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2004 225 fuel problem

Frank123

New member
I have a 2004 225. I was running it at home in a water tank , idling for 20 minutes . At about 18 minutes in it started idling rough and then cut off. It would restart after about a minute of cranking. It did that a few times. When it did start it ran great for 15 or 20 seconds then it would stumble and cut off. I replaced the high pressure fuel filter. I tried to start it would not start . I opened the VST valve and nothing came out. I cranked for a few minuets nothing. I checked the VST again no fuel. I removed the fuel line from the top left hand side of the low-pressure pump and it was pumping fuel. So I think I have a fuel problem. Thanks for your help.
 
Simple things first...

1. When engine starts acting up, rapidly pump the primer bulb. If that smooths it out, suspect your low pressure fuel pump.

2. While engine is running and cover is off, look at the fuel in the on/board water separator and the low pressure fuel filter bowl. They should be about 1/2 full.

3. When engine running, feel primer bulb. If partially collapsed you have a blockage in your fuel tank vent or on the pickup tube in the tank.

4. Inspect the fuel line from the primer bulb to the onboard F/W separator looking for kinks or cracks. Especially where it goes into the big black grommet as it enters the engine compartment.

5. VST - nothing came out? Activate key switch momentarily to charge high pressure fuel pump. Then turn out screw while drain tube is in a clear bottle. If nothing comes out, blow into the drain tube. If still nothing, carefully suck on it or use a battery filler bulb to do so. You should get up over a pint of fuel and possibly water and gunk in the jar. Let it settle out in a clear jar for 20 minutes or so. If water and/or gunk, your low pressure fuel filter has failed. Replace it.

6. If nothing above helps, check fuel pressure at the fuel pressure relief bolt that sits on top of the cover to the HP fuel filter. You will need a 6 mm adapter for your fuel pressure gauge. Spec is 41 - 48 PSI at 600 rpm (idle) with vacuum hose on the fuel pressure regulator removed and clamped. (You need to remove the breather on top of the engine to get to the pressure regulator and vacuum tube. Without doing that, fuel pressure should read between about 37 to 41 psi.)

Let us know what you find and we'll go deeper if necessary.
 
It won't start at all from no fuel. Last night i checked a few times while i was cranking and no fuel came out of vst.When it was running it ran great until till it didn't
 
I assume that you did not get any alarms when the engine was running. Is that correct?

Check your fuses, especially #2.

Have someone help you and have them turn on the key switch while you are by the motor and see if you can hear the HP fuel pump activate for about 1 second or two.
 
I assume that you did not get any alarms when the engine was running. Is that correct?

Check your fuses, especially #2.

Have someone help you and have them turn on the key switch while you are by the motor and see if you can hear the HP fuel pump activate for about 1 second or two.
I did not get any alarms. I will check fuse this afternoon. I can here HP pump. I will recheck when I get home.
 
I did not get any alarms. I will check fuse this afternoon. I can here HP pump. I will recheck when I get home.
I checked the HP pump when I turned the key I can hear it run for a couple of seconds then turn off. I blew in to the vst drain a few times it went thru, still no fuel. The #2 10 fuse was okay. The LP filter was completely full. The primer bulb feels normal and will pump up hard. I couldn’t check the fuel lines for kinks because it was raining to hard, but my feeling is it’s okay
 
I checked the HP pump when I turned the key I can hear it run for a couple of seconds then turn off. I blew in to the vst drain a few times it went thru, still no fuel. The #2 10 fuse was okay. The LP filter was completely full. The primer bulb feels normal and will pump up hard. I couldn’t check the fuel lines for kinks because it was raining to hard, but my feeling is it’s okay
I checked the fuel line on both sides of the fuel filter below the deck. I checked the bulb it seems normal. I checked up to hose going from the bilge to the motor and uncovered the rubber donut going in to the motor it seems okay. The motor will not start so I can’t check the other things.
 
I checked the fuel line on both sides of the fuel filter below the deck. I checked the bulb it seems normal. I checked up to hose going from the bilge to the motor and uncovered the rubber donut going in to the motor it seems okay. The motor will not start so I can’t check the other things.
It looks like the line i unhooked on the lp fuel pump goes the fuel line cut off solenoid.
 
Well, that's one possibility. The other is that the float valve in the VST is stuck in the closed position. Attack the cutoff solenoid first.

Here is the testing procedure: View attachment 24872
Everything checked ok except the test with the test harness because I don’t have one. I checked the fuel line cutoff solenoid and it had 50.4 ohms of resistance , it also had 12.? Volts at the connector. I disconnected the fuel line at the fuel line cutoff solenoid discharge and connected a test line to it. I squeezed the bulb with the power off / with the power on and turning the motor over with the safety lanyard unhooked. No fuel. I unhooked the hose at the discharge side of LP fuel pump that goes to the fuel line cutoff solenoid. Connected test line to the discharge of the LP fuel pump. When I squeeze the bulb I get fuel, when turn the motor over I get fuel. No fuel on the other side of the fuel line cutoff solenoid. It sounds like a bad fuel line cutoff solenoid. What do you think?
 
Everything checked ok except the test with the test harness because I don’t have one. I checked the fuel line cutoff solenoid and it had 50.4 ohms of resistance , it also had 12.? Volts at the connector. I disconnected the fuel line at the fuel line cutoff solenoid discharge and connected a test line to it. I squeezed the bulb with the power off / with the power on and turning the motor over with the safety lanyard unhooked. No fuel. I unhooked the hose at the discharge side of LP fuel pump that goes to the fuel line cutoff solenoid. Connected test line to the discharge of the LP fuel pump. When I squeeze the bulb I get fuel, when turn the motor over I get fuel. No fuel on the other side of the fuel line cutoff solenoid. It sounds like a bad fuel line cutoff solenoid. What do you think?
Is the fuel line cutoff solenoid normally open all the time?
 
Yes, I'm fairly sure that it is. That cut off valve supposedly only activates under rapid deceleration in order to prevent vapor lock on the low pressure side. At least that is what I read somewhere. So to confirm that it is stuck closed, bypass it and try to start the engine.
 
Yes, I'm fairly sure that it is. That cut off valve supposedly only activates under rapid deceleration in order to prevent vapor lock on the low pressure side. At least that is what I read somewhere. So to confirm that it is stuck closed, bypass it and try to start the engine.
Will Do thanks, I will get back with the results
 
Will Do thanks, I will get back with the results
I set up a bypass for the fuel line cutoff solenoid using 1/4 od copper tubing ( I got it from a refrigerator). I cranked the motor, after about 15 sec it started and idled . Then I shut it off. I tried to blow thru the fuel line cutoff solenoid in both directions , it was closed. So tomorrow I will order a new a fuel line cutoff solenoid. Thanks for your help.
 
I just got done messing with a 60 hp Mercury 2 stroke that acted like that. I replaced the bulb and fuel lines and siphoned all the gas out of the tank. While I was siphoning I used my old hose and chunks of the liner of the hose kept falling out. I will never use that gray hose again. After that I took off the air box and sprayed the carbs with carb cleaner and that got my motor to start and run. I kept spraying the carbs and moving the linkage up and down and now my motor will idle with out dieing and restarts fine . I am no mechanic but your motor kind of reminded me of mine.
 
I got my new fuel line cut off solenoid and installed it today. It started and ran and then cut off just like it did before. I did check the fuel line cut off solenoid and it appears that is normally closed. End it takes power for it to open. I did manage to check for continuity between the P2 connector in the 12 pin connector and I did have continuity. I checked on the other side of the P2 connector with the engine turned on I did have 12 V and the other side of the connector. The motor will run when I bypass the fuel line cut off connect cut off solenoid and put a piece of tubing in it please it will start and run just fine.Thanks for your help
 
When I got home I checked the old fuel line cutoff solenoid with a 12 volt power source while I was blowing through it. It is normally closed when not energized. When I energized the fuel line cutoff solenoid it opened. I went to the motor , Turned the motor on, unplugged the fuel line cutoff solenoid and checked the positive on the harness side had 12 volts. Did a continuity check on the negative Wire nothing . The other day I did a continuity On the negative and had continuity between the 2 pin plug at the fuel line cutoff solenoid and the 12 pin connection on the ecm.
 
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The mechanic looked at it today. He checked everything and thought that my be the ecm. He hooked up a computer to the motor everything okay. He called Honda and they said it may be the needle valve going in to the vst is corroded. He will take it apart tomorrow and find out.
 
I stopped in at the shop yesterday to check on what was happening so I could understand what is going on. The mechanic removed the VST and blow air in to the fuel line leading in to the VST. It would take no air. The needle valve was stuck closed. When opened the Vst he had to use needle nose pliers to pull the valve out as it was stuck in the closed position. I didn’t realize that their are to fuel lines going to the vst. A large one that goes from the fuel pump to vst and another that goes through the fuel line cutoff solenoid and then to the vst. When I bypassed the fuel line cutoff solenoid with the 1/4 inch tubing it gave a fuel supply to the vst so that the engine would start. The fuel line cutoff solenoid is normally closed and opens when you are starting then engine when it is hot to put some cool fuel in to prevent vapor lock. Then needle valve was corroded, it is made of aluminum. It is probably an issue for engines that sit for long time like mine. When I bought this boat it was 14 years old and had 158 hours on it . So it sat for a long time. That is what probably caused this to happen. So now I am waiting on parts to put it together. And then put it in the water and see how it does. I will let you know how It is doing when the mechanic is finished.
 
Thanks for that diagnosis and feedback. I continue to learn a lot on this forum. In this case how the cutoff solenoid really works.
 
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