Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

[M.A.CCruiser]

Evening Everyone!

So on my 1999 Four Winns 180 with a Johnson Ocean Pro 150...

Runs fantastic! have a Fuel/Water Separator that is due for changing... but this is has been happening since the transom mounted filter was installed.

When cruising, not WOT but at good speed, maybe 3500 rpms (sorry i'll pay for attention next time, but i haven't taken her out in a while and i was going to see if this is something i can get fixed while shes in the driveway) and ONLY when it gets to about half a tank of gas i'll get the engine warning alarm and light. Shut off the engine, wait a few seconds, and start her back up. Will run like a top again and the last few times didnt come back on, but on previous occasions would come back on after another 20-30 minutes or so.

Ideas?

Thanks guys.

 

[boobie]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

The check engine lite and warning will come on when you have a fuel restriction in the system. Check your system from end to end. It could be something in the tank all the way to the mtr.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Especially check the antisiphon valve in the fuel tank pickup. They can get partially clogged.....

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Evening Everyone!

So on my 1999 Four Winns 180 with a Johnson Ocean Pro 150...

Runs fantastic! have a Fuel/Water Separator that is due for changing... but this is has been happening since the transom mounted filter was installed.

When cruising, not WOT but at good speed, maybe 3500 rpms (sorry i'll pay for attention next time, but i haven't taken her out in a while and i was going to see if this is something i can get fixed while shes in the driveway) and ONLY when it gets to about half a tank of gas i'll get the engine warning alarm and light. Shut off the engine, wait a few seconds, and start her back up. Will run like a top again and the last few times didnt come back on, but on previous occasions would come back on after another 20-30 minutes or so.

Ideas?

Thanks guys.

I belive your say that this has been happening since the fuel water seperator was installed. If that is the case it's likely cavitation in seperator. I don't know which filter you have but Racor had a problem with cavitation and fixed it by extending the nipple down further into the filter. The smaller Quicksilver filters don't have that problem so if that's what you have you can rule that out.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Cavitation in separator? What the heck is that?

 

[Hunky Dory]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Wow, do 150 ocean pros have a fuel related warning?

I'm coming from left field after wondering whether your problem is related to fuel level or run duration? If the latter you might be slowly pulling a vacuum in your oil tank. That might trigger the VRO pumping warning. Shutdown would allow some airflow replenishment and give you some amount of time before happening again.

Or not...

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Johnnyrude V6 motors from the mid-nineties have a vacuum sensor which triggers an alarm if there is a fuel restriction. Normally a clogged tank vent will starve motor in a few minutes. it will not wait for 1/2 tank to be used up. A clogged antisiphon valve will tend to restrict max RPM, and can cause the max RPM to drop down until the motor simply will not run above idle, or at all.

 

[M.A.CCruiser]

Re: Half Tank of gas, engine alarm... 150 Ocean Pro

Had the boat out in the craziness yesterday, and had a similar issue, but of course there has to be a bit more to make it interesting....

When i had it out Saturday it wasn't quite running right. I had pulled the air box off, saw a vac hose hanging down, and worried i had knocked it loose i put it where it fit, on a little nipple on the top left carb... this is obviously not where it goes, it goes through the little vac hose size hole in the top of the air box. So while i was cleaning my shift interrupt switch to correct my neutral stalling issue, i put it back where it belongs. The moral of this story, is that all day Saturday, not one engine alarm. Granted at WOT i was only getting about 4200 RPM

Sunday, now that everything is where its supposed to go, and shes pulling like she should and 5200 at WOT. Well engine RPM about 3500-4k hit a big wake, up at the top of the wave BEEEPP and the ENG light comes out. I was almost into a no wake zone, and there was a boat right in behind me, so throwing it into neutral and shutting down and re-starting didnt seem safe. So i left it on the throttle, and maybe about 5 - 10 seconds at the most, the alarm shut off...