www.iFourWinns.com

My V288 is showing some really weird fuel consumption statistics lately. My starboard tank is depleting at least 4times faster than the port tank. There is no connection between the two tanks. The port engine uses the port tank while the genset and the starboard engine use the starboard tank. I have not used the genset for months between the top ups. How can fuel just disappear?

1. Does anybody else have the same issue?

2. Has anyone tried connecting the 2 fuel tanks?

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Abhi
2009 Vista 288 "Junglee"

I'm assuming you're not seeing excessively smoky exhaust from the engine pulling from the starboard tank, right? But I can't imagine an engine being able to run smoothly if it were being run rich enough to deplete fuel at THAT much difference from the other engine.

There is almost always a valve for shunting from different tanks. This allows you to safely provide fuel to an engine should one tank be a problem (like empty or bad fuel). On our 348 there are three valves right next to each other on the engine room bulkhead wall. Two of them shut off flow from their respective tanks. And between them there's a 3rd valve that allows combining them, crossing over between the tanks.

To use this setup you'd close the valve to one tank and then open the 3rd valve. This would cause both engines to pull off one tank. But if you leave all the valves open it can lead to unpredictable consumption. There's no way to control how much gets pulled across the combining valve. When you see very uneven consumption from tanks it's almost always caused by the combining valve being left open.

And do not just assume the 3rd valve is working properly. Try a test. Close some valves and run the engines. There's usually enough fuel in the lines to let the engines run for a little while. I'd start by closing the PORT tank valve. Run both engines until the PORT engine dies. If the PORT engine doesn't cut out within a couple of minutes then it's getting fuel from the starboard tank. That would indicate that the cross-over valve is open. Valves are pretty simple devices and are unlikely to fail. But it is possible. Could be that yours just needs replacing.

Otherwise unless you smell gasoline fumes or see greasy slicks on the water then you have someone stealing gas from that tank.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I agree. If all three valves are open, both enignes may pull gas from the tank with the least resistance. The may be the one tank that is loosing so much fuel. Check the fuel valves.

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Mike
2001 Four Winns 328
Midland, ON, Canada
Cruising Georgian Bay
Previous boats: Doral Monticello and Chris Craft Scorpion

I agree will Bill about the motor running that rich. However, my 2007 318 with twin 5.0's had a similar problem. The starboard engine would go through between 2 and 3 times the amount of fuel as the port engine. It also would never reach WOT. It was discovered a bad fuel pressure regulator was the culprit. Evidently, the problem had been there since I bought the boat a year earlier. After the fix, it was like I got a new boat. Performance improved greatly, especially getting up on plane times. Check out those fuel rail pressures!

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2007 Four Winns 318 Vista "Sas Sea Lady"
Previous
2002 Four Winns 268 Vista "Girls Knot Buoys"
1999 Sea Pro 235 WA "Bait Me"

I would have agreed with Bill's valve theory but the OP stated that there is no connection between the two tanks. I know on my V298, I can clearly see the connection. Does anyone else have a V288 that can confirm whether or not the two tanks are connected via the crossover valve? I could not imagine a boat with twins and a gen not having a crossover valve but who knows. On a side note, the thermostat on my port engine was stuck open for a time and I noticed more fuel consumption but not as much as what you are experiencing.

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

I did see that. The OP might have stated there's no connection, but I find it hard to believe. It's been standard practice for twin engine/tank setups for a while. I mean, anything's possible, and perhaps that particular boat does in fact not have the cross-over valve. Or a previous owner changed things (this can make for HUGE diagnostic challenges). And if there isn't actually a cross-over then I'd strongly recommend one be added. If just to avoid getting stuck sometime when one tank can't supply fuel effectively (low, bad fuel, etc).

Excellent tip about the thermostat. How did you detect that it wasn't working right?

And also the previous post about the pressure regulator. Two other things to keep tabs on over time.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

The set up on my 288 is the same as Bill describes on his 348?

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2008 V288
5.0 MPI / B3 Seacore

As others have stated, you should have three valves that allow you to select the fuel flow from the tanks. Assuming each engine is drawing fuel from their respective tank, do both engines reach full WOT RPM? I had a similar issue and it turned out my starboard prop was out of whack. Had the props tuned and now WOT and fuel burn is identical.

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2002 Vista 298
Video of boating from The Florida Keys, to Miami, to Bimini/Bahamas

Thanks a lot guys.

Engine hits max revs with WOT. So no worries about getting on plane. Am lifting her out this weekend for engine servicing and antifoul treatment. Will do some additional checks.

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Abhi
2009 Vista 288 "Junglee"

this is a complaint i have fielded many times and 90% of the time the issue is running with the crossover valve in the open position. the problem is that most of the fuel will draw from the tank with the lowest spring pressure on the anti-siphon valve. you should always run with the crossover valve closed. every fourwinns with twins i have seen does have one of these.

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Brian Borchik
The Winds of Cold Springs Harbor Marina
Baldwinsville, NY

I have a 07 288 that was doing the same thing. You fuel delivery is managed by your ECM.If that was the case your engine or (s) would run bad. Somewhere you have a manifold control for fuel from both engines.There will be three valves.One from each engine and one in the middle. Close the one in the middle. This isolates one engine from the other. Your Gen probably runs off of your Stb side. What happens is in each tank there is a valve that keeps gas from siphoning into your bilge if you rupture a line.Whichever tank has the weakest valve that is the tank that will use the most gas. There is nothing wrong with your engines. You need to find the manifold. Mine is mounted in engine comp on a bulkhead just aft of the freshwater tank.

there is no reason to have valve changed if this is found to be it. Remember the pumps are creating the suction. It doesn't make the valves bad.You will see they burn evenly after you close that valve

So did you have it fixed and what was it?
Seems like I have the same problem
They fixed it before when boat was brand new
Is it something I can do myself? (antisyphoning valve)
Thanks !
Rich