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Engine dies on hot days fuel design issue possible

murray2104

New member
"Hi all new to the board so be

"Hi all new to the board so be gentle.

I wanted to pass on a little problem that several of us with 4 strokes are having up here in our neck of the woods.

We are having our motors die after heating up the fuel bulb is overly soft when this happens. I have, as well as others, have been in touch with our local marina who have in turn been in touch with suzuki after being unable to diagnose the problem.

The problem appears to be related to the fuel system and is more pronounced on warm days. It seems that the heat generated from the motor is causing the fuel to be pushed back to the tank. causing it to die. You can pump the bulb extensively and force the fuel back up to the motor and get it running again but it idles very rough and usually dies again. After multiple attempts it usually will stay running.

The local marina has extensively gone thru several motors trying to diagnose this issue and resolve it. Suzuki is involved also trying to remedy the situation. This problem does not appear to be HP specific, my motor is a df140 a good friend of mine is having more extensive problems with his 250ss I have heard of a 90 doing it also.

Merc, and Yammy techs know of this problem as well but as of yet a solution has not been identified. If anyone else is having this issue I would recommend contacting thier dealership and getting in touch with Suzuki.

The problem usually happens after running the motor and then shutting down for 15+ minutes on warm days. I have not noticed this problem during cooler morning runs nor has others that I have talked to.

If there are others with similar problems that may be related I would be interested in hearing about them. My intent with posting this is not product bashing as I believe Suzuki is a great platform but there is definately an issue (as admitted by Suzuki Support Techs)"
 
additional note:

several di


additional note:

several different octane levels and suppliers of the gasoline have been tried it doesn't seem to help.
 
"if the issue is fuel evaporat

"if the issue is fuel evaporating in the line ,sometimes an aftermarket fuel pump (electric) can fix it .I have done this fix up on many inboards but never an outboard,I currently run 2 xDF250 with out an issue in a hot climate."
 
Yeah that may be a route suzuk

Yeah that may be a route suzuki is going to have to go down (motor is under warranty so I am not changing anything)

It doesn't seem to be every motor like I said it seems that we are getting hit pretty hard up north here. suzuki thinks its the quality of the gas having more alcohol in it if you don't mind me asking what part of the country are you in.

What kind of duty do your motors see are you off shore or running hard and shutting down for a period of time. The problem seems to be associated with longer runs followed by 20-30 minute shutdowns.

I am really not here to throw rocks at Suzuki's and I appreciate any helpful ideas and discussion on this.
 
"Running the motors on a 30 ft

"Running the motors on a 30 ft cat in Florida.So they see all kind of use from offshore to cruising around the water ways the ,longest i have left them unstarted is 3 weeks ,last week i lost 200rpm off one motor ,ran some starbrite fuel conditioner and problem fixed.Suzuki are great as as company from my dealings with them so im sure they will see you right.In 2001 i owned a 42ft HP inboard with 2 BBC Motors, it did exactly what you decribed from day one Brand New .Extra fuel pumps fixed it ?????."
 
I have heard Zuki is a good co

I have heard Zuki is a good company but I have been getting less than excellent service. We have several several several boats all presenting with the same symptoms now suzuki seems to be not calling my marina back to tell them what they are going to do about it.

does anyone have any phone numbers for customer service I can start calling? I can't believe suzuki would turn their back on a bonified problem the whole reason I went zuki was the great word of mouth about thier customer service.
 
Well I thought most people kne

Well I thought most people knew that the motors are great when they run ( all motors are )but the SUZUKI people are not known to support service.
 
"I had the exact same problem

"I had the exact same problem with my 2007 DF140. I made several trips to the dealer with them trying logical replacements such as anti syphon valve, fuel line, primer bulb all to no avail. On June 7th, 2008, I returned to the dealer frustrated over this problem that plagued my engine since it was new (boat & motor purchased new in 2007). On this day my dealer informed me that they had two more df140's in with the same problem. Suzuki was contacted by the dealership regarding the problems. Suzuki finally sent there reps who installed an in line fuel pump on July 31, 2008. This was done under warranty. So far I have not experienced any problems with this remedy.

Regarding your post referencing Suzuki not calling your marina back, they did the same thing to my dealer. Look at the time frame it took to get mine fixed. Although, afer my boat sat in the dealer's yard for two weeks after I dropped it off on 6/07/08, and my dealer not getting anywhere with suzuki's warranty dept.,they allowed me to get the boat and use it while waiting on Suzuki.

It's not my intent to bash Suzuki but there customer service or should I say lack of customer service needs to be addressed. It's a shame they appear to make a very good product only to have there product suffer because of there customer service. Having said that, would I buy another Suzuki..probably not.

I hope this post helps. The in line fuel pump appears to be Suzuki's fix for this problem. Good luck with yours."
 
"Fuel evaporation isnt a Suzuk

"Fuel evaporation isnt a Suzuki only trait .Id say rare in an outboard ,especially social outboard.It is a common problem in inboard boats, many of the top manufactureres have experienced the problem at one time or another .Most have fixed it under warranty from my experience.The in line fuel pump is anindustry aceptable fix .i dont agree, but it has fixed me 2 times so ,time to grin and bear it and go boating
happy.gif
"
 
"Lowtide,

This is the exact


"Lowtide,

This is the exact issue and resolution that suzuki is "sorta" admitting to. What part of the world are you? More specific I am curious about your climate. Have you been able to test this solution on warmer days with longer runs?

The Zuki techs wanted to inline a fuel pump but my dealer thinks this is a band aid and thinks that the design needs to be fixed not patched. As of tonight my dealer is going to withhold his new order of motors until he gets a satisfactory solution. I really have to admit Conrath Valley Marine (ok, plug for a good group of guys) really is digging in on this one and are trying to get it fixed.

Please let me know if you have any further problems. My motor is a 2006 bud didn't start doing this until 8 weeks ago during a tournament. Like I said others are having the same issue with newer motors.

david,
yes fuel evaporation isn't a new suzuki only problem but from what I am hearing several suzuki's are having the exact same issue. Really hope they get in gear and get this fixed this problem almost got me run over last tournament."
 
"Id say take the inline pump.Y

"Id say take the inline pump.You could imagine how happy i was after buying a brand new well know inboard in 2001 42ft worth , to told the exact same thing ,i didnt believe it could happen ,my first dns was 2hrs offshore ,i wont go on ,but after the fuel pumps never had a problem ."
 
"Jason M,

I live in coastal


"Jason M,

I live in coastal South Carolina. We experiance daytime temps in the 90's during the summer along with high humidity. I have used the boat numerous times since the inline fuel pump was installed and have had no problems. Incidently, I use artificial baits almost exclusively when fishing. I'm on the trolling motor when doing so. I move from place to place frequently while fishing. My initial run to my fishing grounds is about 7 miles. So while fishing my Suzuki gets started and stopped rather frequently and thus far, I have not had the problem recure.

Regarding, the inline fuel pump being a patch not a fix. I could not agree with you more. As a matter of fact that is what I told my dealer, who agreed. If the problem is a design flaw, it needs to be addressed by Suzuki not covered up with a band-aid, in line fuel pump. I wander how many other brands of outboard motors require an in line fuel pump to operate properly? I'm going out on a limb here, but I would say none.

I'm not thrilled with the inline fuel pump as the "fix". However, I am happy to be able to use the boat and not have the motor constantly shutting down.

If David can be happy with a in line fuel pump on a 42ft boat that he purchased new, I can be happy with one on my 19ft center console....I guess.

If your able to get a solution other than the in line fuel pump, please post it here."
 
Well still working with Suzuki

Well still working with Suzuki and my dealership. To date Suzuki admits there is a problem and they "are working hard" for a solution. Till they come up with one they "appreciate my good attitude"

Hate to say it but I have had this problem for some time and I think it has really turned me against this product. They expect me to sit and wait.......

I know of at least 2 other new boats doing the same since I started this post. Different boats same suzuki problems
 
"Jason, have had the same issu

"Jason, have had the same issue with a 9.9 4 stroke Yamaha (15 h.p. block model) I worked with my mechanic and friend to isolate the problem...prior to fixing it completely the only thing we did that made somewhat of a difference was going to a 10 degrees celcius cooler thermostat...that told us it was a heat related issue with the fuel pump...vapour locking...the original Yam 9.9 had the same problem so they plumbed that pump with water cooling....I designed a cooler for my 9.9 and the problem went away for good....the shop told the Yam guys about my fix and they told the shop to send them pics and make more for the other customers who were also complaining. My reward...$150.00 in yamabucks to offset the cost of having the part made....for my r & d time...nothing. Rollie"
 
"I live in Colorado and have a

"I live in Colorado and have a Suzuki 90 4 stroke. I purchased the engine in 2005 and began having the same problem of my engine being almost impossible to start after being turned off when the temperature outside was 75 degrees or above. For the first year and a half I tried everything from new anti-siphon value, new fuel lines, new primer bulb, different fuel etc. Finally in 2007 the local Suzuki dealer installed new fuel pump, tried to insulate my fuel line, tried a remote fuel tank but I continued to have the problem of hard start when hot, then running for a few hundred yards and then dying as if I had turned the key off. Then I'd hard start again, go a few hundred yards and it would die again. Finally after working with Suzuki service, they sent out factory reps in August. They worked on the engine for four days after I consistently reproduced the problem for them. They put on a larger 140 horse cowling on the engine and a larger fuel pump which I understood to be a 140 horse fuel pump. I picked the boat up from the dealership after they left and the first hot day out, the problem continued. Suzuki customer service recommended a new vapor separator which they installed at the end of 2007. The first hot day in 2008 the engine failed again and Suzuki agreed to replace the engine with me paying to have the engine switched out. I got my new engine in August 2008 and the first day on the lake over 75 degrees it failed. I have since spoken to the Suzuki dealership in southern Colorado and they stated to me that they knew of a 115 horse Suzuki doing the same thing and they were waiting to hear from Suzuki for a solution. I love the engine when it runs but obviously having these problems every time the temperature is over 75 is unacceptable. If anybody knows of a solution or something else I should try, please let me know."
 
"Find a way to water cool the

"Find a way to water cool the fuel pump, I'm sure it is vapour locking from heat...it is a problem that crosses different manufacturers and hp models. Some models the manufactures have plumbed with water cooling, why they don't just do them all is a mystery. My cooler is an alimunum block, carved out on the inside and an inlet and outlet hole drilled through the sides. Water is picked up from the tell tale line, goes through the cooler and then carries on to the tell tale outlet. The water makes contact with the outermost piece of the pump and keeps it from getting to warm. Problem solved. Of all the other tings we tried to fix this the only one that made some difference was going to a lower temp thermostat...so the engine ran cooler and transfered less heat to the fuel pump....but it still wasn't a 100% fix. If you are interested I could take a pic of the one on mine and post it."
 
"I have the same issue with 20

"I have the same issue with 2006 df140. Run the boat in the morning without any issues, stop fish, wants to die out next time getting on plane... most of the time kills. Pump the bulb a bit, struggles to start, then runs fine until I stop to fish again. Located in South Louisiana and only have problems during the summer. Tried many different things to resolve it but never could made a difference. Would love to see the setup you have Rollie Rose."
 
"I'll take a pic and post.

"I'll take a pic and post. The pump on th 9.9 is made of 3 pieces...a hard plastic type first piece that makes contact with the valve cover, followed by an aluminum mid section and finally the thin aluminum cover. There are 4 screws that hold the 3 pieces together like a sandwich. All I did was make another layer in the sandwhich, another aluminum block that with longer (4) screws lays on top of the thin cover. It is sealed by silcone to the cover. The block as thick as I could make it and still get the engine cover to latch close. A hole is drilled thru the side of the block, tapped for threads for brass nipples and the inside of the block is carved out to allow water to make contact with as large a surface area of the pump cover as possible. Cooling it. Plumb in the tell tale water and its done for good. Every pump is different, not sure is the Susuki pump will allow this method or not. You may get away with bending some copper tube back and forth and have it make contact with the pump..run the cold water thru the tube...just ideas...trick is to get water on that pump."
 
"Lowtide,
Where did they add


"Lowtide,
Where did they add the fuel pump within the sequence of filters and pumps?
"
 
"Nice, started me thinking abo

"Nice, started me thinking about the possiblity of using a heat sink from a computer CPU."
 
"Well I am still getting the r

"Well I am still getting the run around, the marina is saying their hands are tied until suzuki gets back to them. I don't get it, I paid for a new boat with an extended warranty and now everyone is giving me the "so sorry" excuses, excuses. Mean time I am stuck with a boat that dies on warm days.

So I ask you all, really what does the warranty mean? The way I see it the motor doesn't work, the manf. admits there is a problem, the marina admits there is a problem and yet I am still stuck. Excuses are wearing thin. Love the Aluminum block idea and will pass it on to my marina who will in turn pass it on to suzuki & Ill still be stuck. Wouldn't doubt if I did something like this on my own they'd be the first to void the warranty neither one will honor......sorry had to vent getting frustrated.

Jason."
 
"Hi Jason, I can feel your fru

"Hi Jason, I can feel your frustrations. As you can tell from my previous post, I have dealt with this problem since 2005. Fortunately my dealership here in Denver has been great to me and done everything they could think of to resolve the problem. Recently I have heard that Starbrite StarTron Enzyme Fuel Treatment may help with the negative affects of ethenol fuel. I plan on trying this but won't know if it helps until the temperature gets above 75. I know that if I could get pure gas with no ethenol, I would, as I think the ethenol worsens our problem. I have read on the internet that Yamaha had this problem and came up with a vapor reclaimer that cost $500 if you were unlucky enough to be out of warranty. It is my understanding that Mercury has addressed this problem on some engines by putting the fuel pump in the lower unit for cooling purposes. Hopefully Suzuki will come up with a solution soon. It seems like more and more people are posting this problem who have the 90, 115, and 140 engines. I plan on continuing to try various things to solve the problem and if I come up with a solution I'll post it immediately. Please do the same. Gene"
 
My motor started doing this at

My motor started doing this at the end of last summer when E-10 started flowing in S. Miss area. Once motor is good and hot will not start unless I use the fast idle control. Suzuki has said it happens sometimes but they don't know why. I think they know! My first 400 hours were trouble free. Motor runs great once it starts.
 
"David if I were you I would n

"David if I were you I would never use
e-10 fuel,that would probably solve the problem for you."
 
"I wish it were that easy, see

"I wish it were that easy, seems that the blend stock may contain up to 10% at the pump. The labels read "Ethanol enhanced" what a pile of #."
 
"I have the same problem here

"I have the same problem here in Denver. I have found one station in the whole city that has carried pure gas in the past but they aren't sure the EPA will allow them to have it this year, they hope to find out soon. The classic car people are angry too cause the have problems with vapor lock with ethanol as well. I have replaced everything from the pick-up tube to the fuel pump and the engine still won't start after I run it to a spot on the lake and let it stand for 30 minutes or so and try to restart. It will if the temp outside is below 75-80 but not if its above 80 degrees. After it finally starts it goes a couple hundred yards and stops like someone turned off the key. My dealer is continuing to work with me to find a solution. If I find one I will post."
 
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