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Good Evening,
I have a newish 25hp e-tec. I bought it in 2020, and I believe it was on hand from 2017 or 2018... Ran perfectly in 2020, used the auto fog at the end of 2020, and it ran perfectly in 2021, used the auto fog procedure again to winterize it.
I store it inside for the winter, in basement, next to professional audio gear.
This spring I brought it out, hooked it up, put some gas in (3 weeks old) and it fired right up and appeared to be running normally in the driveway with the hose connected (using the direct screw in thing on the back).
When we got to take it out for the first time this year it fired right up, we loaded in and got about 250m from the ramp at a slow cruise, and it started to sputter as I brought it above a fast ideal (it had been warming for about 10 minutes before we left the dock). I thought "maybe I didn't open the air valve on the tank". But no, that was open. I gave the bulb a squeeze and it was not rock hard, but firm. It started to sputter at a quick idle so I slowed it right down, and it smoothed out. After a while it started to sputter at slow idle and died. It would fire right back up, run for a while and stop. Luckily wind was towards the ramp and we just popped the lines out and drifted back.
When I got home I noted that the oil was on the low side (1/4), and it wasn't that way when I finished last year. I topped it up to 3/4, pumped all the gas out of the tank, went and got new 91 octane gas, connected it to the hose, and tested it in the driveway again... seemed fine. idled for a good 10 min, no sign of any issues. popped it in gear and ran it up a bit (can't blast it in this neighborhood), and it was hard to tell, but I thought I was further up the throttle than I was on my first real trip. Thought "OK, that gas was crap, and its working now."
Last month we went camping for a week, and the first time I tried to use the boat, same issue. "OK I'll try new gas 1 more time." bought a new Jerry can, and a transfer pump, and cleaned the tank right out, put new regular gas (only thing available at a gas station within 100km of the camp). Tried it again the next day. Same issue. Ran great until warm, started to sputter, then died.
The sputtering it does before it dies is just like the reaction it has when you are in the final step of the fogging sequence, and you start it in neutral at 75% throttle.
At this point I can only think of 2 issues (that I could fix without a trip to the dealer (200km away)), and I'm stumped on both of them...
Take care,
I have a newish 25hp e-tec. I bought it in 2020, and I believe it was on hand from 2017 or 2018... Ran perfectly in 2020, used the auto fog at the end of 2020, and it ran perfectly in 2021, used the auto fog procedure again to winterize it.
I store it inside for the winter, in basement, next to professional audio gear.
This spring I brought it out, hooked it up, put some gas in (3 weeks old) and it fired right up and appeared to be running normally in the driveway with the hose connected (using the direct screw in thing on the back).
When we got to take it out for the first time this year it fired right up, we loaded in and got about 250m from the ramp at a slow cruise, and it started to sputter as I brought it above a fast ideal (it had been warming for about 10 minutes before we left the dock). I thought "maybe I didn't open the air valve on the tank". But no, that was open. I gave the bulb a squeeze and it was not rock hard, but firm. It started to sputter at a quick idle so I slowed it right down, and it smoothed out. After a while it started to sputter at slow idle and died. It would fire right back up, run for a while and stop. Luckily wind was towards the ramp and we just popped the lines out and drifted back.
When I got home I noted that the oil was on the low side (1/4), and it wasn't that way when I finished last year. I topped it up to 3/4, pumped all the gas out of the tank, went and got new 91 octane gas, connected it to the hose, and tested it in the driveway again... seemed fine. idled for a good 10 min, no sign of any issues. popped it in gear and ran it up a bit (can't blast it in this neighborhood), and it was hard to tell, but I thought I was further up the throttle than I was on my first real trip. Thought "OK, that gas was crap, and its working now."
Last month we went camping for a week, and the first time I tried to use the boat, same issue. "OK I'll try new gas 1 more time." bought a new Jerry can, and a transfer pump, and cleaned the tank right out, put new regular gas (only thing available at a gas station within 100km of the camp). Tried it again the next day. Same issue. Ran great until warm, started to sputter, then died.
The sputtering it does before it dies is just like the reaction it has when you are in the final step of the fogging sequence, and you start it in neutral at 75% throttle.
At this point I can only think of 2 issues (that I could fix without a trip to the dealer (200km away)), and I'm stumped on both of them...
- is it possible it's somehow stuck in winterizing mode?
- Status lights all react like they should for a normal start, and don't indicate a fault when it shuts down
- Maybe the spark plugs got fouled by the fogging process?
- I have no idea about fouled plugs, I just know it happens
- I can't find the part number for the plugs anywhere.
- When I looked on the plug itself there is a bizarre, hand drawn, thick, black felt line blocking the plug's model info.
Take care,
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