On an outboard motor, maintenance is carried out in three phases:
- wintering
- The restart
- use in navigation
A good wintering conditions a good future season
Mercury dealers are trained in three training centres in France (Concarneau, La Rochelle and Six-Fours-les-Plages) to carry out winter maintenance operations. By entrusting your engine to them, you are sure that it is in good hands. This remark is all the more true if it is a high-powered engine.
The biggest problems that arise when you don't use your engine during the winter come from fuels. These are not stable and eventually clog the engine circuits. To avoid it: only one solution. Run the engine for at least 1 hour by adding an additive to the fuel before wintering. The Mercury Marine network offers the Quickstor product (a 355 ml bottle can process 227 litres of fuel). This fuel stabilizer will avoid all surprises after the winter season.
You can add the additive at the same time as you rinse the cooling system with fresh water. This requires running the engine in a bin (rather than using Mickey's ears) for at least 45 minutes. To be effective and to remove the salt from the walls, the engine must be heated up properly.
After greasing all the points with Mercury's 2-4-C marine lubricant, all engine oil and base oil levels are also checked. We are trying to find out if water has not mixed in (which would detect a problem with a damaged seal). There are 2 schools for emptying: those who prefer to do it during the winter or those who do it at the end of the winter. These two schools have their positive arguments. The only really important thing is to make sure that the oil does not contain water before wintering.
Mercury recommends Quicksilver oils and lubricants, specially designed to ensure the best performance of your engine. These marine oils, which exceed the standards required by FC-W certification by 34%, must be used at every maintenance, as they provide optimal protection against wear and tear and protect engine parts, allowing them to retain their new appearance and original performance. Ask your Mercury dealer for advice on which oil is right for your outboard engine.
Finally, you can store your engine in a dry and ventilated room. Ideally the engine should remain standing, but it is possible to lay it on a side by following the logos that indicate the right side of the engine to lay it down. The Mercury network offers a Garelick brand display to store your transportable motor up to 25 hp upright (Reference 31600 at Mercury).
Avoid enclosing the drive head in a plastic bag! You will do more harm than good, because you will lock up the moisture inside, which will then do its destructive work all winter long.
Finally, check the condition of your propeller and base plate also and repaint it if necessary with Phantom Black black paint, for example, offered by Mercury.
Back on the road again
If the wintering has been done properly, the restart will look like a formality. This is when the routine maintenance will be carried out:
- Filters
- Candles
- water pump
- Changing engine oil and base plate
- Of course, we take a lot more food, water and therefore more mattress bags on board. But it's much less stressful not to be alone. With many people, there are many things where it is easier: manoeuvres, sleep, weather, strategy..
It will then be sufficient to reconnect the fuel tank and operate the launcher or starter to start. This "miracle" is possible because the gasoline has been winterized with a fuel stabilizer that avoids any setbacks.
Use at sea
For a worry-free use of the Mercury outboard, the manufacturer recommends using SP98 gasoline. You can also use SP95. But never E10 or E85! To optimize your fuel and thus maximize the performance of your engine, Mercury offers the Quickare product. This processing additive can be added to each tank of fuel. It helps to fight corrosion, varnish and rubber formation and demixing associated with ethanol fuel. It also contributes to the protection against moisture and corrosion associated with non-ethanol-free fuels. With a 355 ml bottle, you process 454 litres of fuel.
During regular use during the season, it is of course necessary to check the oil level regularly and if possible rinse the engine as often as possible to limit salt attacks. The connection of the water jet provided for this purpose allows the motor to be flushed, even if it is in water. Be careful this rinsing is done with the pressure of the water, vertical motor, but especially not by running its motor at the same time.
Another additive product proposed by Mercury that should be used throughout the navigation season is Quickleen, which carefully and quickly removes carbon deposits from carburettors and injectors, intake valves, spark plugs, piston rings and cylinder heads. It prevents the engine from detonating and the pistons from jamming. A 355 ml bottle processes 227 litres of fuel.
At Mercury, the engine is scheduled for overhaul every 100 hours of operation or every year. Boaters often work less than 100 hours in their season and maintenance is provided during the wintering phase.
Mercury has implemented maintenance packages for every 100 hours (or one year, whichever comes first) and for every 300 hours (or 3 years).
Discover the recommended public price of Mercury Marine maintenance packages by model and the details of the parts to be replaced and checked over the first five years; 5 years being the period corresponding to the guarantee of a Mercury outboard motor used in pleasure craft. The warranty on a Mercury outboard motor is 2 years (or 1000 hours) for professional use. The outboard motors in the SeaPro range, developed for professionals, are guaranteed for 2 years or 2000 hours.
To facilitate maintenance, Mercury offers kits adapted to each model that contains the parts to be replaced.
Does a new engine require running-in?
In the case of a new engine, for its first launch, a Mercury engine does not require any special care. The machining of engine parts is very precise. The differences in ratings are very small. The engines therefore no longer require any special running-in. At Mercury, all engines must be put into service by the dealer who sells them. It is he who will follow a specification for start-up, inspection and testing before delivery.
Once in the owner's hands, he can use his engine normally. That is to say, by gradually increasing the temperature (you must warm up your engine before pulling on it). The new Mercury V6 and V8 engines even have electronic speed limiters as long as the engine is too cold (the Warm Up system). For others, it is up to the user to take care of it, especially if the engine is new.
