Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

[BryanR]

I have a 2000 Merc 40hp 4 stroke ELPT outboard. I've used it twice since purchasing it from a boat center that supposedly changed the oil before putting on sale.

I've used the boat twice....probably running time of 3 hours or so combined.

I just got around to checking the oil myself and noticed that it is a good solid 2 inches above the full line of the dipstick. It also smells different than motor oil that I'm used to smelling. I can't verify that it is fuel for sure, but my guess is that it is. Also, when I pull out the dipstick, the oil drips off the stick a bit more easily than I would think it should, leading me to think that it is diliuted.

First off - what is the deal? Is this a big problem.

That said, I am reluctant to use the motor until I change the oil. Should I change the oil myself so I can establish a baseline and see what happens from there? Or should it go straight to the shop to test for leaks, etc?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!

 

[JB]

Re: Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

Look here, Bryan. Sounds like she is "making oil".

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158085

Good luck.

 

[carholme]

Re: Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

Bryan;

Did you get the manual I gave you in some of your previous posts?

Gerry

 

[BryanR]

Re: Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

I sure did. I have the manual.

Im wondering if I have enough evidence to justify having a shop look it over. The oil is overfilled for sure. Did the seller do it? Was it right 3 hrs of use ago and now overfilled due to making oil? Im reluctant to run the motor now that I know about the problem.

 

[carholme]

Re: Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

Did the seller give you any kind of warranty and if so, make them spend their money to check it over? If not, just change the oil and start from a known fixed point and monitor it to see the rate of oil manufacture.

Gerry

 

[BryanR]

Re: Diluted oil....fuel maybe?

Drained the oil this evening and pulled the filter. Store didnt have new filter, so will leave it drained until I find one.

The oil that came out was midnight black. Completely opaque. I have paper work stating the oil was changed and the motor has only run maybe 3 or 4 hours since then. I measured the amount of oil that drained out...142oz give or take a few. Engine capacity is shown as 3L. That is 100oz. There was 40oz more fluid in there than the capacity!!!

It does smell a bit like fuel, but not horribly strong...just hard to tell. A quick viscosity fier tip rub test seemed to indicate about what Id expect.

I cannot prove that they didnt change it. But if they did, it sure did turn black quickly. Would fuel and/or water cause the amber oil to turn jet black?