About SOUP - How to solve problems your self.

 SOUP the acronym for Subjective Objective Understanding Process is a methodology for problem solving.

Its what successful problem solvers intuitively do more or less. By following the methodology problems can be analysed and solved quicker. It also forces thinking through the problem and documenting the steps which makes the odds of solving the problem much higher.

S Subjective: 

    What is the problem. What are the symptoms.

O Objective: Let's look into the history of the problem. Has it happened before? When did it happen? What happened at the same time? Was anyone else involved? What changed?

U Understanding: Let's look the underlying principles of the system that has the problem. How does the system work. If you don't understand the workings of the problem system then abandon SOUP. Call in an expert, follow a problem solving flowchart or randomly try something.

P Process:  This is the process for solving the problem or creating situations where their outcome allows you to gain more information and again apply SOUP

Here is a simple example:

S Symptom:

Your diesel sputters and dies and won't restart.

O Objective:

When did it happen? This afternoon. 

What were you doing before it died? I had just left the marina 5 minutes previously. How long had the engine been running? 5 minutes.

Does your engine have a pull stop lever or is it stopped via a switch.

U Understanding:

A diesel engine needs fuel and air to operate and in some cases electricity. A pull stop lever means that electricity is not needed. Also the engine stops almost instantaneously and does not sputter and die.

Lack of fuel can be due to a closed tank valve, an empty tank, a clogged filter due to tank dirt being stirred up by rough weather conditions, air in the fuel lines, water in the fuel due to condensation.

The injector pump contains enough fuel to run the engine for a few minutes.

With this understanding we can go back to O Objective and ask more questions. We suspect a fuel problem because its unlikely the air supply was affected.

O Objective: 

What was the level of fuel in the tank? Maybe ran out of fuel? Has the boat been unused for a period of time with the tank not full leading to growth or water in the tank?

Had the tank been filled recently?

Had the engine been serviced recently? Perhaps the filters were changed and the lines were not properly bled allowing air into the lines? 

What was the weather like? Were the seas rough? Maybe dirt was dislodged and is now clogging the filter.

P Process:

The answers to the questions indicate or eliminate a fuel problem and also point to the cause. 

Understanding the fuel system is required to solve this problem efficiently and successfully. Otherwise its a matter of trying, starting from the simplest. Rather like a fault finding chart.

Understanding and using the answers to the questions point us at the problem. Understanding also often provides the process  to solve the problem.

Some possibilities:

No fuel, tank empty.

Clogged filter.

Lines have air in them, not bled properly

Fuel tank valve closed.

The process is now:

Check for fuel in tank, check valve is open, look in filter bowl for dirt or water. If these are OK and the filters were recently changed, then the lines need bleeding.

If you don't know how to bleed the fuel lines, learn quickly or don't bother with SOUP and call for help.