Boat quits, gauges freeze

[syndicate]

Hi everyone,

I have a 1998 Malibu Sunsetter.  The last two times I've had a few problems. It has bogged down a little bit and haven't been able to get up to speed.  As it gets moving, the boat quits and the gauges freeze where they were.  The boat won't immediately restart, but after sitting a few minutes, it starts and will run for a little while longer.  The last time we took it out, we faced these issues and hung out on the lake for a while, and when we were ready to leave, I tried it one more time and it ran great.  Got up to speed no problem.  Any thoughts?

[justgary]

You don't say whether you have a carb or injected engine.  I'm guessing it's injected and you have low fuel pressure. 

[syndicate]

Yes, injected

[justgary]

A fuel pressure gauge will show you that you have low pressure.  You should have ~42 psi at all times, including wide open throttle. 

[syndicate]

Thanks @justgary. I will check that. Any thoughts on why the gauges might be freezing when the boat quits and why it won't start for a few minutes? I should have mentioned this in the original post, but when I say it won't start, it won't turnover, the gauges won't move, nothing will register. I greatly appreciate the help!

[Bozboat]

Sounds like an electrical problem. How are you battery connections on both ends of the cables?

[justgary]

Hmmmm.  Sorry if I led you astray.  Time to get a decent volt meter and check basic voltages: battery, fuse block, key switch, starter, alternator, and ground points for each.  Even better, clean and reseat each connection so that you have no doubt that you have good connections. 

The more connections you clean, the fewer problems you will have in the future. 

Don't forget the cannon plug near the transmission.  Gently spread the male pins and reseat the connector. 

[Bozboat]

1 hour ago, justgary said:

Hmmmm.  Sorry if I led you astray.  Time to get a decent volt meter and check basic voltages: battery, fuse block, key switch, starter, alternator, and ground points for each.  Even better, clean and reseat each connection so that you have no doubt that you have good connections. 

The more connections you clean, the fewer problems you will have in the future. 

Don't forget the cannon plug near the transmission.  Gently spread the male pins and reseat the connector. 

I don’t think you lead him astray, if this is a FI boat the fuel pump is suspect. Stumbling is a classic fuel pressure problem. Sounds like there are multiple problems 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Bozboat

[syndicate]

Agreed, you did not lead me astray at all. Thanks so much for the help. I'll let you know how it goes!