PartsVu.com is happy to offer a wide selection of certified Mercury and Quicksilver marine engine oil to match the exact specifications of your Mercury outboard engine. If you need assistance servicing your Mercury outboard, follow along with these helpful guides over on our blog: Mercury fuel system 100-hour service, Guide to Mercury Marine Precision Oils and Lubricants.
We also offer helpful resources to help you maintain your Mercury outboard motor, such as:
Mercury Quicksilver Outboard Engine Oil
As the old oil is draining, you can work on removing the engine oil filter. Depending on your specific Mercury model, your filter may have a drain lip that helps to keep the mess to a minimum when you unscrew the old filter. However, most older engines do not have this feature. We suggest being prepared with plenty of absorbent rags or placing a small cup that is cut to size below the filter before removal. Using a PartsVu Maintenance Essentials filter wrench is the best way to loosen the filter. Remember when you reinstall the filter, over-tightening will only make your life more difficult when you are ready for the next service. Some technicians puncture the old filter allowing trapped oil to drain back into the block before removal, but this will ruin your ability to take the filter apart for further inspection.
Several laboratories provide performance testing of used oils, allowing you to learn more about the health of your engine. Blackstone Labs is one such provider, and they have a convenient mail-in kit that includes everything you need to submit an oil sample. They can also test gear oils, hydraulic fluids, and oils from your other vehicles or toys. Oil test results can tip you off to an accelerated wear condition inside of your engine long before any other symptoms show up. If you still want to know more about your engine, purchase an oil filter cutter and open the spent filter to look for evidence of contamination and metal dust or shavings.
Once you have inspected your spent oil and filter, set them aside for proper disposal. If you removed the drain screw to empty your oil, carefully reinstall the drain plug. The new oil filter should be removed from its package and the o-ring lubricated with a thin coat of fresh engine oil. Spin on the new oil filter and gently tighten to seat the o-ring without over-torquing.
Mercury Marine offers a wide assortment of engine oil – both in blend and viscosity. If you are uncertain as to which oil is best for your application, consult your owners’ manual. Loosen the yellow oil fill plug on the top of the engine and pour in fresh oil. We recommend adding slightly less than the stated capacity. With the engine trimmed down, check the oil level on the dipstick after allowing a few minutes for the oil to drain into the oil pan properly. Filling the oil to the lower level on the dipstick will help you to measure if the oil level changes over time with the engine in operation.
Engine oil selection is critical to long life, so review the information in your owner’s manual to make certain you are using the correct products. Not all TCW3 oils are formulated the same, and different Mercury models do prefer specific oils. Mercury Marine offers a wide assortment of engine oil – both in blend and additives. If you are uncertain exactly which oil is best for your application, consult your owner’s manual.
If you do locate contamination in the oil tank, use a vacuum extractor to pull the remaining oil out of the tank for proper disposal. While good quality two-stroke oil is certainly expensive, running contaminated oil can lead to catastrophic failure. If you have never cleaned the bottom of your tank, prepare to be surprised by what you find.
Several laboratories provide performance testing of used oils, allowing you to learn more about the health of your engine. Blackstone Labs is one such provider, and they have a convenient mail-in kit that includes everything you need to submit an oil sample. They can also test gear oils, hydraulic fluids, and oils from your other vehicles or toys. Oil test results can tip you off to an accelerated wear condition inside of your engine long before any other symptoms show up. If you still want to know more about your engine, purchase an oil filter cutter and open the spent filter to look for evidence of contamination and metal dust or shavings.
Cover it with Corrosion Guard. This rust inhibitor forms a water-resistant barrier on both painted and unpainted surfaces. We recommend using it at every service interval with a liberal application to all metal engine surfaces. You can also use it on outdrives, lower units, and power trim motors.
The marine environment is one of the harshest on the planet. This is why protecting your boat from corrosion is extremely important. For premium defense against rust, we highly recommend this product.
In order to maximize your engine’s performance, use this complete fuel treatment at every fill-up with any grade of gasoline. Quickare is an excellent defense against the problems associated with ethanol-blended fuels, including its corrosive effects on metals as well as the gum and varnish that result from fuel oxidation. See PartsVu’s Knowledge Center for our article on the problems of ethanol gasoline.
This product can also be used to clean up existing deposits in untreated fuel lines, tanks, carburetors, injectors, intake valves, and spark plugs. It will keep your fuel fresh for up to three months and can be used in all 2 and 4 cycle carbureted and fuel-injected gasoline engines. Use one ounce to treat every 10 gallons of fuel.
How do I check the hours on my Mercury outboard motor?
To access a Mercury outboard’s computer memory, you will need to visit an authorized Mercury outboard dealer. The dealer will have the necessary computer software and the cable to plug the shop’s laptop into your outboard.
A dealer might charge you for 30 minutes or so of labor to run a diagnostic scan, but if you are buying a used Mercury outboard motor, this investment is well worth it. However, if you are negotiating to buy the motor from a dealer, the dealer should be glad to give you a diagnostics report for no charge.
To access a Mercury outboard’s computer memory, you will need to visit an authorized Mercury outboard dealer. The dealer will have the necessary computer software and the cable to plug the shop’s laptop into your outboard.
A dealer might charge you for 30 minutes or so of labor to run a diagnostic scan, but if you are buying a used Mercury outboard, this investment is well worth it. However, if you are negotiating to buy the motor from a dealer, the dealer should be glad to give you a diagnostics report for no charge.
How many hours will a Mercury outboard last?
Why all of the discussion about Mercury outboard engine hours? The question of how many hours a Mercury outboard is expected to last is at the heart of the matter. Whether you are trying to plan how long before you probably have to buy a new outboard or working to determine the fair value for either a used outboard you are selling or considering purchasing, projecting how long engines last is critical.
The question of how long a Mercury outboard will last includes a lot of “it depends.” The reality is, a well-maintained Mercury outboard will last a long, long time. Also, even with proper maintenance, some types of engine usage are just harder on the engine. For example, if a Mercury outboard experiences long periods of wide-open throttle, extended periods of trolling, or load weight is commonly higher than recommended, service intervals need to be more frequent, and overall engine life will likely be shorter.
