www.iFourWinns.com

I have a problem that is baffling me. Every time I pump gas into my 220, the gas literally gets stuck in the gas pipe/ line. I had the dealer check it out and they said that sometimes air will have a hard time escaping the tank. I will pump a gallon and then it will appear that the tank is full. After about an hour, it will settle and then I can put another gallon in. Very time consuming and frustrating. Does anyone else have this problem and are there any easy solutions? Any guidance is tremendoulsy appreciated.

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2007 Four Winns H220

Only to say that it is not normal, and your dealer should take care of it instead of pushing it back on you.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I agree that it is not normal, but before I take it back up there and have to go without the boat for who knows how long- I would hope that there is some simple solution. I cannot locate the fuel vent on this boat. Every boat that I have had before always had the vent coming out of the rear near the swim platform. I am hopeing that this is clogged. But I have got to find it first. I'll do some line traceing from the gas tank.

Thanks,

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2007 Four Winns H220

From my owners manual:

Section I
Page 1
Freedom™/Horizon™ Owner’s Manual
The fuel fill fitting allows for venting below the fill cap.
While the tank is being filled, the air displaced by the fuel
escapes through the fuel fill/vent. This reduces the
amount of fuel spillage. Always open the lid slowly to
allow air to escape.

It is possible that you have something blocking the vent line creating a sort of vacuum in the line holding the fuel there. Maybe a spider took up residence there and built a nest.

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2005 Four Winns Horizon 200

here is a pic of it also:

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2005 Four Winns Horizon 200

Thanks a million for the detailed response. Is it possible that some gas from the gas can went into the vent which then did not allow air to escape? The times that I have pumped at the marina, it has worked out a lot better. But, when I try to fill up at my slip with my 5 gallon cans- the problem always seems to start. Perhaps because I have to get the gas started by literally pouring the gas in and then inserting the nozzle after the can is not quite as full (this helps me to avoid spilling) this is leading to some gas entering the vent line. Is this a possibility?

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2007 Four Winns H220

I would say either that, or possibly your boat is sitting at an angle while on the lift. You say it doesn't do this behaviour while using an actual gas pump? So I would suggest it is a "technique" issue. Perhaps try a gas can with a longer nozzle/hose to get it past the vent/lip?

My last boat had a "technique" issue when filling. You used the gas pump, and would go until you hear it girgle, then stop quickly or risk wearing about a gallon of gas when it would spray out forcefully.

Hope that helps!

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Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

Makes sense to me. My last boat was a cruiser, so I have not quite adapted to the smaller boat. Come to think of it, I have actually been standing on the swim platform while pouring the gas in and my 225 pounds may have created a challenge for the gasoline to flow into the tank- Maybe a far reach? I will take your recommendation and get a longer nozzle/ hose. Thanks for all the advice and input. Happy boating to all- now I will head back down to my slip, turn on some Buffet and have a couple of cold ones before having to go back to work tomorrow.

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2007 Four Winns H220

I fill my my '07 200 from cans quite frequently, and never had this type of issue. Check for a crimped (or missing) gas tank vent tube. I'd be very uncomfortable that the dealer would brush off a fuel related issue. Talk to the service dept again, perhaps involve your Salesperson, or reach out to the GM, this is more than an inconvenience, it's a potential safety issue - if there's no vent tube the possibility of fire or explosion is greatly increased. Spread that line of reasoning around at the dealership and you should get some attention.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

I have a 1997 Four Winns Horizon 200. I have owned the boat 10 years, I love the boat, and just started having the gas back up problem when I was filling it from a 5 gallon can in our boat house, not at the gas station. There is an air vent just inside the gas cap that Ys off of the main fill hose and goes into the tank through another hose and fitting. I took it apart, blew everything out with compress air and found everything clear. I put everything back together and still had the same problem. I didn't even get one gallon in and it backed up again.

At that point I realized that the vent tube ran down below the floor at the back of the boat and then went 4 to 5 feet below deck before it went into the gas tank. It ran level or maybe even up hill a little bit. I thought that maybe gas was getting in to the vent tube when I was pouring from the can. If the vent hose filled with gas it would stop the air flow through the vent. I thought about rerouting the vent hose but by this time I was to tired and aggravated and came up with another idea. I lower the boat hoist until the front strap was loose. I then took the front strap off and raised the back of the boat around 6 inches. I tried filling and it still backed up, but I immediately heard air bubbling and it cleared up. I raised the boat another few inches and tried again. I put 10 gallons at a fairly fast flow and it didn't back up once.

I have no idea why this problem occurred after all these years, but raising the back of the boat seemed to work. When I get motivated I am going to reroute the vent hose so that it has a healthy down hill slope to the tank. I hope this helps.
Sam Green