Re: Mercury Outboard Motor Year By Serial Number
Harriet Wehrenberg
Later Model Mercury engines will have 2-digit number in a box at the lower right portion of the label.These digits coincide with the last two digits of the year in which the outboard was manufactured. For example, if an outboard was manufactured in 2010, the number "10" would appear in the box at the lower right portion of the label.
The contract is between you and Mercury Marine, so you can have your engine serviced at any of more than 4,300 Authorized Mercury dealers in the United States or Canada. At the Authorized Mercury service center, a qualified Mercury Service Technician will assess the failure and process the claim through Mercury Marine.
The Mercury Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Plan is the only factory-backed and administered plan for used engines. There are two types of engines that qualify for coverage - Dealer Certified and Factory Certified:
DEALER CPO: Refers to a used engine that has been traded into an Authorized Mercury Dealer, has no existing warranty, and has been certified by the dealership according to the contract. One or two year contracts are available on eligible Dealer CPO products.
FACTORY CPO: Refers to a used engine that has been inspected and certified at a Mercury Marine facility and receives a one year Parts & Accessories warranty upon resale. On Factory CPO products, one or two year contracts are available beyond the one year Parts & Accessories warranty for total coverage of up to three years.
On Dealer CPO products, the plan must be purchased at the time of retail sale as recorded by Mercury from the information submitted by the selling dealer. On Factory CPO products, the plan must be purchased within the one year Parts & Accessories warranty.
We strongly recommend that you have an authorized dealer inspect the vessel before returning it into service. The potential damage will vary from model to model. Although we try to design in protection for each component, limitations do exist.
The first item to check is the fuse or fuseable link. Most models have some type of protection in the circuits. You can replace the fuse with the correct size and test the system. If the fuse fails again, dealer involvement is recommended.
Other items on the engine that may be damaged include, but are not limited to the following: voltage regulators, rectifiers, tachometers, Electronic Control Module, isolation diodes and melted wiring. Boat-related items may include the following: radios, radar, lights, wiring, etc.
The addition of another filter to the system will create another possible flow restriction that can starve the engine of fuel. Mercury already provides the appropriate level of filtration to protect the engine from debris.
Before gasoline with ethanol is introduced to your fuel tank, ask your boat manufacturer if any special precautions should be considered with the use of fuel containing ethanol. Check for the presence of water in the fuel tank. If any is found, remove all water and dry the tank completely. As a precaution, it is advisable to carry a few extra filters in case filter plugging becomes a problem during boating.
It is best to maintain a full tank of fuel when the engine is not in use. This will reduce the void space above the fuel and will reduce the flow of air in and out of the tank with changes in temperature. This will reduce condensation on the internal walls of the tank and will limit exposure of the ethanol in the fuel to humidity and condensation.
If significant amounts of water are present in a fuel tank with gasoline that contains ethanol, the water will be drawn into the fuel until the saturation point is reached for the three-component mixture of water + gasoline + ethanol. Beyond this level of water, phase separation could cause most of the ethanol and water to separate from the bulk fuel and drop to the bottom of the tank, leaving gasoline with a significantly reduced level of ethanol in the upper phase. If the lower phase of water and ethanol is large enough to reach the fuel inlet, it could be pumped directly to the engine and cause significant problems. Even if the ethanol water phase at the bottom of the tank is not drawn into the fuel inlet, the reduced ethanol level of the fuel reduces the octane rating by as much as 3 octane numbers, which could result in engine problems.
The level at which phase separation can occur is determined by a number of variables, including the amount of ethanol, the composition of the fuel, the temperature of the environment and the presence of contaminants. It is very important (A) that the system is inspected for significant quantities of water in the tank before using gasoline with ethanol and (B) to limit exposure of the fuel tank to excess water. If phase separation has occurred, it is necessary to completely remove all free water from the system and replace the fuel before continuing operation. Otherwise, engine problems could occur.
Fiberglass tanks manufactured prior to 1991 may not be compatible with gasoline containing ethanol. It has been reported that, in the presence of ethanol, some resins may be drawn out of fiberglass and carried into the engine where severe damage could occur. If an older fiberglass tank is used, check with the manufacturer to determine if gasoline with ethanol can be safely used.
During the 1980s, many rubber components for use in fuel systems were developed to withstand exposure to fuels containing ethanol. If rubber components in a fuel system are suspected to be of this vintage or older it may be advisable to replace them with newer ethanol-safe components before using fuels containing ethanol. Check with the manufacturer for advice or frequently inspect these fuel-system components for signs of swelling or deterioration and replace if problems are noted.
Two-stroke outboards should experience little or no decrease in performance due to gasoline fuels containing up to 10-percent ethanol when operated according to Mercury's standard recommendations. When gasoline with ethanol is used for the first time after a fuel changeover from MTBE, the tank must be completely free of water prior to introduction of gasoline with ethanol. Otherwise, phase separation could occur that could cause filter plugging or damage to the engine. (It is probably better for a boat owner to fill the fuel tanks with ethanol fuel for the first time when the tank is low on fuel, but that is not critical. There should be no difficulties if the tank is clean and free from water. If the tank is not free from water, a partial load of fuel will more easily phase separate because with less ethanol in place it takes less water to cause phase separation. The important thing for boaters to concern themselves with is the presence of water in their tanks.)
If an engine is a 1990 or older model, frequent inspections of all fuel-system components are advised to identify any signs of leakage, softening, hardening, swelling or corrosion. If any sign of leakage or deterioration is observed, replacement of the affected components is required before further operation.
Fuels containing up to 10 percent ethanol are considered acceptable for use in Mercury engines. Fuels containing higher levels of ethanol are not considered acceptable for use, and the use of fuels containing ethanol higher than 10 percent can void the warranty.
Mercury Marine Quickstor can help maintain fuel systems in storage. Quickstor contains oxidation inhibitors to reduce oxidation and gum formation, metal-chelating agents to protect metal components from corrosion, and water-absorbing agents to reduce the presence of free water.
One of the first signs of galvanic corrosion is paint blistering (starting on sharp edges) below the waterline, with a white powdery substance forming on the exposed metal areas. As the corrosion continues, the exposed metal areas will become deeply pitted, with the metal actually being eaten away. Galvanic corrosion of aluminum sterndrive units, or any other underwater aluminum on your boat, is accelerated by attaching stainless steel components like propellers, trim planes (if connected to engine ground) and after-market steering systems. Whenever you add stainless steel accessories, it's a good idea to have the corrosion resistance checked to make sure it is still adequate.
The Mercury Precision Galvanic Isolator is a solid-state device that is series connected in line into the boat's green safety grounding lead ahead of all grounding connections on the boat. This device functions as a filter, blocking the flow of destructive low voltage galvanic (DC) currents, but still maintaining the integrity of the safety grounding circuit. A galvanic isolator is only necessary on boats utilizing a shore power connection.
The good news is that corrosion can be prevented! Marine corrosion is a fact of boating life, but you can protect your investment with diligence & proper maintenance. As the boat owner, YOU are the most important key to effective corrosion protection. Here are some things you should know:
All MerCruiser sterndrives come standard with aluminum sacrificial anodes a three-year warranty against certain types of corrosion (see your Operation, Maintenance and Warranty manual for more details). SeaCore models receive a four-year limited corrosion warranty.
If you use shore power, you should have an approved galvanic isolator installed to protect against stray current corrosion (electrolysis) from your dock, from your boat's accessories or from other nearby boats.
Corrosion can be caused by many factors, such as the wrong type or improper application of anti-fouling paint, marine growth, stray electrical current (electrolysis), an improperly wired or damaged MerCathode, etc. These types of conditions are not covered by the warranty.
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