Hi all, just a disclaimer before I present my problem - I am a first time boat owner and not very mechanically minded.
Two weeks ago, I purchased a Stingray 190RS bow rider which I would like to use for wakeboarding, skiing, tubing and just cruising the lakes here in New Zealand. When I went to look at the boat, the seller took me for a test drive. We were on the water for around 20 minutes, and other than needing to be cranked twice to start it, it ran pretty well. I bought it based on that and took it home. It's been parked outside, covered and secure for two weeks.
Yesterday, I pulled the cover off, gave it a vacuum inside, wiped the seats and dash and tidied things up. I reinstalled the battery, connected a set of duel flush muffs and put the water on. The seller showed me to give it full throttle for a second before trying to start it, which I did and it started after having to crank it twice (it was around 10° Celsius/ 50° Fahrenheit). I let it run for about 10 minutes and it ran fine. I started it twice more a while later in the day to show my son and a friend and it ran fine, I even gave it a bit of throttle to see if it smoked or spluttered but it seemed to run fine.
Today, my wife and I drive the boat to a lake an hour away from us, reversed the trailer into the water and then I tried to start it again using the same method, one second full throttle and then back to neutral, turn the key but it didn't crank over. I must have tried for 10 minutes over and over but she wouldn't crank over. She was turning fine but just wouldn't actually start, like there was no fuel. I got my wife to drive back up the boat ramp to where it was flat, tried again and after the third time, it started, so I switched it off and we went back down the ramp. After trying to start it three times, it finally started. I got her off the trailer, my wife parked the car and hopped in and off we went. We must have ridden for at least 15 minutes, with no issues, smooth as silk. I had it at quarter throttle, half, 3 quarter and full with no issues. I slowed down so my wife could take some photos and then set off again, slowly getting to full throttle and after being back at full throttle for around 15 seconds, it literally just cut out, like it had run out of fuel. I then sat there for around ten minutes trying to start it but again, it would turn over but not actually start. We eventually started paddling to shore while continuously trying to start it until it eventually started and I made a dash to get to shore but it died again. This happened twice. I kept my eye on the gauges, the entire electrical system didn't die, just the motor. I battled on and off until it eventually got onto the trailer and brought it home. I connected the flush muffs and it started second crank but died shortly after. This happened a few times before I gave up, put the cover on and called it a day.
To me, it seems like a fuel issue as it was trying to start, the belts were turning - it definitely didn't seem like an issue with the ignition, have electrician double check.
I don't have a lot of info on the boat. The motor says MerCruiser 4.3/V6 AlphaOne. There is a sticker with the Engine Serial Number OF065795. I know nothing about the year it was produced or if the engine is even original or if the sticker on top is showing the correct information.
When I bought it, the owner showed me a receipt for work done in February this year, with the following comment on it : Check for not going, no spark. Diagnose to be either distributor pick up or module. Locate new pick up and fit to distributor. Run engine and check. OK. Change engine oil and filter.
I recorded a video yesterday with it running fine, https://youtube.com/shorts/HJ7gX9sc2m4?feature=share and I recorded a video today of it battling to keep its revs up and eventually stalling https://youtube.com/shorts/vYALzGwYfGU?feature=share.
Could anybody please point me in the direction of what could be wrong or what I could check to discover what could be wrong. I'll be honest, this boat used a lot of our savings so I am not in a position to pay somebody to tinker around to find the problem and charge me a fortune, I'm hoping to find the problem, take it to someone and say 'Hey, that's the problem, what can you do.'
I hope somebody could please help.
Regards, Kyle.
Two weeks ago, I purchased a Stingray 190RS bow rider which I would like to use for wakeboarding, skiing, tubing and just cruising the lakes here in New Zealand. When I went to look at the boat, the seller took me for a test drive. We were on the water for around 20 minutes, and other than needing to be cranked twice to start it, it ran pretty well. I bought it based on that and took it home. It's been parked outside, covered and secure for two weeks.
Yesterday, I pulled the cover off, gave it a vacuum inside, wiped the seats and dash and tidied things up. I reinstalled the battery, connected a set of duel flush muffs and put the water on. The seller showed me to give it full throttle for a second before trying to start it, which I did and it started after having to crank it twice (it was around 10° Celsius/ 50° Fahrenheit). I let it run for about 10 minutes and it ran fine. I started it twice more a while later in the day to show my son and a friend and it ran fine, I even gave it a bit of throttle to see if it smoked or spluttered but it seemed to run fine.
Today, my wife and I drive the boat to a lake an hour away from us, reversed the trailer into the water and then I tried to start it again using the same method, one second full throttle and then back to neutral, turn the key but it didn't crank over. I must have tried for 10 minutes over and over but she wouldn't crank over. She was turning fine but just wouldn't actually start, like there was no fuel. I got my wife to drive back up the boat ramp to where it was flat, tried again and after the third time, it started, so I switched it off and we went back down the ramp. After trying to start it three times, it finally started. I got her off the trailer, my wife parked the car and hopped in and off we went. We must have ridden for at least 15 minutes, with no issues, smooth as silk. I had it at quarter throttle, half, 3 quarter and full with no issues. I slowed down so my wife could take some photos and then set off again, slowly getting to full throttle and after being back at full throttle for around 15 seconds, it literally just cut out, like it had run out of fuel. I then sat there for around ten minutes trying to start it but again, it would turn over but not actually start. We eventually started paddling to shore while continuously trying to start it until it eventually started and I made a dash to get to shore but it died again. This happened twice. I kept my eye on the gauges, the entire electrical system didn't die, just the motor. I battled on and off until it eventually got onto the trailer and brought it home. I connected the flush muffs and it started second crank but died shortly after. This happened a few times before I gave up, put the cover on and called it a day.
To me, it seems like a fuel issue as it was trying to start, the belts were turning - it definitely didn't seem like an issue with the ignition, have electrician double check.
I don't have a lot of info on the boat. The motor says MerCruiser 4.3/V6 AlphaOne. There is a sticker with the Engine Serial Number OF065795. I know nothing about the year it was produced or if the engine is even original or if the sticker on top is showing the correct information.
When I bought it, the owner showed me a receipt for work done in February this year, with the following comment on it : Check for not going, no spark. Diagnose to be either distributor pick up or module. Locate new pick up and fit to distributor. Run engine and check. OK. Change engine oil and filter.
I recorded a video yesterday with it running fine, https://youtube.com/shorts/HJ7gX9sc2m4?feature=share and I recorded a video today of it battling to keep its revs up and eventually stalling https://youtube.com/shorts/vYALzGwYfGU?feature=share.
Could anybody please point me in the direction of what could be wrong or what I could check to discover what could be wrong. I'll be honest, this boat used a lot of our savings so I am not in a position to pay somebody to tinker around to find the problem and charge me a fortune, I'm hoping to find the problem, take it to someone and say 'Hey, that's the problem, what can you do.'
I hope somebody could please help.
Regards, Kyle.
