5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Chappy216

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
38
I have a 2000 Chaparral 216 with a 5.0 EFI Mercruiser Alpha drive and am having fuel delivery issues.
Engine Serial#: 0L641417
Drive Serial#: 0L714263
To tell the whole story, last season (2008), we were on the lake; and while idling out of the blue the engine quit and was a little difficult to restart but it did restart and ran fine. This happened one time. About a month later we were on the lake on a hot day (near 100o) and the boat had been sitting for several hours. Upon starting the engine, it ran briefly and stopped and would not restart. Finally, I was able to pour some gas into the throttle body and the engine restarted. Once it restarted, fuel was coming out of the injectors properly and the boat ran fine. (I could see the injectors with the flame arrestor moved) We used it the rest of the season with no problem. This year, I did some maintenance work at home before going to the lake, ran the boat off the water hose for at least an hour (off and on) with no issues. Took boat to the lake just this week and started on trailer, backed off the trailer ran it for 30-40 minutes, and parked to swim. After a couple of hours started the boat to head back to dock theand boat died while idling and would not restart. I tried the same trick as last year (putting fuel into the throttle body) and the engine would start but immediately died. There was very little fuel visible from the injectors of the throttle body while cranking the engine. When turning on the key, I could hear the fuel pump kick on and then stop. But I?m not sure if it is actually pumping fuel. Eventually, I had to be towed back to the boat ramp. After getting to the ramp and getting the boat trailered, decided to try one more time to start it. Upon cranking, fuel came from injectors, and the engine started and ran fine. I did not take the boat back out on the lake for fear of not making it back to the ramp this day.
We spent the night camping near the lake and the next day tried starting the boat and it would not start. No gas coming from the injectors?just a trickle. Need help on where to start. Do I have a bad fuel pump? Or is there some other issue? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. The boat is well maintained, has 280 hours and looks brand new. I have never had any issues before. Is always winterized and maintained. Has a new fuel filter, water separator when winterized. Fuel was treated with winterization and before going to lake added 16 gallon to tank of new gas.

Thanks
 

Monterey 194fs

Recruit
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
3
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

I am having the exact same issue with the same engine. I removed the fuel filter and while the engine was stumbling along @ idle, no feul came out of filter housing??? I expect feul pump issues, but the problem is intermettent. I will keep you posted when I find out more
 

Monterey 194fs

Recruit
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
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Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

I am new at this forum thing. Am afraid I will lose this thread and not find you again. Would like to keep you posted. Have my boat in the shop right now to fix. Will keep you informed of what I find. If possible would you like to correspond via email??
 

Chappy216

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
38
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

I understand Monterey. However, I don't really want to post my email address on here to spammers. All you have to do is copy the link in your address bar and save it somewhere or just add the page to your favorites.
 

Monterey 194fs

Recruit
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
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Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Wasn't sure if the favorites would work. It is, thanks. Got an answer back from another source. Said to check the vent line to the feul tank. Can get plugged with bees/wasp nest etc. Can take a long time for vacuum to equalize in tank if it is plugged. If your problem is like mine, I can hear the feul pump running for 3-4 secs when the key is turned on, with no feul pumped. It would make sense if vacuum in tank. Will let you know how thinks work out.
 

Chappy216

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
38
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Right, that makes sense. But, immediately when this problem occurred for me that left me stranded in the lake, I removed my gas cap right off. So it should not have been a ventilation problem. But that is now gonna be another thing on my list to check.

Don't know if you saw this or not but there is another thread where member "Chaparral220" is having the same problem. Here is the thread just click the link. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=325452
 

JustJason

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
5,321
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Could be a fuel pump... could be a lot of other things to. With EFI motors you really need a DDT (digital diagnostic tool) or some code reader, along with some fuel pressure gauges. If your not willing to buy a DDT (and they start at 500+ bucks) you might as well take it into the dealer. Any other way and you'll either get lucky or end up just throwing parts at it.
 

Chappy216

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
38
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

I understand what you are saying and i have definitely thought about that.

One thing I did forget to mention is that for some time when I would turn the key on and let the fuel pump kick in then off, it did not make a consistent hum but yet a varying tone like it was struggling or something. This is one reason i was leaning toward fuel pump issues.
 

Chappy216

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
38
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Can someone tell me where the plug on Mercruiser is to connect the DDT code reader to??

Also, will a DDT that works for automotive engine work with this Mercruiser?

Thanks
 

wakeboardbob

Cadet
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
20
Re: 5.0 Mercruiser EFI dies after starting and will not restart

Maybe vapor lock if it does it after sitting for a while?
 
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