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Bad Gas??


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So I de-winterized the boat this weekend and went to fire it up on the garden hose and it didnt want to fire. I tried and tried and finally it started, I thought that was wierd but didnt think to much of it since it was sitting all winter. I then went to the ramp and launched and drove around for about 45 minutes and on my way back the boat stalled and then wouldnt start, similar to how it wouldnt start initially. I let it sit for a few minutes and then it fired up. Could I have bad gas or water in the fuel line/tank? The reason I ask is I did not stabilize the little bit of fuel that was left in the tank when I winterized. I figured I would just leave the tank empty. Thoughts? Anything I can do or check?

I would also like to say thanks to the fellow bu' owner that stopped to offer assistance. Dont know what I would have done if he didnt come check on me, I could have really been stuck out.

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BAD GAS...sure of it.

Problem is that you had stale fuel in the lines/injectors that may have gummed/varnished up. I concur that topping off with a full tank of fresh gas in the spring isn't a bad idea, but the problem with that theory is that is does NOTHING for the fuel IN the system. Hence the reason you had trouble. My suggestion...replace the plugs, put a full tank of fresh gas and maybe a can of injector cleaner in and run the dog sh*$ out of it and see if it clears. If not...then you probably have to take the injectors off and have them cleaned.

I bet it will clear up on its own.

Oh and do it differently next year. Biggrin.gif

Hope this helps,

So I de-winterized the boat this weekend and went to fire it up on the garden hose and it didnt want to fire. I tried and tried and finally it started, I thought that was wierd but didnt think to much of it since it was sitting all winter. I then went to the ramp and launched and drove around for about 45 minutes and on my way back the boat stalled and then wouldnt start, similar to how it wouldnt start initially. I let it sit for a few minutes and then it fired up. Could I have bad gas or water in the fuel line/tank? The reason I ask is I did not stabilize the little bit of fuel that was left in the tank when I winterized. I figured I would just leave the tank empty. Thoughts? Anything I can do or check?

I would also like to say thanks to the fellow bu' owner that stopped to offer assistance. Dont know what I would have done if he didnt come check on me, I could have really been stuck out.

Edited by WaveMake'nLSV
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Oh and do it differently next year. Biggrin.gif

Yeah, the Stabil thing is not just for the tank, it's supposed to be run through the system. Give the above advice a shot and let us know how you make out. I'd replace the fuel filter after a tank or two of good gas. Good luck with it.

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Sta-bil claims to contain a fuel injector cleaner. It may not be as "potent" as some of the other stuff, but it's definitely safe for your Indmar, so may be a good place to start. My owner's packet had a sticker from Indmar recommending Sta-bil, so at least it's safe.

For what it's worth, Sta-bil also has this to say:

What if my Gas has Already gone Bad

And this regarding safety and the fuel injector cleaner it claims to contain:

Another Sta-bil FAQ

Edited by rts
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I have talked to Indmar and they are literally a phone call away. Very helpful and friendly! Might give them a call and confess...see what they recommend. I cannot imagine that marine injectors are any different than any other Chevy/Vortec engine on the road.

Just a thot...

My owner's packet had a sticker from Indmar recommending Sta-bil, so at least it's safe.

For what it's worth, Sta-bil also has this to say:

What if my Gas has Already gone Bad

And this regarding safety and the fuel injector cleaner it claims to contain:

Another Sta-bil FAQ

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I called Indmar and they said they dont have any recommendations on fuel injector cleaners, they also said that most of them dont really work anyway. :( They suggested I just fill up the tank with fresh gas and see how it goes. Obviously I'm going to do that, but I think I'll also try an octane booster or something as well. Maybe I'll just treat it with Stabil since it does have the injector cleaner qualities. Thanks for everyones replies.

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

A full tank only means you have that much more old gas to burn off - just leave in what you need, and be sure to sta-bil it

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Also, as a side note, another good reason to fill the tank is to reduce the chance of condensation in your tank.

I'm not a Sta-bil salesman, though it's starting to sound like it, but Sta-bil also claims to remove water (condensation) from the fuel.

It's good stuff...should be used at every fill up, in my opinion.

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I am a believer in stabil. Use it in all my power tools for the yard too. After sitting all winter, things fire right up.

In the boat I will likely use stabil each fillup until summer hits when we are going through more gas. This time of year its nothing for the boat to sit for a couple of weeks between uses. They say fuel can degrade in two weeks.

Change your filters after a tank is run through and see if that helps.

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Also, as a side note, another good reason to fill the tank is to reduce the chance of condensation in your tank.

I'm not a Sta-bil salesman, though it's starting to sound like it, but Sta-bil also claims to remove water (condensation) from the fuel.

It's good stuff...should be used at every fill up, in my opinion.

No but we know what works....

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

A full tank only means you have that much more old gas to burn off - just leave in what you need, and be sure to sta-bil it

That's what our service guy says too.

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

That's good to know. Thanks for thhe info.

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You guys can call me crazy or just say that I don't use my boat enough (which I don't) but, when I know I'm not gonna use the boat for awhile, I drain the tank by running the fuel pump and let all the fuel pump into a gas can. Then I stick that fuel in my tow vehicle (which always needs fuel)

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You guys can call me crazy or just say that I don't use my boat enough (which I don't) but, when I know I'm not gonna use the boat for awhile, I drain the tank by running the fuel pump and let all the fuel pump into a gas can. Then I stick that fuel in my tow vehicle (which always needs fuel)

That is a bit crazy...

Would you guys say that running better fuel like 91 Octane will last longer without stabilizing?

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You guys can call me crazy or just say that I don't use my boat enough (which I don't) but, when I know I'm not gonna use the boat for awhile, I drain the tank by running the fuel pump and let all the fuel pump into a gas can. Then I stick that fuel in my tow vehicle (which always needs fuel)

Seems like Stabil is a heck of a lot easier...

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So I de-winterized the boat this weekend and went to fire it up on the garden hose and it didnt want to fire. I tried and tried and finally it started, I thought that was wierd but didnt think to much of it since it was sitting all winter. I then went to the ramp and launched and drove around for about 45 minutes and on my way back the boat stalled and then wouldnt start, similar to how it wouldnt start initially. I let it sit for a few minutes and then it fired up. Could I have bad gas or water in the fuel line/tank? The reason I ask is I did not stabilize the little bit of fuel that was left in the tank when I winterized. I figured I would just leave the tank empty. Thoughts? Anything I can do or check?

I would also like to say thanks to the fellow bu' owner that stopped to offer assistance. Dont know what I would have done if he didnt come check on me, I could have really been stuck out.

So, you've gotten pretty good advice in this thread. Let me be the first to Fingerwag.gifFingerwag.gifBash.gif

I'm the worst mechanic in the world, and I at least run stabil through my engine when the boat sits Tease2.gif

Hope everything works out ok :)

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You guys can call me crazy or just say that I don't use my boat enough (which I don't) but, when I know I'm not gonna use the boat for awhile, I drain the tank by running the fuel pump and let all the fuel pump into a gas can. Then I stick that fuel in my tow vehicle (which always needs fuel)

That is a bit crazy...

Would you guys say that running better fuel like 91 Octane will last longer without stabilizing?

The higher octane doesn't last any longer... and for what you spend on a tank of gas of 91 vs 87, you coulda bought a bottle of Sta-Bil that would cover a few tankfuls ;)

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

A full tank only means you have that much more old gas to burn off - just leave in what you need, and be sure to sta-bil it

Crazy.gif Condensation forms in metal, plastic, brass and glass tanks as well. I've got fuel storage tanks lined with each of the materials mentioned. Gas turns to varnish in any of them without treatment. It turns a lot quicker when the tanks are only partially full.

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

A full tank only means you have that much more old gas to burn off - just leave in what you need, and be sure to sta-bil it

Crazy.gif Condensation forms in metal, plastic, brass and glass tanks as well. I've got fuel storage tanks lined with each of the materials mentioned. Gas turns to varnish in any of them without treatment. It turns a lot quicker when the tanks are only partially full.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/myth_of_condens..._fuel_tanks.htm

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For the last 20 years I've owned runabouts and ski/wakeboard boats, jet skis and such. I always put Stabil in the tank during the winter with full tanks and partial tanks of gas. Never one problem from bad gas. Mine sits from late Nov through about late March/early April every year. Sold a 98 last year that was a 5.0L carb that never gave a minutes problem.

I even put some in my lawn mower and other stuff that sits up all winter.

Have no scientific reasons to back it up, but it seems to have always worked for me, is cheap and is very easy. The old gas seems to run no different than the next tank of brand new.

One thing I was warned about on a lake however, is that many marinas will sell bad gas at the beginning of the season since their tanks have not turned over gas in a while, unless shared with their car service tanks. Don't know, but I provide my own gas to my boats anyway.

Cheers and good luck. Mine will be un-winterized very soon.

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The necessity for a full tank was based on the old metal tanks... IIRC not required any longer.

A full tank only means you have that much more old gas to burn off - just leave in what you need, and be sure to sta-bil it

Crazy.gif Condensation forms in metal, plastic, brass and glass tanks as well. I've got fuel storage tanks lined with each of the materials mentioned. Gas turns to varnish in any of them without treatment. It turns a lot quicker when the tanks are only partially full.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/myth_of_condens..._fuel_tanks.htm

Looks like David Pascoe might be my hero :lol:

Our underground tanks don't have any problems (steel) but they're kept at a constant 58 degrees F. The above ground tanks are opaque so they aren't exposed to UV light but the fuel still goes bad in them without treatment.

Our race fuel goes south real quick. I'm not sure why.

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