07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

[tal]

Firstly, I posted on this probably back in June/July. Thought issue was fixed but wasn't until today.

Engine only has 24 hours on it. Since breakin we've been getting alarms which the dealer said were related to water pressure. They installed a new water pump because the original was chewed up. No more alarms for them in the test tank but 2 weeks later we go to the coast again and get the dreaded alarm. We end up doing our fishing cautiously then head home.

After cleaning the boat thoroughly, I let it sit 3 months then decided to take it in to another local Merc certified dealer and get their opinion. Oddly enough, they told me there was no alarm, which was weird, because prior to parking the boat under cover it sounded the same old alarm when we were fishing. They said no codes in the computer. They offer to let a tech go with us to the lake to replicate our driving behaviors in hopes of getting it to act up. Of course the alarm doesn't sound but the tech notices something different on the thermostats while the boat was at trolling/idle speed. This apparently didn't happen in his test tank. Starboard side thermostat reading cold which means it's stuck open and also means water pressure is a little low since the thermo was stuck open.

We end the test runs and agree to let him take it apart and determine what is wrong in the thermostat area. He also says he'll install a new oil tank since Mercury has had problems with floats getting saturated and sinking down causing oiling alarms. Oil tank is warranty work, thermostat is not.

I get 2 emails with pictures of what is wrong with the thermostats. I'm also told our boat is ready to be picked up and the bill is ~$220.00 After talking with the service rep on the phone he explains that debris were stuck in the thermostat holding one of them open. The port side had some stuff in it too but wasn't near as bad as the starboard side stat. The "debris" end up being what looks like seaweed or grass and a little piece of a stick.

So after my story, I suppose my question comes to this.

Why doesn't Mercury use a screen in the foot to prevent this very situation from happening? Is there a way of installing a screen to prevent sticks from being sucking into thermostats?

I've now paid a total of $270 for what I had assumed would be warranty work on a brand new engine. It could have been worse and cost a lot more. Like a new powerhead. All it takes is a simple screen in the foot to stop things from going into the engine. All my other outboards have had something like this. Johnsons and Yamahas.

The funny part of the story is the service manager defending Mercury saying "all high performance boat engines don't have screens because it will affect the water flow." After that conversation I showed him the brand new engines sitting on the back of boats in his lot that had screens on them. Ranging from 50 hp up to 250hp. None of them were Mercurys of course. They don't sell Mercurys. Nothing like being told "having a screen is a good idea and of course your opinion" when I have facts in front of me that prove it is a good idea and would have prevented problems. I will not rant on the guy though, he is a nice guy and did good work for us and I told him I was happy they were able to fix it. The dealer we bought the boat from didn't.

Here's some pics.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

When we run high performance mercury motors, we have temp and pressure gauges on them, and pay attention, at least once in awhile.

I have enough trouble with weeds plugging up the intake without a screen on it. Most debris that gets in will just go through. The only time I've had trouble is when I sawed a rotten log in half at speed on the river, and one time when I powered through a ridiculous patch of algae where I should have used the trolling motor.

It takes about 15 minutes to shell out the t-stats and poppet valve and clean out the crap.

After doing that a couple of times at the landing, you learn to stay out of the crap.

my 02
John

 

[will941s]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

Bravo!

 

[tal]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

I don't seem to recall hitting anything with the motor. Without going into another long story of detail, the engine first sounded an alarm during break in. This was a a local clean lake where skiing is very popular. No logs, etc.

Two trips afterward, which happen to be at the coast, the alarm was sounding and preventing the boat from planing unless I backed off the throttle and started again. I'm assuming this is where the sea weed came from. And it got worse with the little stick in there plugging things up too. There's no staying out of the crap as it's everywhere in the ocean.

Having a screen is a good idea to keep things from entering the internal part of the engine and causing problems. If it had a screen and things got plugged up on the outside of the gills, the constant low pressure alarm would simply sound and I would stop to pick the grass off. Obviously sticks wouldn't get stuck in the screen.

No one has an idea on how to prevent this from happening by placing a straining device somewhere in the foot, if it's at all possible? I currently have 3 boats at the house with different makes and models. All fresh water boats go in the same place. The boat with the Merc goes in both the fresh water and salt water places. I haven't had an issue with any sort of cooling system clogging until the Mercury. I'm just looking for a way to prevent it from happening besides not using the boat anymore.

 

[jackd1023]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

Sounds like it could be a bad temp sensor, or wire. have had three mercs not as nice as yours and have never had that problem and I boat in a pretty nasty lake.

 

[sschefer]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

Mercs have fairly large water passages when compared to other engines on the market. Honda is the worst and has to run a screen or even minor silt plugs up the motor. You don't even want to see what happens to them if you don't notice the screen is plugged and you expose the engine to freezing temps.

Merc's theory is to give you an alarm system when something plugs so you can back off and make it home. The others have alarm systems also but if my E-Tec's goes off, in order to keep the warranty I have to bring it in for service. And no, that fee is not under warranty. You got off cheap for $220.00 How long were you out testing? It's 95.00 an hour out here on the left coast.

I think yours is a rare case. I suspect the stick is the contributing factor to the rest of the junk getting caught. I've blown a lot of currap through my engines and never had a problem. Like J_Martin says once your learn your engine and how to perform routine services like changing the water pump and thermostats, little problems like your having will seem really trivial.

 

[tal]

Re: 07/08 200hp Optimax - alarms, questions, long story

We were out with the mechanic, his laptop, and his gear for at least an hours, maybe more. The whole bill for cleaning the thermostats and testing was $223 or so.

I haven't changed the water pump or anything else on this new mercury. I do perform service on my older johnsons and yamaha. I even rebuilt the little 50hp yamaha. I guess I didn't expect to have problems with a new motor, especially issues I've never experienced with other outboards. It probably is an isolated incident too. I was talking to my uncle who has a large triton bass boat with a 1998 225hp EFI Merc. It appears to have the same intakes as ours, with no screens. He just came back from Amistad and said he had so much hydrilla on the prop, it wouldn't even turn. He never experienced any alarms.

As implied, the grass/seaweed probably would have passed on through had the little stick not gotten in. If it happens again I'll try my hand at pulling the fuel rail to get to the thermostats on this engine. I'd just hate to void the 6 year warranty I have on the engine.