fuel tank issue on 2006 X2

[c640947]

I have a 2006 X2 and have had an odd situation with the gas tank. Last Monday we had been riding all day, and when at rest the fuel guage said 1/8-1/4 full but the engine died. I started it back up and it did it again after a couple of seconds. I knew we were low on fuel and we were away from the dock and it was dark, so I got it started and drove fast enough to get he nose out of the water and the remaining gas to the back of the tank. Drove half a mile with no problem. Idled back on the trailer no problem. Figured it was just a little low on gas, but the weird part is yesterday when I took it out again I filled it up, it only took 35 gallons. It is a 45 gallon tank. I didn't quite know what to think.

Yesterday we rode most of the day and the same thing happened. Fuel guage gets down to 1/8-1/4 and it dies. But we rode all day with no problems whatsoever. So I think the engine itself is fine. I am perflexed.

It can't be a general engine problem because this only happens at idle when the gas guage reads low. So it has to be a fuel tank problem. My ideas are:
1) the fuel line is too high in the tank - can't imagine mastercraft would do that - seems to waste 10 gallons - but this is the only theory makes sense - and if the nose of the boat isn't up when the fuel level is low, gas isn't getting to engine.....
2) bad gas - ran fine all day, just had problems when tank low - doesn't account for why it only took 35 gallons
3) debris in tank - doesn't account for why it took only 35 gallons
4) fuel guage not calibrated - again, why only 35 gallons

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer.

[peason]

Not from experience, but from what I have read on the board. You could be having trouble with your fuel filter. In previous threads it has been mentioned that the fuel filter only filters fuel if your tank is below 1/4 tank. I realize that this is a new boat, but there could be residue in the gas tank from the manufacturing process which may have clogged your filter. Hopefully others will come up with a more definite answer.

[erkoehler]

If you got water in your gas, you may need to change out your fuel filter. Water will NOT pass through the filter which is on the bottom of the fuel pump.

Bottom of the fuel filter doesn't sit on the bottom of the tank, so there will be a alittle gas at the bottom that you won't be able to use, but not 10 gallons.

[bigmac]

Originally Posted by peason

Not from experience, but from what I have read on the board. You could be having trouble with your fuel filter. In previous threads it has been mentioned that the fuel filter only filters fuel if your tank is below 1/4 tank. I realize that this is a new boat, but there could be residue in the gas tank from the manufacturing process which may have clogged your filter. Hopefully others will come up with a more definite answer.

Yup. This issue has come up many times here on TT. Tank residue clogs the filter, but only the last 1/4 - 1/2 tank of fuel is actually filtered. Above that level and it's a direct intake. I guess the assumption is that water and/or debris will all be at the bottom of the tank and above that level it doesn't need to be filtered.

One other thing to consider is that running the engine out of gas is hard on the pump, and at least some knowledgable dealers will tell you that doing so even once will inevitably lead to a fuel pump failure sooner rather than later. The fuel pump is cooled by the fuel it pumps. If it runs out of gas, no cooling and the pump's impeller fails or is damaged (to fail later), which means new pump (=$550 for the pump only - no labor). I would certainly make your dealer aware of this issue. He should change the filter, clean the tank, and be aware that that problem may likely lead to delayed pump failure. I'm thinking that if you make him aware of it now, warranty ought to cover it even if it fails after its one-year warranty is up.

[Tom023]

I agree it is probably fuel filter related, a clogged one at that. However, when I took my pump out to change the filter, I discoved there is an adjustment screw that allows you to set the depth of the filter and pick-up in the tank, so quite possibly as you mentioned, the filter could be too high. I'm wasn't sure of the correct position, since mine moved a bit when I removed the assembly, so I set mine just a fraction off the bottom of the tank.

[c640947]

Thanks a lot for the super quick replies. It is about due for its 100 hour service so I will address this issue when I take it in. Is changing the fuel filter covered in the 100 hour service or do you know if this is something I should expect to pay extra for? They like to change a pretty penny for the services (20 hr, 50 hr) and sometimes I wonder how much effort they put into it (done so quick).

Thanks again.

[Tom023]

You have the same dealer as me. They do not change the filter unless you ask. They indicated they rarely ever change a filter, usually only if they determine it's clogged. If you can use a wratchet you can do it in about 1/2 hour. An inch/lbs torque wrench is required if you want to get the bolts exactly correct, but that will cost less than what they would charge to do the job.

[JimN]

The pump does have a screw that is used for setting the depth and if it was installed without loosening the screw and pushing the pump into the tank and then re-tightening the screw, the pump isn't on the bottom since the pump is collapsed for shipping. The bottom of the tank is the limiting factor and there's a bump (called a Mexican bump at MC training because of the water that's usually in Mexican gas) that is for keeping the bottom of the filter element out of any water in the tank. This point is moot if there's a lot of water in there. The dealer definitely needs to look into this and document everything they do to fix it. If there's water in the tank, the filter change and getting rid of the water should take care of it.

Look on your contract for the number of hours on the boat at the time of purchase. It may have been a demo boat and if it sat outside during bad storms, water may have gotten into the tank by way of the vent or humidity extremes with temperature inversions.