now the boat is 3 hours away in Tennessee. Trying to plan my next moves. Filter would be a good fix--what worries me is not hearing anything from the pump at all.

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

I had to replace the low pressure pump on my 98 5.7Gsi a couple of years ago after similar symptoms.

Did you say that the engine will not turn over on the starter motor? Or does it turn over and not fire?

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

It will not fire up.

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

I had a problem with fuel starvation earlier this summer, turned out to be corrosion on the fuel pump plug electrical contacts. A shot of electrical contact cleaner elminated the problem.

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2004 Vista 298
Twin 5.7L Volvo Penta GXi-E

No doubt it is ethanol related.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

I always use Startron in my fuel so I am thinking ethanol is not the problem--but that did cross my mind as a possibility.

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Norris Lake, Stardust Marina, Andersonville, TN
2005 Four Winns 230 Horizon 5.7L Volvo Gi/DP
2001 Maxum 1900SR 5.0L V8 (Sold)
2011 Nissan Armada Platnum

Your thoughts on the fuel pump(s) would seem to be valid.

Will it start on starting fluid? If so, that would tend to verify the potential inoperative pump.

Additionally, have you disconnected the fuel line at a point after the pump, to see if it does or does not pump fuel when the ignition is turned on? If no fuel, the pump is either bad or there is no power.

Test for power when the ignition is turned on (it will likely only have power for a few seconds, then turn off ... since the engine is not running). If you have power, the pump is the problem.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner