HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

[dwhite1031]

I have 3 month old Tracker Pro 16 with a Mercury 30 HP EFI 4 stroke that has approximately 20 hrs on it. I noticed a small amount of engine oil on my garage floor & on the lower unit cowling & transom saver after I took delivery of the boat & outboard. I removed the dipstick to check the oil level & oil ran out of the dipstick hole, into the engine housing & out the drain holes. I called my dealer about it & was told to bring it in right away. They removed the engine cover, removed he dipstick with the same results & told me the tech that rigged the new boat had simply overfilled the outboard with oil, & this was not a problem with the outboard itself or the oil level. If it was overflowing there was sufficient oil in the engine.

Oil comes out of the dipstick hole every time I check the oil & there is also a strong fuel smell to the oil. Not a good thing to smell fuel in the oil is it?

Today, I checked the oil as usual & the oil level was more than sufficient. As I was leaving the boat ramp & beginning to throttle the engine to leave the launch it got on plane & then dropped to low rpm's & the low oil pressure alarm sounded & the oil alarm light came on.

I immediately went to neutral & shut the engine down. I was able to use my trolling motor to return to the ramp, where I winched the boat onto the trailer. Once loaded & out of the water, I removed the engine cover, pulled the dipstick, & oil ran out of the dipstick hole as usual. So why did the automatic low pressure system ramp her down to less than 2000 rpms (like it's supposed to under low oil pressure conditions) & the alarm/light come on? According to the dealer, there is plenty of oil in the engine if oil coming out of the dipstick hole.

This is new outboard! Obviously this is not normal.

 

[Expidia]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

I'd take it to another Mercury dealer for a 2nd opinion. You are covered under warranty for any Merc dealer.

My concern is your dealer overfilled it in the first place and then really did not put much effort in diagnosing your issue.

I'm not experienced in O/B repairs, but if you smell gas in the oil that can't be a good thing and could have thinned the oil down and set off the alarm.

It's a brand new rig, you buy new to avoid these issues . . . get a 2nd opinion!

P.S. I don't get a lot of responses from this forum when asking Merc questions. You might want to search around Google for a more active Merc forum.

 

[blackbox]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

fuel is entering the oil sump. it may be coming from a bad fuel pump diaphram. it is easy to presure test the fuel system. the selling dealer should take care of this. thats what a warranty is for.
good luck!

 

[dwhite1031]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes UPDATE

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes UPDATE

Got my boat back from dealer today after 20 hr maintenance and warranty work for oil issues. Said it was a "bad sensor". Don't know which sensor or what the details were. Kinda hard to get to talk to mechanic as busy as they are right now. Taking her out this weekend and we'll see if she's been fixed.​

 

[Craigcat]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

Where can I download a free manual for a 2006 30HP efi ?

 

[CharlieB]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

Don't bother taking it out as it is NOT fixed yet.

The fuel pump diaphragm has a hole in it allowing fuel to pump directly into the crankcase.

The Dealer should have figured this out long ago and taken care of it under warranty. Continued operation WILL cause damage from a lack of lubrication with the thinned out oil.

If the Dealer refuses to listen you either take it to another Dealer or start making phone calls to Merc.

The Dealer can prove the fault very easily by pulling the two screws that hold the fuel pump on, leaving it loose but still attached to the hoses, pump the primer bulb and watch the fuel leaking from the pump.

D'uh!!!!!

 

[Dunk50]

Re: HELP! 2009 Mercury 30HP EFI 4 Stroke Oil Woes

If I had the problems you have I would be a very unhappy and persistent camper. I have a NEW 2006 60HP Merc 4 stroke. Checking the oil is just like a car. Very clean and only on the bottom of the dip stick. IF and I say If you have any fuel in your oil you could have serious problems. Fuel is not a very good lubricant and breaks down the oil as someone else said earlier. Thinned oil with gas means scored pistons etc. that could pose a serious problem down the road. I would insist on it being checked and warranty extended if there is any question. My motor is quiet and as clean as the day I bought it. Yours should be also.