Re: Merc 30 hp 4 stroke maintenance?
Just download a copy of the manual and you can read the service intervals. I just change the oil and the plugs (2 or plugs are only $2 ea) at the end of each year, so I'm ready to go at the start of the season. You can get a few years out of plugs but for the price I change them each year and use the old ones as spares kept on board in my tool kit.
There is the lower gear oil to be changed after a certain amount of hours. And the same goes for the fuel filter. All pretty simple to do yourself. Just save the receipts and note the date each time you performed the service in the back of the manual. This will keep it under warranty for you during the 5 year period. I have the same warranty on my 2007.
Lastly, you might want to post back with the model boat you are buying and look up its max HP rating.
What you don't want is to put the 30 on there and have trouble getting it up on plane. I had to give the dealer back my 30 and order the 40. Only cost me $500 more to reach the 40 max hp rating of my 15 foot aluminum.
Dealers purposely under power a boat package as to make the package cheaper and just get the sale made. If you ever have 3 or 4 people on board it will get a lot worse with a 30 hp too.
