www.iFourWinns.com

Check the plugs. They are easily fouled. Change them out and it may fire up and run just fine.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

That's pretty much what you have to do in a 348/358 to get to the water heater. The bench under the starboard cockpit seating comes out in the same way. But if the genset (on the port side) had to be removed, well, an awful lot of the port side engine exhaust would have to come out first.

I'm with you in thinking that's just an obscenely bad layout. To put someone through that much work just for an impeller is ridiculous.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

we'll find out what the issue is on march 3rd.

Spark plugs should NOT foul with less than an hour of use. And the LOC issues should NOT be preventing the generator from firing. And a fault shutdown should not foul the spark plugs.

However - once the tech does a full run through with his equipment - I hope it is the spark plugs. I'll have an extra set and the comfort of knowing that every sensor and part of that generator is currently working.

I ruled out stupic human tricks. Spark plugs are easy - but I'd be suprirsed if that's the cause. Although - I looked right at the plug and thought about checking it. I didn't because I needed a different socket anyway.

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

Hey Coug, Take another look at the photo of your impeller. You've got vanes pointing in opposite directions. That's not good. Better double check that before it fires.

BTW, great job on the photojournalism!

Does Four Winns install a Siphon break on these Genset's?

The reason I ask is that I know if a generator does not start you are not supposed to keep trying to start it, the water pump will push water into the lift muffler which can back up into the cylinders (reversion) and water does NOT compress like gasoline!

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Brett DiMichele

This holds true for most older genset setups, although I think most manufacturers have gone to a siphon break to alleviate this problem(at least I hope so). I remember reading about this in almost every boat user manual I've had though.

And neither water nor gasoline(in its liquid form) are easily compressible. The volumetric coefficient of gasoline changes with temperature however, so I assume if you got gasoline hot enough, it could compress somewhat. This being much hotter than your standard internal combustion engine could make it on a compression stroke. We rely on the atomization of the fuel first, combined with a compression event, and an ignition event. Diesel on the other hand....

sorry for the longish post, but that's my business

Justin

Have you checked the oil level ? I am not positive, but I believe Kohler does not ship the genny's with oil in them on new boat orders. Just a thought.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Oil was checked at the time of delivery... Besides, if there was an oil issue - there is a sensor that would throw a fault code.

As for the impellar. I noticed that one was a little funky. Knowing that we'll be diving into this a bit more with the mechanic - that's on the list of questions I have for him. I believe the design of these impellers will self right the direction (since they are a soft rubber). But then that begs the question of why this one hadn't?

I'm going to check the spark plugs...

At this point, I'm chasing ghosts. I just don't know how water could have traveled all the way up through the exhaust - I thought about that and followed the exhaust outlet - and it would take an act of god for it to have done that.

Keep the ideas coming. I'll keep checking.

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

Couger,

Where's your sound shield, do you not have one or was it removed before you took the pictures.
Just curious because I would like to know what all you had to remove to get it off.

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Bridgewater, PA
2008 Vista 318

My 318 did not come with a sound shield.

In terms of access -- basically I removed the entire port side bench area and the sub floor. Four Winns actually did a fairly nice job making it less than easy, but not quite tough to get access to the entire engine bay -- both motors, and everything else.

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

By your comment I'm assuming the photo shows the way you found it when you opened the cover. That may very well be the problem. This would indicate the impeller was installed improperly from the factory. I have never seen an impeller that "self corrected" in spite of the manufacturer's claims. My guess is you are getting insufficient flow and that would shut you down. See what your tech says, but that's where my money is. That impeller would have belonged to Mr. Phelps and self-destructed in no time. Then they would disavow any knowledge of your actions!

If that impeller was the problem - the genny would still start.

There is an overheat fault that will cause the generator to automatically shut down. BUT - you should then be able to start it up.

My issues are not the impeller. My issues are the fact that the dang thing won't start. ha ha.

I'm going to point it out to the tech on the 3rd. He should understand I'm not a moron - so I wouldn't have done that to the impeller.

We shall see.

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

Just a quick note... I had to head to the boat to grab some info - and I double checked the oil level was good. The front spark plug I checked very quickly and that showed good as well.

Plugs... check
Oil... check
impeller... check
fuses... check
battery connections... check
signs of leaky anything... check (nothing)

Will the dang thing start. nope

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

There is a single small ground wire on mine that broke off and it wouldn't start until it was fixed. If I can get by the boat in the next day or so, I'll snap a pic

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"