[mariah mike]

Help!! I have a 2001 Z202 with a 5.0L fuel injected Mercruiser. A couple of times last year, I would stop my boat in the lake and when the wind would push it near shore, I would crank it and idle back to the middle of the lake. After doing this a couple of times, the motor would not crank and I was pulled in. Later in the day or the next morning, the boat would crank. Last weekend, I stopped in the middle of the lake, jumped out to clean the hull before storing the boat and when I cranked it and gave it gas, the motor stopped and wouldn't crank. I was pulled to the marina and a few days later when the mechanic checked it the the motor still would not crank. He hooked a portable gas tank to the motor, it cranked and ran after pumping gas in the motor with the bulb. We checked and the fuel tank was half full. Does this sound like a fuel pump problem to anyone?

Also, does anyone know the size of the fuel tank and my boat.

Thanks.

[WalkinOnWater]

Hi Mike,

I also have a 2001 Z-202 with 5.0L Mercruiser. I believe our fuel tank is 50-gallon.

I'm not a mechanic by any means, but I wonder if there is some sort of vapor lock going on since your boat usually restarts after sitting. I'm assuming yours is fuel injected (mine is). When you say it won't "crank", do you mean it turns over but will not start?

[mariah mike]

Yes, it does turn over but will not crank and it is fuel injection. I have considered a vapor lock but the engine has a water cooled fuel thing that should keep the fuel cooled. Plus, it didn't crank the last time until the mechanic hooked a separate fuel tank to the engine, primed the bulb and it cranked.

[WalkinOnWater]

The problems that are intermittent are the worst kind to track down! I would think if it was the fuel pump, it would not work "all the time". A few years ago my atv (I know it's different, but same concept) had a tank vent clogged shut. It would run fine until it got hot and enough fuel was used to create a vacuum in the tank and then it would quit. If it sat and cooled off, and air found it's way back into the tank, it would start back up and run fine until it all happened again. It took me a while to figure it out. Since yours ran fine when hooked to the other tank, I can't help but think it may be something similar. I'd try leaving the filler lid off (obviously not in the water) and see if it will keep running then. If so, you may have a venting issue.

[mariah mike]

Thanks Walkin,

I'll try that. I was also told to check the water filter (didn't know my motor had one) as Ethanol was causing some problems with motors.

[Vacation Dave]

Hi Mariah Mike,

I agree with Walkin.

I had similar problems with 95 7.4. After hours and a day later, it simply turned out to be replacing the fuel water separator filter.

V Dave

[mariah mike]

Thanks Dave. I talked with my mechanic earlier today and he is going to change the filter either later today or tomorrow morning. Hopefully, this will solve the problem.

Thanks for your response.

Mike