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boater4life
06-07-2016, 09:36 AM
I’ve had a suspicion from day 1 of owning my boat that something was wrong with the fuel system. Our Moomba’s these days use 39 gallon tanks but I’ve never put in anywhere near that even though my fuel gauge has been on empty. The other day I ran out of gas and upon filling up, the tank would only accept 22 gallons. Somehow there is a 17 gallon difference which is almost half a tank of gas! My guess is that my fuel pickup hose must not be located at the bottom of the tank. Has anyone else had a problem like this?

Beejwest
06-08-2016, 09:31 AM
Can you pull your floor panels and look at the fuel level? Or open it up and stick the tank to check level? If it's on your '14 Mondo take that crap back to the dealer!

brownski
06-08-2016, 09:56 AM
When my outback was new I had a similar issue and the fuel pick-up was too tall. Tank is a complete whore to get to on my model so taking it to the dealer was good solution. I ran out of gas and it still had 10 gallons in it. if under warranty I'd take it in.

boater4life
06-08-2016, 01:09 PM
Luckily the tank is extremely easy to get to with the floor being hinged right above it. I can't see the fuel level through the plastic but I'll have to pull the fuel pump this weekend and stick something down in there to measure how much is left. Bringing it to the dealer is probably the best option, just wish they weren't so far away (about 4 hours driving time to drop it off and then pick it back up). I'm guessing the fuel pick-up line extends right off the bottom of the pump correct?

jstenger
06-08-2016, 01:26 PM
Just a heads up if you already didn't know, but it has been said before on here that sometimes the tanks are hard to get completely full. The vent is very slow, and the back pressure will cause the gas to come back up the fill tube and shut the pump off. I always get a few gallons more in the tank, after the pump shuts off.

mmandley
06-09-2016, 09:36 AM
I don't have any such luck on topping off, all it does is spill on mine.

I also have the same issue filling the boat as the vent doesn't work well and will shut off the pump early if I use any setting other then less then slow on the first click.

I have always just gotten in the habit of filling every time we head out, over time I have learned what to expect when filling so I know when its full or not.

My fuel gauge is pretty decent though as when its on empty when sitting idle and the boat is pretty level the lowest it said was straight on the E and it took 46 gallons to fill. Granted my tank is slightly different but I can see the side of my tank through my V drive access, so I can sneek a peek there when I am really wondering how much is in it.

gregski
06-09-2016, 10:45 AM
When I fill up, I run full speed for most of what I know the tank will take and then fill the last few gallons on a slower setting. I put my ear right next to the filler (and try not to huff too much). The sound change is very obvious and easily tells me when to shut the pump off. My dad was with me one time and laughed, he said it was a flash back for him as that's how station attendants used to pump gas before automatic shut-offs were used and it was one skill/task the attendants offered.

boater4life
06-10-2016, 01:18 PM
Thanks guys. I'm going to look into the "filling completely full" issue next time I fill up as well. I fill up every time I use the boat so that I won't have to worry about running out of gas. Earlier this week I tried to put the gas in slow at the end but was only able to fit another 1/2 gallon in and the pump clicked off 3 times while doing so. I got sick of trying to fill it slowly. I'll fill it "full" tomorrow and then check the tank to see if it's actually full.

I just find it weird that I'm having either of these problems considering it's 17 gallons of gas that are missing (either not filling full by 17 gallons or the fuel pick-up is above the remaining 17 gallons). If it was 5 gallons I could maybe understand but 17?

deerfield
06-10-2016, 10:16 PM
...I run full speed for most of what I know the tank will take and then fill the last few gallons on a slower setting. I put my ear right next to the filler.....

Use this technique with my '07 Outback.

sandm
06-11-2016, 06:45 AM
you got the optional 21gallon gastank due to that bigass motor :)

kirbstomp
06-18-2017, 01:40 PM
Thanks guys. I'm going to look into the "filling completely full" issue next time I fill up as well. I fill up every time I use the boat so that I won't have to worry about running out of gas. Earlier this week I tried to put the gas in slow at the end but was only able to fit another 1/2 gallon in and the pump clicked off 3 times while doing so. I got sick of trying to fill it slowly. I'll fill it "full" tomorrow and then check the tank to see if it's actually full.

I just find it weird that I'm having either of these problems considering it's 17 gallons of gas that are missing (either not filling full by 17 gallons or the fuel pick-up is above the remaining 17 gallons). If it was 5 gallons I could maybe understand but 17?

So what ever became of this issue? I have a 14 Mondo that I bought new and I always have to fill with gas cans so I don't notice this issue much, but I'm going to a lake without gas can access and I'd like to make sure we get the tank as full as possible.

boater4life
06-19-2017, 11:31 PM
I haven't had the chance to run my boat down close to empty yet this year. The weather so far hasn't allowed us to be on the water as much as last year. I can tell you though the higher the bow of the boat is the more gas I can get in the boat. I pull my Mondo with a stock Chevy Tahoe and even with an inverted receiver the bow of the boat is below the stern. I started using the tongue jack at the gas station to get the bow higher and I can get 3-4 more gallons of gas in when the boat is close to level. I would think that number would be higher yet if I could get the bow higher than level.

Mondo Ken
06-20-2017, 03:55 PM
I had the same problem when I filled my boat up at a gas station...... I picked it up new from the dealer Friday and they said they put 60 litres in (sorry for the foreign language) and when I was at the station it only took another 40 litres as the pump kept kicking off numerous times from the back pressure....... seemed odd.
Once I got the boat in the water the gauges, both analogue and digital indicated ⅔ to ¾ of a tank.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the 'new fuelling system' as noted in the manual:

The new fueling system prevents spillage from occurring. Air is
allowed to escape from the front and rear of the gas tank. Both
vents are on a central fuel line, which run to a central holding
container for the vapor. The vapor is released over time. This
type of venting system allows for the tank to be filled without
building any back pressure. Without back pressure, spillage
should be completely eliminated from the fueling process.
This venting system doesn’t allow water to enter the fuel system.
In the unlikely event that water runs up against the fuel vent, the
fuel vent has a one-way valve. The one way valve allows for air
to release, but denies water from entering. The gas cap itself is
sealed with a rubber seal. When the gas cap is “clicked” closed
the seal prevents any water from entering the system.

Fuelling Conditions
The following conditions may be considered normal
operation of the fuel gauge and fuel system:
• Gas station pumps may shut off before the fuel gauge
indicates FULL.
• The amount of fuel required for fill-up may not exactly
correspond to the gauge.
• The gauge needle may not move away from FULL until
some time after fill-up.
• The gauge needle may move during turns, stops, and
acceleration.

I do hope someone will have a suggestion or solution to this?

jbird
06-20-2017, 05:21 PM
More of the same here. My boat kicks the gas pump off at 3/4 of a tank and from there it's really hard to fill it up any more. Have to feather the pump and it constantly kicks off over and over and over. Most I've ever been able to fill it up is 7/8 of a tank. In order to verify the gas gauges are accurate I removed the flooring panel above the tank and sure enough, gas is close to 2 inches from the top of the tank. Taking it to the dealer Thursday hopefully for a quick fix.

jstenger
06-20-2017, 05:30 PM
I think you are going to find that there is no quick fix unless you remove all the government required items.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Mondo Ken
06-20-2017, 05:36 PM
Please keep us updated jbird.

I got a Turbo Siphon with a 1" hose to eliminate having to hold a 5 gallon can in the air for an extended period of time.

stevemarich
06-20-2017, 07:23 PM
I have noticed this same issue with my craz , the 16 sanger we ran last year had the same issue as well, we actually ran it out of gas idling up to the dock, when we took it to the gas station to fill ,it would only take 24 gallons of fuel , and it was a 39 gallon tank. after that we just used gas cans and could always put 10 gallons in after the pump shut off, pain in the but , but it worked. Now with the craz this year on our third fill up we had the boat nosed downhill at the gas station , and was able to fit about 8 more gallons than normal , we will keep trying that for now, still trying to figure out how to hand calculate the fuel burn too, the hour meter doesn't read the 1/10 , makes it hard to tell where we stared and ended, start 12.1 end 15.9 or start 12.9 and end 15.1 and mondo ken , love the black and red very sweet boat

JoelFett
06-21-2017, 09:37 AM
I ran the boat out of gas as I pulled up to my dock the other day, put in 2 gallons to get it to the trailer around the corner, and was able to fit 27 gallons in at the pump on the trailer. WTF? Took the floor out to see that the tank was too dark to see thru, but there was a lot of sloshing around. Not a fan of the 27 gallons of usable gas in the 39 gallon tank. I feel all of the pain from this, and it's really frustrating.

jbird
06-23-2017, 10:29 AM
25815
Stopped by dealer today. Bottom line- no fix yet. They acknowledged the problem and narrowed it down to this little check-flow device that is apparently a government requirement now. The valve is actually inside the aluminum shroud in the picture, I didn't think about snapping the photo until it was put back together. Their theory is that backpressure from escaping air as the tank is filling is closing or restricting that backflow device enough to trick the gas pumps into thinking the tank is full and therefore shuts it off. They said I could remove it but they aren't allow to for liability reasons. I haven't gone that route yet, figured I will give them some time to get a response back from their technical inquiry to Skiers Choice. Short term fix is to fill the last 10 gallons with gas cans...Ugh!

Mondo Ken
06-23-2017, 10:52 AM
Thanks for the not so good news jbird.

I will try with both 5 gallon cans and my Turbo Siphon this weekend and let you know what works and what doesn't.

Please keep us updated if you hear anything new.

smorris7
06-23-2017, 11:12 AM
25815
Stopped by dealer today. Bottom line- no fix yet. They acknowledged the problem and narrowed it down to this little check-flow device that is apparently a government requirement now. The valve is actually inside the aluminum shroud in the picture, I didn't think about snapping the photo until it was put back together. Their theory is that backpressure from escaping air as the tank is filling is closing or restricting that backflow device enough to trick the gas pumps into thinking the tank is full and therefore shuts it off. They said I could remove it but they aren't allow to for liability reasons. I haven't gone that route yet, figured I will give them some time to get a response back from their technical inquiry to Skiers Choice. Short term fix is to fill the last 10 gallons with gas cans...Ugh!

These things can go bad. Just have them replace the valve...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jstenger
06-23-2017, 11:19 AM
You can see the check valve in this pic. I removed the aluminum shroud when I pulled my fuel tank.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd382/Joestenger/20160224_165208.jpg (http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/Joestenger/media/20160224_165208.jpg.html)

jstenger
06-23-2017, 11:37 AM
This pic shows the vent setup.

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd382/Joestenger/20160228_100423.jpg (http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/Joestenger/media/20160228_100423.jpg.html)

What you can't see in these pics, is the charcoal filter that these vent lines go to. It is under the driver's side gunwale behind the tower mount and in front of the gas fill. Between the small combined vent and the charcoal filter, the displaced air takes awhile to escape the tank. The previous years did not have the check valve and charcoal filter. That is why gas would shoot back out when filling at the pump. So they fixed that issue, but now it takes longer to completely fill the tank at the pump.

kaneboats
06-23-2017, 12:45 PM
I think I would probably replace the filter with something that breathes better so air can escape faster. Seems like a simple fix.

jstenger
06-23-2017, 01:00 PM
I actually removed mine and it barely helped. Venting is just too small.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

hawgtitan
06-25-2017, 09:46 AM
I was at the lake this past Tuesday and the fuel gage needle was resting on empty, not even bouncing. When I filled it back up, I set the handle on the slowest locked setting to try to prevent as much sloshing in the tank as possible. It cut off at 35 gallons. I have a '16 Craz with a 49 gallon tank. It took me about 10 minutes of feathering the pump but I got 48 gallons in it. This is a pain, especially when you have a crew waiting with you to get to the water, but if you take your time and have the patience, it will get full. The needle was completely on full, not even bouncing off of full with the rocking of the boat and stayed that way for probably an hour of wakeboarding and surfing before it began bouncing off of full.

stevemarich
08-06-2017, 11:07 AM
Managed to have everything set just right at the pump,we ran the gauge to e as well and it was there for a bit , and with no mods to the fill system managed to get 47 gallons in the tank, using the same method , there have been times where depending how the boat is sitting at the pump that even with the slow feathering method we only seem to get it 3/4 full , but for the most part the above mentioned method seems to work well for us as well

mike123
01-14-2019, 05:29 AM
Thank you for the thread, it explains what I'm finding. We recently got an 2006 Outback and it was frustrating trying to fill it up. We manged to get probably 3/4 full but then gave up.

gregski
01-14-2019, 01:16 PM
Another option could be to fill the last 5-10 gallons from a can. Still annoying, but maybe it's better? (Use a siphon to make it easier, just don't overfill because those are moving lots of liquid very quickly. https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?32277-Portable-gas-tank-recommendations)

mike123
01-15-2019, 02:51 AM
Thank you Greg for the advice, I'll start with one can for the top up and see how how far the gauge goes. I guess this is trial and error but hopefully not too much error.

gregski
01-16-2019, 02:55 PM
When I fill from a can, I use my ear as the gauge. The gurgles and splashes definitely change right as it's getting full. But I've had a few errors...

digihunt
01-17-2019, 12:37 PM
very nice
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