Ethanol Problem??? Will not restart after shutting off

[brennaker]

So....the same thing has happened several times now. After launching the boat and running great for a while, we stop for a break and it will not restart. It seems to be a fuel issue.
We are new boat owners and made the mistake of using ethanol enhanced fuel with no additive the first few times out and also left about 1/2 full tank of this poison in the tank over the winter. Apparantly that is a big no no! Well, since then we have been educated (the hard way) and have been using non-ethanol fuel and were hoping it would work itself out...however it just keeps doing the same thing. If we shut it off for over 15-20 minutes it will not restart. If you let it set overnight, it seems to be fine the next day. Is it the fuel filter, is the carbarator gummed up, any suggestions??? Thanks for any input...I'm confused. It runs great when its running. I want my nice, smooth running tige back!

[chpthril]

What engine and is it carb or EFI. Am I ready right that the problem went away and came back, or has it still an ongoing issue and you are no longer use ethenol fuel?

Other then no longer using ethenol fuel, what have you done?

Did you drain the old fuel out or just try and run it out.

How much of the .5 tank of old fuel has been run through?

How long did the boat lay up over winter?

It sounds like vapor-lock, and ethanol is way down the list of causes.

[ricsha91]

I would say its vapor lock also. I went through the same thing last year with an 08 Marine power motor.

[TeamAllen]

Have you tried replacing the fuel filter/water separator?

[brennaker]

dhpthril...this has been an ongoing issue since winter storage.
I am on my second tank of non-ethanol fuel...and yes I just ran the bad fuel through the engine in hopes of burning it out. As far as the engine goes..it is a 2005 22i??
What is the fix for vapor lock...if that does turn out to be the problem?

[boatwakes]

There are several possible culprits but to rule out or solve for vapor lock, after the engine has shut off and won't restart, open the fuel fill. This will relieve the potential vaccuum in the tank. If it starts then you need to replace or clean out the fuel tank vent and check valve. The 5/8" hose running from the tank overboard has a black check valve on some boats and none on others but the most likely source would be the vent overboard. Keep us posted.

[brennaker]

It looks like the answer was vapor lock. After doing some more research it turns out the engine compartment reaches its hottest tempurature 30-45 minutes after shutting off the engine. This is due to a lack of air movement. That would make sense as to why it always started after only being shut off for a couple minutes but had trouble when sitting for longer periods. Solutions: It sound like running the blowers after shutting down, opening the engine compartment, or just letting the boat idle for a few minutes after running hard and before shutting down could alleviate the problem. Long story short....just get the hot air out before the gas vaporizes. Have not had a chance to test this yet, but I think the issue has been solved.
Thanks for the input!

[TeamAllen]

I think you've got it right there. All of those should take care of the problem.

[TeamAllen]

The only other additional thing I do is add Marine Sta-Bil to the ethanol gas.

[bfrank]

The only other additional thing I do is add Marine Sta-Bil to the ethanol gas.

Agree, marine stable helps a ton.

[dogbert]

It's vapor lock that caused by heat build up in your engine compartment. The easiest fix is to run your blower for a while to cool it off sufficiently. We used to have that issue whenever it got really hot here in Central Texas. Running the blower definitely helps.

Adding Stabil is a good idea regardless. There's a marine version that's really good, albeit a bit pricy.