220 engine died while underway

[ebcolema]

I'm brand new here. Took delivery of a 2008 220 yesterday. Today, took the family out. Engine started right up as it did earlier, during sea trial, and yesterday, after I took delivery. Today, we idled around the Marina for a while, picked up a passenger, organized life jackets, etc., with no trouble. We leave the marina and throttle up to plane, running around 30, adjust the trim out and the engine sputters and dies. Won't restart. I'm feeling pretty bad because we've only had the boat now for about 36 hours. Did I get a lemon. Facts:
- Cobalt 220 with Volvo Penta 5.7Gi
- filled up on the way to Marina at regular service station with 87 fuel (certainly E10)
- ran like a charm yesterday for a while, including running at WOT for a while
- won't start at all now--batteries tested and good--not that poor battery would explain engine stopping while underway.
- when turning key, engine makes a sound, but its not the same as a starter running without engaging. It's a short sound.

[Big Block Power]

Sounds like your hearing the 2 second fuel pump prime sound. So I take it the starter won't engage? To me sounds like you hit the kill switch. Check that first. Also make sure the throttle is in neutral.

[AsLan7]

Hey ebcolema

Sorry to hear about your engine quitting. The good news is that those are the symptoms of the safety kill switch engaging like bbp mentioned. That switch is normally located right under the throttle or under the dash by your knee. It’s not uncommon to accidentally bump it.

In a perfect world you clip a safety lanyard on your life jacket and the other end slides into the safety switch area. Then if you get thrown from the boat the engine will stop.

So let’s start there.

In any event, so glad you found us. Please post a picture if you have time.

And welcome aboard mate!

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[jhnmdahl]

I immediately thought things like clogged fuel filter or something failing in the ignition system, but BBP's ideas are a much better place to start. Please let us know what you find, and best of luck with your new boat!

[1995 Cobalt 220]

- when turning key, engine makes a sound, but its not the same as a starter running without engaging. It's a short sound.
[/quote]


Sounds like a bad "bendix" on starter......Starters for 5.7's are cheap.......

[AsLan7]

Also check your battery connection.

If it’s a short click sound while turning the key, the battery is not making good contact with it’s connector.

[ebcolema]

It turned out to be a bad distributor cap. It caused the cylinders to cross-fire while we were underway which stalled the engine out. When the engine stalled we were fully underway, so the boat sat down hard in the water, it's own wake caught up to the boat, entered the exhaust (which was no longer pressurized due to engine having died, overcame the risers, and flooded the cylinders. Next attempt to crack hydro locked the engine. Fortunately, an amazing mechanic from the nearby marina spent hours on the boat with my son and I next morning drying out the cylinders and troubleshooting. Got a new distributor cap installed and it's running like new. No damage and minimal expense. Geez what a way to start.

Since that fiasco, we've spent two full days out without a single issue. I was worried that I'd picked up a lemon of an engine, but so far so good and think it was just one of those things.

[ebcolema]

2008-COBALT-220-Buford-Consigned-C31669-439993.jpg

[Big Block Power]

Wow what a crazy start to this season anyway with 2 hydro locked engines. At least yours wasn't running when it happened. Glad it's running good now.

[AsLan7]

It turned out to be a bad distributor cap. It caused the cylinders to cross-fire while we were underway which stalled the engine out. When the engine stalled we were fully underway, so the boat sat down hard in the water, it's own wake caught up to the boat, entered the exhaust (which was no longer pressurized due to engine having died, overcame the risers, and flooded the cylinders. Next attempt to crack hydro locked the engine. Fortunately, an amazing mechanic from the nearby marina spent hours on the boat with my son and I next morning drying out the cylinders and troubleshooting. Got a new distributor cap installed and it's running like new. No damage and minimal expense. Geez what a way to start.

Since that fiasco, we've spent two full days out without a single issue. I was worried that I'd picked up a lemon of an engine, but so far so good and think it was just one of those things.

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Wow. That’s a rare event with a distributor cap issue combined into a hydro lock situation. Great to hear you’re back up and running. Buy that mechanic a gift card.

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[ebcolema]

It was basically a perfect storm insofar as a failed distributor cap goes. That mechanic has a customer for life now. Not only was he amazingly helpful and willing to drop everything on a Saturday morning to dry out my engine, but he talked me through not only what he was doing, but his thought process too while troubleshooting. I learned more about my engine that morning than I probably would have otherwise learned in years.

Unrelated: I saw some pics somewhere when I was first considering this boat of some sort of a wakeboard rack inside the engine bay, port side. There’s a ton of space there. Right now I’ve got a kneeboard over there, sortof tilted away from the engine. It’s pretty secure due to its shape, but I would hesitate to load it up anymore than that without some sort of rack to keep it from tipping starboard and touching the engine. I know I could add a rack to the tower, but for storage at the marina, I really like the idea of something inside like that. Anyone seen anything like that?

[Big Block Power]

Is this what your looking for?

[ebcolema]

Yes, exactly

[Big Block Power]

It works ok. I store a wake board and a knee board there but it's a pain to get 1 or both out. The wet storage locker is in the way and it's a bit too short plus the battery is in the way. But it works. I also have a tower rack.

If you need any other pictures let me know.

[ebcolema]

Did that come with the boat or aftermarket?