“I Bought a Service Manual and I Still Can’t fix My Boat Motor!”

Being in the marine service business for over 27 years, if I've heard this once, I've heard it a hundred times, "I bought a service manual and I still can't fix my boat motor!" Many retail customers are under the misconception that if they just buy a $39.95 manual, they will be able to repair their own boat motor. Think about it. If all it took was a book, why would anyone pay $75-$150 or more per hour for a certified mechanic to repair your boat motor? At least once a week, I get a phone call from a boat owner who has tried to do his own repair work and is now looking for someone to finish the job. If he had some specific information before he started the job, he would have a much better chance of successfully completing the repairs.

Most mechanics will not give free technical service advice over the phone. Not only are they concerned about the liability issues, but they also are not willing to give away the knowledge they have gained through training and experience and around which their business is built. How long would a grocery store stay open if they gave away their products? Technical knowledge is one of the products of a marine service department.

There are some Internet sites that offer free advice, but they can be classified into one of two groups. 1. Part sellers: they make a somewhat educated guess as to what your problem might be and then offer to sell you the part they think will fix it, "think" being a key word in this formula. 2. Open forums: someone will post a question like, "My motor won't start." What should I do?" A typical answer might be "The last time mine didn't start, it was the fuel primer bulb; try tha" or "Mine wouldn't start last year and it was bad fuel; drain you tanks and see if that helps." Still another answer might be "Mine did that and it was a power pack."

Now, it is possible for any of the answers above to be correct, but do you want to change a power pack, change fuel primer bulbs, and drain the fuel from you boat just to find out that the kill switch wire had shorted against a metal surface? What the Internet forums lack is the technical ability to determine exactly what your problem is, based on the methodical problem solving diagnosis. Just guessing that it might be a power pack may make someone on the Internet sound like an expert, but do you really want to buy a $100 part based on a guess from an unknown person on the computer?

So, you think your only alternative is to buy a service manual. These manuals will give you exact testing procedures that start like this, "use a diagnostic tool, OEM part number 123456 and hook it up to your motor." The average boat owner does not have a full set of OEM diagnostic tools available to him, and you must know what parts might cause your specific problem to avoid testing every part on your engine. I have not found a service manual, OEM or after-market manual that explains engine diagnostics in common terms, and explains how to use the limited amount of tools available to the average boat owner so they can actually diagnose an engine problem. As an authorized service and warranty center for both Mercury and Johnson/Evinrude, I have dealt with factory technical service help lines for both OEM and aftermarket products with mixed results. But these help lines are only available to dealers, not to retail boat owners.

What the boat owner needs is advice from someone who can help him with some specific issues. Before you even start your repair, you must have accurate answers to the following four questions. 1. Is this a problem an average boat owner has a reasonable chance to repair? You need to know if you can probably do this job, or if you are in over your head and would be much better off paying a marine service center to do the repairs. 2. Do you have the tools to successfully complete the job? The tools you will need will depend on the problem. 3. Do you have the mechanical skill to complete this repair? Each boat owner has different abilities; someone needs to give you some professional guidance so you can determine if the job you are considering is within your abilities. 4. How much diagnosis is going to be involved in this job and how good are you at interpreting and relaying information? It would be much easier to have a computer expert diagnose an electrical problem, while a lawn mower mechanic would be easier to talk to about changing a water pump. All of these issues must be considered before you decide to repair your own outboard motor.

Since you are reading this article, you must have some interest in a Do-It-Yourself job, and you are not alone. So, we are now making available a technical service help line for boat owners wanting to repair their own boat motors. We will start with an initial consultation where we discuss the exact symptoms of your boat motor's problem. During this call, we can get a good indication of your skills, so we can discuss together if you want to try to do the repair yourself. If you choose to continue, you will be given specific instructions about what tests to perform and how to do those tests with the equipment available to you. In your next call, we will discuss the results of the tests; you will then be given instructions for more tests, or a list of the parts you will need and step-by-step instruction for doing the repairs. In your third call, you will be told how to complete the job and how to do any final adjustments. You will also be told how to do more tests to find out if your motor had more than one problem.

Before you take your motor to a marine service center, or try to fix it yourself, give us a call at our toll free number (888) 294-8957 for your free initial consultation. Lets' discuss your motor's problem and decide if you can fix it yourself.

Ben Minor Marine Service
Professional Mechanic for Outboard Motor Repair Technician