Merc 250 Verado Fuel increase

[alldodge]

Launched boat and wound up with 2 new issues. The first appears to be a slightly low Bat on the starboard motor. If keys are turned ON and each provides a single beep and it's started right away, I get 2 more beeps. It only happens with starboard and not the port. If I turn the key ON and wait for vessel view to power up it doesn't happen.

Disconnect shore power
Port Bat measures 13.2V
Starboard Bat measures 12.9V and so does the House

Bats are Group 31 Odyssey and are 1 year old, so still under warranty. Providing this in case it can also influence second problem

Problem 2
Boat came back from the dealer February this year and they said there was no issue with the port motor using more fuel than starboard. The video I provided showed about 0.2 Gph more. First run of the season and the motor kept getting worse, so much that at one time it was using 2.0 Gph more, then settled around 1.0 Gph more. At idle and running you could see and feel the motor vibrate.

Tech mate shows no codes and no history of issues since launch. This morning I had both running and switching between the 2 trying to see if there were any differences which there were none noted. This morning the port was not vibrating (missing). This afternoon I tried to connect my OTC fuel pressure gauge but while the fitting screwed on it would not stop leaking so I couldn't get a good reading. This is a fairly new OTC gauge set.

Wonder if this is a new Merc only fitting or other?

 

[muc]

For the batts, will the techmate show cranking voltage? Check check your owners manual for the battery charger, it might need to be reprogramed. That is more of a difference than I normally see. The two beeps on stbd startup might point to a voltage drop.

Same fuel pressure fitting that's been used for years. Check the o-ring in the gauge fitting, they can sometimes roll out of place and/or get pinched.

Checking fuel pressure is the next step. I would recommend checking pressure at all 4 fuel rails. Each fuel rail has it's own filter in the inlet, possible one of them got a little plugged up? Something else I might try is to do a fuel system purge using the techmate. Looking for any air in the system. Again, do all 4 test ports. Testing all 4 ports thru out the RPMs will be a pain, but may provide useful info.

Did you do the 3 year service? -- plugs, stat and fuel filter?
How is your fuel system plumbed? Do you have boat mounted fuel filters? If so, is the water in fuel sensor in the boat? Do you have the engine mounted fuel filter? Do you have manual primer bulbs? If so where are they mounted?

Fuel pressure is pretty important on these new engines.

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[alldodge]

Same fuel pressure fitting that's been used for years. Check the o-ring in the gauge fitting, they can sometimes roll out of place and/or get pinched.

Will check but I was able to tighten with fingers a good ways til it was tight and still leaked. Tighten a turn and a half more with a wrench but didn't want to go more. With it still leaking I loosened but had to use the wrench almost all the way, didn't get easier until almost full off. Afraid I might be damaging valve

Checking fuel pressure is the next step. I would recommend checking pressure at all 4 fuel rails.

The manual only shows 2 fuel rails and I only see 2 which went from top to bottom, 1 on each side

Did you do the 3 year service? -- plugs, stat and fuel filter?
How is your fuel system plumbed? Do you have boat mounted fuel filters? If so, is the water in fuel sensor in the boat? Do you have the engine mounted fuel filter? Do you have manual primer bulbs? If so where are they mounted?

No, boat has 90 hours and the 1st year it sat for for most of first year
Do not have boat mounted fuel filter
Do have engine mounted filter under the cowling
Do not have primer bulbs

 

[alldodge]

Will retry today to get the FP gauge attached.

Have placed an order for 16 plugs. Figured iridium plugs would last longer than that. Stbd was replaced last year. Already have the fuel filters

I'm not going to replace the drive belt just yet

 

[muc]

You should never have to use any tool to check fuel pressure. Yes, it sounds like you may have damaged the schrader valve threads. Stop and inspect any time more then fingers aren't enough.

I should have worded that better. By all 4 I meant both engines. Port engine maybe able to give you a baseline to compare with stbd.

Recommended maintenance. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt. My job is to spend other peoples money in an effort to try and give them a trouble free time on the water. I do have confirmation bias due to rarely dealing with customers that do the recommended service, I usually only see them once a year or for upgrades. The customers that come in with breakdowns almost always haven't been doing maintenance. I will also admit that I don't have a lot of sympathy for customers that spent over a $100k on a boat that has a replacement cost $35k motor on it trying to save a few hundred $. This might change as I get more time in this current job! The last 3 year 250 V8 service I wrote was $1k and we don't even do the thermostat (here in MN we have found they last 5-6 years) or the anodes (can do a visual inspection). In other markets that need the full maint. the parts alone are almost $600 without the oils!

Prices have been the biggest surprise since I've come out of retirement! Quick story from last Saturday. Working the counter and a customer comes in wanting 4 of the plastic sleeves that go between the seat and the pole. I pull them and he throws a hundred bill on the counter. I key them into the computer by part number and $232.59 comes up. I'm sure my voice came up a few octaves as I said "that will be $232.59". Lucky for me the guy who is training me (and this man is a master at his job) stops me and says to do a price check. Turns out they are $15 each and are just in the computer wrong. But the thing is, I've seen soo many crazy prices that if he hadn't been there and the customer didn't kick --- I would have completed the sale without thinking twice.

I also have another reason to recommend staying current on maint.
Most people don't know that even though the Mercury Limited Warranty has expired, there is still something called the. "U.S. EPA Emissions Limited Warranty"
This most likely covers your engines for,
"an emission warranty of five years or 175 hours of engine
use, whichever occurs first, to the retail customer for outboard engines"
"This emission‑related warranty covers all the systems and components listed in the Emission‑Related Components section."
"Emission‑related normal maintenance items such as spark plugs and filters are warranted up to their first required replacement interval only."
Emission‑Related Components
For exhaust emissions, emission‑related components include any engine parts related to the systems or parts listed below. The emission‑related warranty covers all components whose failure would increase an engine's emission of any regulated component including the following list of systems and components:
1. Air‑induction system
2. Fuel system
3. Ignition system
4. Exhaust recirculation system
5. Aftertreatment devices
6. Crankcase ventilation valves
7. Sensors
8. Electronic control units

So it's probably worth it for most people to follow the maint. schedule for the first 5 years.

Yes, the alternator belt is an inspection item. I'm not sure why the spark plugs are a replace instead of inspect item. They are easy to inspect, just look at the $15 dot of precious metal on the electrode. I agree they should last much longer then 3 years.

You might want to think about boat mounted fuel filters. The biggest killers of these engines is faulty electrical and fuel issues. The boat mounted filters are better. Up to you on the expense. Parts are about $400 per engine.

 

[alldodge]

You were right and the O-ring had a crack, replaced and took readings.
Manual list
42.1-43.9 psi at idle - I read 39 psi and vibrating
49.3-53.7 psi key ON - I read 45 psi and it would fall down to about 40

Called Merc Tech support early and their system was down so they were unable to look me up or add notes.

Just called Merc Tech support and he will document it, but no guarantees they will do anything. My guess is nothing will happen.

I have no issue with adding a remote filter.

 

[alldodge]

Cowling note
Yesterday I lifted the cowl up, lowered in place and handle snapped lock in place. Today I removed/installed it for 20 minutes and could not get it to lock.

Panting like a dog on a hot day and it's 50* out, I found the issue. Facing the motor, the left rear latch was getting caught on one of the part of the harness when lowering. I had to tilt the motor full up and with cowl partially in place, used my finger to move it just enough to bypass harness.

To make matters worst, the wife walks up with me panting and asked if I was having difficulty. I love her but she's been one who is not able to read a room

 

[alldodge]

Low voltage beeps
Let the Bats sit off the charger for a few hours and all 3 read right at 12.7V
These are true AGM so full charge should read 13.0V

It might just be my meter which is not a high end Fluke, just a Craftsman which has some years on it. I have a fairly new Klein meter and may try that when I go down and measure pressure on other motor tomorrow, if I remember

See if I can get some readings when cranking

Hope the issue isn't the Bats, and if not than might have something to do with 1stMate and/or vessel view mobile