Boat won't start, sometimes...

[Wax]

Ok I'm having a strange issue. My boat fired up no problem this year. I put it in the water last weekend and went surfing, then parked at my neighbor's dock. The boat sat for maybe an hour, with the fat sacs full (1100 left rear, 400 locker). When I came back out, the boat wouldn't start. I emptied the fat sacs and let it sit for a while, then it started and ran perfectly fine.

Yesterday, I went surfing and the boat fired up perfectly fine. After, I parked the boat on my hoist with the fat sacs full but with the hoist down (so the boat was level) and it sat for probably 2 hours. I came back and it wouldn't start. I emptied the fat sacs and came back about a half hour later, it fired up no problem.

So it starts fine at first, I fill ballast and surf, then it doesn't start again until I empty ballast (even if it's sat for a bit) and it sits for a little while without the ballast full...but it's regardless if the boat has been sitting level, that's why I tried it on my hoist yesterday.

Any ideas? I think maybe fuel filter or fuel pump, but the crazy thing is it starts and runs perfect at first. It's so strange how it's doing it, and the only common denominator I've found is the ballast being full from surfing, but I've never had an issue before.

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[sivs1]

vapor lock, I have the same issue, starts right away, runs great, ski, wakeboard, surf etc. Drop anchor and turn it off for an hour or so to eat lunch, swim whatever. Go to start and it try's, but nothing. Open up the engine compartment, it's hot as can be, let it sit with the lid open and turn on the blower it will start pretty quickly after that. Do a search above for Vapor Lock. I'm in the process of testing a possible solution listed as one of the search results.

[wolff supra21v]

Mine did this and it was also throwing codes (check engine code) The ground wire was lose where it connect to the motor. You might want to check that. if you are facing the motor on the right hand side front of the motor the grounds are bolted onto the block. Dealer thought it was vapor locking but I would get weird codes ever once and a while. (during trouble shooting they also add a second fuel pump for vapor locking).

[jzelt]

I would also ask if you fuel tank is full at the beginning, but after running for a while, does it reach a level that it isn't able to pick up any more until you even it out by emptying the tank (only common denomitor I read in your two scenarios). Could be a fuel pickup issue...If possible, I would run it as is, when it doesn't react, fill it with some 5 gal cans and see if it starts...

[sandm]

vapor lock is pretty common but I wouldn't think it's been hot enough up here yet. try running the blower for your entire session and see if it starts again afterwards. that was my solution with the supra to fix vapor lock. blowers are cheap if you burn one out.

[bergermaister]

Ballast pushing against a wall/divider and somehow pinching a gas / return line? When the engine is running there's enough pressure for it to push past. After shutting down, no pressure, line gets pinched? Call me crazy...

[Cigars n scotch]

I have now experienced Vapor Lock twice mow while out. First time it happened a few weeks ago I had my boat towed back as I thought it was the batteries. Come to find out it happened again yesterday and by some miracle a real nice guy on a paddle board stopped over who had a malibu who experiences the same problems and told me it might be vapor lock. He showed me the fuel pump and put some ice on it to cool it down and it started right up. Friggin weird! I have never had to deal with this problem for the last three years until recently. I had seen many posts and discussions on it but had never taken the time to find out the symptons. Well now I know!.

[Lori Moomba]

So I've never heard of vapor lock, what is it? I just bought a 2005 Outback and love it, but it won't start after its been warmed up (getting embarrassing to be stranded on my new boat). The marina I bought it from is two hours away, but he thinks its a choke issue. Any other comments or helpful suggestions?

[parrothd]

Replace the fuel pump.. It's probably the original one..

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[Cigars n scotch]

So I've never heard of vapor lock, what is it? I just bought a 2005 Outback and love it, but it won't start after its been warmed up (getting embarrassing to be stranded on my new boat). The marina I bought it from is two hours away, but he thinks its a choke issue. Any other comments or helpful suggestions?


Vapor lock is essentially what it sounds like. It happens after you've ran the boat for a while, then let it sit while rafted or docked or whatever where the heat inside the motor box actually gets to the fuel in the fuel pump and from the heat of the oil lines just "vaporizes" the fuel. So when you go to start up the boat it won't start. The boat "sounds" like it wants to start but you will be able to tell that it is starving for fuel. The tricks I've read are to open your motor box hatch, turn the blower on, wrap a cold wet towel around your fuel pump for a bit, or just do like I did and put a chunk of ice to melt on top of the fuel pump. After "cooling" down you should be able to start the motor and be off. Usually happens when the air temp is hot and I've also heard and read that the ethanol in the fuel you use plays a part.

I had my boat for 4 yrs and never had this problem until just recently but now I know what it is.

[Lori Moomba]

I thought it could be the fuel pump, except the boat starts cold. Plus it only has 75 hours

[Lori Moomba]

Thanks for scoop. Do you have to do this wet towel treatment all the time, or is vapor lock just a temporary thing? I'm going to spray carburetor cleaner in it next.

[tarheelskier]

Cigars, isn't this your first summer in the South?

[sivs1]

I have not tried the wet towel thing, I have just used cold water on the fuel pump, left the hatch open and ran the blower. The other thing I did was to check other lines running near the fuel pump. In my case I had two hot lines touching it, an oil line and a water line. Just used zip ties to at least give it a little space. Only had it out once since that change and did not have any issues even after running it hard.

[Cigars n scotch]

Cigars, isn't this your first summer in the South?

Yes it is. But I came from jersey where it was regularly in the 90's in the summer if that's where you are going with your question.


Lori, from what I have read it's really varied. Everyone's experience with VL seems to be different. My boat only has 155 hrs on it. Do a search for VL on here and in google and you'll see how prevalent it is but how varied the experiences of when it happens are.

These boats really should have an inline fuel pump in the gas tank is what I keep reading as the real fix.

[mikenehrkorn]

These boats really should have an inline fuel pump in the gas tank is what I keep reading as the real fix.

Not sure what model year they started that, but I know my '13 has the fuel pump in the tank.

[Cigars n scotch]

Not sure what model year they started that, but I know my '13 has the fuel pump in the tank.

Yeah I did hear people say the newer models do, SC probably started it in '09 right after my model year which is '08 LOL!