To change or not to change??

[Nate Fallow]

So I recently bought my 212x off of a private seller (Great guy, went to his house, met the family, I have no reason to doubt any information I received from him about the boat) and he told me that he changed the oil at the beginning of last season and put 6 hours on the boat since the oil change (hence why he sold it). Now I ordered the oil change kits and planned on doing it anyhow just because it has been about a year but I just looked a the dipsticks and the oil is as clear as when it went in from the bottle....So I guess I'm looking for a quick bit of advice on what to do....Thanks!

 

[biffdotorg]

I'm in the same situation. The kits are sitting there waiting.

I plan on doing it this fall and save the cost. Let's be real, we all change our oil annually as it is not expensive, and it makes sense to remove contaminates annually before storage. But one year old oil and filter is not going to kill these engines, or cause such an adverse effect as to cause loss of performance or damage.

I was more worried about the "I just don't know how it was maintained" prior factor. Did the previous owner ever change oil? Or, why did they buy the kits and spark plugs and not put them in? Or did they realize they needed a pump and some simple tools? That's what bugged me. If it bugs you, do it. But don't do it for the oil's sake, as it will probably be fine.

Now watch me have some catastrophic oil related failure this summer and eat my words. As Yamaha even states, there really are no Catastrophic oil related failures other than running them with no oil.

Check this out, Yamaha started a new warranty on their sleds this past year. If you change your oil with Yamalube, they will warranty the engine for life against "oil related catastrophic failure" Read into that what you will.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

oil does not go bad it only gets dirty so don't change it now the oil filters is a different story especially if you boat in salt water , the base of the filters where they are crimped will RUST from sitting and if the filter blows out you could damage your engine if you don't realize it immediately so check the condition of your oil filters, some dealers put grease on that location of the filter for that reason. I use aluminum tape and cover the filter to protect it from salt water exposure.

 

[Shannon]

Since the oil is clean I would just hold up and do it in the fall. Sounds like your gut told you he was honest and a good guy. I think you will be ok.. I would also change the plugs when you do the oil. Best of luck with your new ride!

 

[buckbuck]

The hardest part of an oil change is the filter and the mess it makes in the bilge. You could just leave the filter and change the oil. I personally would do neither and get that thing on the water and play with the family. The seasons will change one day and you can change the oil then.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Filters are pretty simple to do and placing a chemical towel under it before removing it works fine also a plastic bag under the towel will serve you well.

 

[fireflymedic]

Just make sure you check the oil after first use make sure it is still just as clear just in case for some reason it had a lot of condensation and had water at bottom of pan.

 

[Beachbummer]

a Dollar store aluminum tray does wonders during filter change, and can be folded in to remove. Towel below, aluminum tray on top...minimal spill.

 

[scokill]

The hardest part of an oil change is the filter and the mess it makes in the bilge. You could just leave the filter and change the oil. I personally would do neither and get that thing on the water and play with the family. The seasons will change one day and you can change the oil then.

I use large incontinent pads from walgreens, cvs, etc. and no mess whatsoever.