Finally giving up....

gulls@play · **Posted:** Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:12 am

We are selling our Vista 288. We love our boat. Its a great, functional, comfortable, fun boat. Perfect for us....if it didn't have Volvo's. The fuel system problems are killing us. We had the port engine fuel cell replaced Feb 2012. Had the starboard engine fuel cell replaced Dec 2012.
Then when the port engine wouldn't start this March we had to try to fix it ourselves. So we dumped paint flakes from the fuel filter, pulled the fuel pressure regulator screen (which was clogged with paint) and replaced it with the recommended e-clip. The boat started and ran for a few days. Then we finally had to have the port engine fuel cell replaced again 3 weeks ago. We spent last weekend on the boat and by the end of the weekend the starboard engine fuel pump was whining again.
So my question is....has anyone contacted Volvo and been able to talk to anyone. The last mechanic suggested we write them and tell them our issues. He has heard of some people getting help from them. But I'm thinking a letter is really easy to ignore. I'd like to talk to someone but of course there is no number on the website.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:39 am

Any time you send letters to a vendor regarding problems it's best to send them Fed Ex with a signature required. That usually forces the mailroom to actually go get someone with the authority to sign for such things. Otherwise, yeah, it might just end up in a large pile of other letters.

Damn, searching a bit does not show good things for that issue. Seems like volvo's got a crappy design on their hands and they're avoiding dealing with the impact of it. I'd wonder if anyone's engineered a better alternative yet? $700+ to replace what ought to be a simple blocked filter is ridiculous.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:41 pm

You are not alone in this, fuel pump problems on late model Volvos have been reported by many others, there was a very long thread on the Seaswirl Striper board about this very same issue. Volvo must have had problems with a supplier not using the proper materials in these pumps, I don't know if e10 gas is a factor or not. This is one reason why I like my ancient carburated engine, simple mechanical fuel pump (original 25 years old) and a carb that can be rebuilt for not much money when needed. FI is nice but not when the OE components are low quality and the OEM does not do anything to upgrade them.

noexcuses · **Posted:** Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:49 pm

I am acutely aware of your pain since I went through all of the same stuff last summer, be aware that this problem is not limited to Volvos. The mechanic that serviced my injectors said that Mercs were prone to have the same issue. I also found this Merc thread describing the same problem with paint.

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/ ... uel-Module

ric · **Posted:** Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:16 pm

Fuel injected 4.3 issues is a hot topic on the chap forums.

If it were my boat, I'd rip all that garbage out and bolt a carb on each engine. You'll never have issues again.

blue dragon · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 792

Does this affect only early model VP engines, or is this something I have to look forward to with my 5.7?

noexcuses · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:20 am

Apparently, the paint has been changed but I have no idea of when. See the thread below.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10917&start=15

afw200 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:26 am

And a more descriptive thread....

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6109

And some more about pump failures.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... 444-a.html

http://forum.chaparralboats.com/index.p ... opic=12910

blue dragon · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 792

I guess I should have done more reading before I ordered the VP engine. At least I know to recommend mercruiser since VP doesn't want to own that problem.

noexcuses · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:46 am

Mercs have the same issue, see my post above or check this link.

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/ ... uel-Module

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:55 am

Just curious as I have a carb, but I wonder if Sta-Bil Marine Formula (ethanol treatment) prevents the paint from flaking off and clogging the fuel system? Could be a cheap alternative to replacing pumps and injector rails.

afw200 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:02 am

The Sta-Bil only prevents the fuel from breaking down (excess water) during storage. But will have no effect on preventing the paint degradation issue with VP fuel pumps.

It should be noted, the Mercruiser issue is related to their Cool Fuel Gen III modules. Not all Mercruiser engines have them, and is not a fuel pump issue like it is in the VP engines. And Mercruiser has issued a bulletin about this issue, and will replace the module if documentation is provided when a claim is filed. VP has just swept their fuel pump problems under the rug.

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:13 am

afw200 wrote:

The Sta-Bil only prevents the fuel from breaking down (excess water) during storage. But will have no effect on preventing the paint degradation issue with VP fuel pumps.

True, but in theory, if the pump problem is caused by the ethanol (which I have read on several sites is the cause), one would think that a stabilizer would prevent this from happening? Just a thought.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:07 am

I agree Niagara. If E-10 sits even for short periods of time, the ethanol will separate from the gas and settle on the bottom of the tank. Then upon start up, the ethanol is in the fuel system loosening up any internal paint.

Star Tron is my weapon of choice to deal with ethanol though.

ric · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:17 am

I'm not aware of any oil based paint that ablates with alcohol. Only latex. Solvents dissolve paint not flake it. I'm pretty sure the flaking is due to bad surface prep and the underlying aluminum oxidizing releasing flecks of paint.

They should be hard anodized instead. Paint in a fuel system is straight up planned obsolescence. Its designed to fail.

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Finally giving up....

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