optimax oil system

[ATF27]

Sorry for the long post but I need to vent.... I just picked up my boat after 3 weeks at a dealership. The problem is for some reason when running my 2001 150hp opti it is not drawing oil from the main tank and is instead draining the motor mounted reserve tank. This continually sets off the low oil alarm.<br /><br />I've had this problem since new when I bought the boat last year. Its been in several times for this problem.<br />Today took the cake though. After talking to the mechanic yesterday he said he was replacing the main tank as he ruled out everything else, he went through the entire system, all the valves, blah blah, blah.<br />Today he says "nope, didn't replace anything" but he did spend a whopping 6 hours on this engine and I was lucky to have Merc. picking up the warranty tab. They had my boat for 3 weeks and I'm lucky because he spent 6 hours on it????<br /><br />Anyway now he's telling me somethings not adding up. He doesn't believe the system isn't working because everything pressurizes when they run in it in the tank. He wants me to prove its not working by meeting on the lake somwhere to see it fail for himself. Which is fine and oh so noble but it basically means they think I'm lying about this problem. Great customer service!! Does anyone have any ideas why the system does pressurize when idling but yet when running does not seem to allow the oil to be drawn from the main tank??<br />I'm almost to the point of ditching this thing.

 

[sledhead041]

Re: optimax oil system

Hey buddy I don’t think they where saying you are ling about it. The just can’t make it not work and they want to see under what conditions it is doing this. I’ve read a few of your post tonight and it seems that the dealer has done a poor job with set-up. The oil system is very simple and it is virtually the same system that Mercury has had for many years. A few things to make sure the dealers have checked: The pick up screen on the main tank, the pickup it self for cracks, both hoses going to the main tank for kinks or holes, and have they used a pressure gauge on the line? If it takes a dealer 6 hour to try to figure out a oil system I don’t think he should even be allowed to even look at anything mechanical…. I’m sure he knew he was going to bill it to Mercury so he Probly stood next to it smoking a cigarette and then called Mercury looking for the “magic” cure without even looking at anything on the unit. You could test and change all the components up to the oil pump and then retest with time to spare with six hours. I noticed you stated that the unit was a 2000MY and then you later called it a 2001My? What is the serial number? Where are you located? I would find out precisely what this dealer has tested and done.

 

[ATF]

Re: optimax oil system

Yah, they didn't exactly say I was lying about it. I think his words were "It works fine here in the test tank so I want to see how you're operating the boat to see what the problem is and how it occurs. What you're saying is happening doesn't add up".<br />Well first off I don't know what he expects to see if we go out and run the boat on open water. What can he possibly determine that he can't figure out in the shop? And does boat operation have anything whatsoever to do with this? If so HOW???<br />This guys been feeding me BS right up to the day I was supposed to pick up the boat. He said he was going to replace the main tank as it was the only thing left he could think of. Well he didn't replace it. He said he's blown out all lines, checked line pressures, a check valve was supposedly replaced the last time it went in for this problem, he replaced and shortened the hoses from the main tank. He said he's gone through every nook and cranny on the system but can't find a problem.<br />As for year of motor it is a 2001 according to Merc. When I bought this thing last year though it was listed as a 2000 on the bill of sale.The selling dealer who set up this boat is not the one who's doing the servicing now but since both don't appear to know what they're doing I may have to move on to another.<br />I'm in Canada where we seem to be short of mechanics with ideas.