Fake a lake problem

[CenturyRide 0]

So I recently got a 2012 avalanche. I’m trying to use the engine flush fake-a-lake on it, but it doesn’t seem to be working. The water is not coming out of the exhaust. So I shut it off immediately. I got the plunger from West Marine, and it seems like it was a little small, it doesn’t cover the opening all the way. I positioned the hose to be spraying directly into the intake, but still nothing. The boat was inspected and tested by a professional prior to purchase. So, I don’t think there’a something mechanically wrong. Unless it broke in the last month or so while standing at my house. Is the problem due to the plunger being too small? I’ve also seen some people attach a T to the intake line, but I’m a little confused where it should be attached. Should I attach it right at the point where the water comes into the hull? That line looks like it goes directly into the V drive, then from there to the engine. I’ve read some people attach it before the pump. But I don’t seem to be able to find the pump. Anyways any help would be appreciated. 

On a separate note, for the 2012 year, is there a standard avalanche model and a C4, and if so, how can you tell which one you have? 

[Troy. R 198]

21 hours ago, CenturyRide said:

So I recently got a 2012 avalanche. I’m trying to use the engine flush fake-a-lake on it, but it doesn’t seem to be working. The water is not coming out of the exhaust. So I shut it off immediately. I got the plunger from West Marine, and it seems like it was a little small, it doesn’t cover the opening all the way. I positioned the hose to be spraying directly into the intake, but still nothing. The boat was inspected and tested by a professional prior to purchase. So, I don’t think there’a something mechanically wrong. Unless it broke in the last month or so while standing at my house. Is the problem due to the plunger being too small? I’ve also seen some people attach a T to the intake line, but I’m a little confused where it should be attached. Should I attach it right at the point where the water comes into the hull? That line looks like it goes directly into the V drive, then from there to the engine. I’ve read some people attach it before the pump. But I don’t seem to be able to find the pump. Anyways any help would be appreciated. 

On a separate note, for the 2012 year, is there a standard avalanche model and a C4, and if so, how can you tell which one you have? 

You need to have the “toilet plunger” on the fake a lake completely cover the raw water intake scupper and be kinda sealed to the hull. Otherwise the water won’t get sufficiently sucked into the impeller/engine. 
In 2012, the only Avy was a C4. C4 is the wrap around seating configuration. In the early 2000’s, Centurion offered a configuration with a walk-thru on the starboard side behind the driver and the wrap around C4 configuration that you have.

[Chris O 15]

I did the fake a lake for awhile and got tired of it.  Sometimes if enough water drains out of the system the impeller isnt primed and the fake a lake struggles.  Heres what I did. You can see the valve to connect the garden hose on between the intake and the vdrive.  Ive got a thread on here that has the link to buy the valve.  When using the fake a lake I have had to disconnect the water hose from the vdrive, fill with water, reconnect, then hook up fake a lake, this primes the impeller.  You might try that.  Chris

[CenturyRide 0]

On 2/22/2023 at 7:07 PM, Troy. R said:

You need to have the “toilet plunger” on the fake a lake completely cover the raw water intake scupper and be kinda sealed to the hull. Otherwise the water won’t get sufficiently sucked into the impeller/engine. 
In 2012, the only Avy was a C4. C4 is the wrap around seating configuration. In the early 2000’s, Centurion offered a configuration with a walk-thru on the starboard side behind the driver and the wrap around C4 configuration that you have.

Thanks. I just ended up taking the hose off of where it connects on the bottom of the boat and just put it straight up, then I put the hose inside it and turned it on full. That seemed to work, but even after running for 10 mins, I wasn’t able to get the boat past 140°. Which makes me not sure if the thermostat opened in the engine. After that I ran 5 gallons of marine antifreeze through it, just dumping each bottle directly into the hose. Since I’m not sure if the thermostat opened I just put a small heater in the engine compartment on nights that it gets close to freezing.
 

Another thing that I noticed was that the check engine light came on for a second when I was running it with the hose, and there was light smoke coming from the exhaust most of the time. I’m wondering might have caused this? I suspect that it might have been some air that was getting into the system which might have been messing with the water pump and causing this. But that’s the only thing I could think of. Unless it was some other previous problem 

[Wylie_Tunes 146]

@centuryride,

Its best to drain the water from the engine system prior to the introduction of antifreeze. If not, you run the risk of no to highly diluted AF in the system. Marine RV antifreeze is best when used at 100%. 

With that said, AF is not actually needed, if the system is just simply drained of water, for freeze protection. No water.............nothing to freeze!. 

Your fake a lake issue sounds like a poor seal and air leak. May be too late now to investigate further/confirm. So when you next launch the boat in the lake, pay close attention to the engine temp upon startup, just incase its not a fake a lake air leak issue.