Yamaha New Boat Orientation....Interesting Commentary

[Devildog]

Just picked up my 2016 Yamaha SX240 today. I got the 1 hour Yamaha orientation from one of the technicians at the dealer. He basically ran through all of the equipment, etc. along with a LOT of extra commentary. This technician said many things that I was not aware of and quite frankly, don't know if his guidacnce was good or not. He was a STRANGE character. Wanted to get your thoughts on a few things that he said:
1. You should leave your blower on at all times. I have never ever kept my blower on for more than 5-10 minutes after I started my old i/o engine.
2. You should turn all battery switches to the off position after docking and putting your boat away for the day.
3. Never wax your boat.....you should use Ducky spray to keep the bow/hull in good shape.
4. You should always add the Yamaha fuel additive when refueling.
5. An oil change should be done at the end of each season.

What do you think?

 

[subysti]

Yup. All makes sense. The blower part is optional but even your manual says to use the blower if your in no wake mode or slower. Fumes can still build up in the bilge if there is a fuel leak and with no air flow you could go boom. Battery switches off unless your in a wet slip, with switches off your bilge pump won't work. If you leave them on your navy lights will flash every couple minutes as it cycles the bilge pump. Could possibly draw the battery over a long time. Fuel additive is good just because boats tend to get more moisture in the fuel and always store your boat over the winter with fresh oil.

 

[4x15mph]

I don't think it is bad advice but I bet they sell duck spray, Yamaha fuel additive, and look forward to you showing up to have your oil changed. Great boat and definitely take good care of it.

 

[ToddW850]

Yeah, I was a little confused by #3. I wax my boat with McGuires.

 

[bumpy]

I got the 'blower always on' advice 20+ years ago when we got our first I/O, we wet slip and shut both batteries off (but I can see the boat from my couch), and I add Startron at every fueling. We have used Nu-Finish for our vehicles and boats for 12-14 years; no complaints yet! I change the oil in the spring, after I burn off the fogging oil.
With the I/O's, changing the lower unit oil in the fall would remove any water that could freeze and crack things, so changing engine oil then always seemed to make sense. Of course, water in the lower unit meant expensive repairs!

 

[Britboater]

Not bad advise, just a few points a little confusing, never wax?? There's nothing like a slippery, shiny boat .
As for the blower, I'm in the leave on for no wake speeds but above its off, it can be a little annoying so I do turn it off after 15 mins or so of no wake.

 

[BigN8]

I very rarely use my blower. Probably the only times I do is when I refuel. Even then I only run it for a few minutes

 

[JTC1016]

My orientation had iterations of most of those but not the wax thing. They recommended meguire's twice a season. They also just said to run the blower a few minutes before starting, but I've always just done it a few minutes before starting the first time of the day or after refuel when fumes are likely to have built up. They did say to add stabilizer to every tank but said stabil marine or 360 were just as good as Yamaha. Overall I was very impressed with the orientation at the dealership.

 

[Julian]

1. Blower---My preference is to have a fume detector with blower control. Then I use blowers on when I start the boat.
2. Batteries--Off when boat isn't in the water
3. Wax--Not sure why you wouldn't wax a boat....
4. Fuel Additive--not a bad idea, depends on how much you use the boat
5. Oil change annual-YES

 

[txav8r]

I get a kick out of the differences from one dealer to another. Guys, these folks have opinions just like us, and they don't tell you where the operational procedure stops and the "personal technique" starts. Every one of his recommendations are personal technique and not Yamaha recommended, nor are the jetboaters.net recommendations. Even in the manuals, it doesn't say to run the blower continuously, just for a few minutes before starting. If you go through your pre departure checks correctly, you won't even need the blower(s) except to make sure it works. Because opening the engine hatch for 4 or 5 minutes is the same, as you have ventilated the engine compartment. Using the blow becomes more of a need after the engines have been running and you only shut them down briefly, then you may indeed have built up fuel and exhaust vapors in the compartment. Batteries are certainly preference although I will tell you he is correct and you should kill all drain before leaving the boat for the day or night. Meaning, that if you dock somewhere for a few hours, you don't need to worry about them, if you leave for the night, shut them off. Exception to that is if your at the boat for the night, why would you? Wax is totally up to you, but once waxed you will always have to renew it. Yamaha specifies some good rules on fuel and it has been discussed here over and over. They spec using their Ring Free and a stabilizer. I say use an ethanol preventative fuel stabilizer even if you use ethanol free gas, because you may not get phase separation but you can get condensation, so keeping the water out of the fuel is important. I use Marine grade Stabil and Yamaha Ring Free. When to change your oil needs to be in conjunction with Yamaha recommendations in the service and owners manual, and when you do that is subject to your own climate and usage. For every argument that says "end of season", there is a counter argument that says leaving fresh oils over the storage period, will allow them to absorb moisture and not be as good come the new season. So it really boils down to personal preference. Because of this argument, I used to change mine beginning and end, and what a waste that was. I now change beginning of the season on the time basis or annually, whichever is most restrictive. If there is a need, liability wise, Yamaha posts it. There are a bunch of things not in the manual that are good ideas and we preach them as gospel here. I guess we are as guilty as the overzealous tech. To maintain your warranty, you must do at least the required items when required by Yamaha, not be the service department tech...but he may have some great ideas and good reasons behind it too. One thing that everyone should take into consideration is that we all don't use our boats the same. That in itself changes common practice, so common sense is good, but modify your plan by what works for you and what at the very least covers your butt with Yamaha. Here is a good checklist (attached below and created in Word), that you can modify to suit your own needs and model differences.

 

[4x15mph]

Because opening the engine hatch for 4 or 5 minutes is the same, as you have ventilated the engine compartment

Careful with this, fuel vapors have a heavier density than O2 so opening the hatch doesn't air out the vapors.

"Vapor density is the weight of a vapor relative to the weight of air.
The vapor density of natural gas causes it to be lighter than
air and will rise when exposed in the open. The vapor density of
gasoline is heavier than air and will seek low points when it is
exposed to the air."

Can't go wrong with running the blower unless you have a really good reason not to.

 

[Andy S]

Careful with this, fuel vapors have a heavier density than O2 so opening the hatch doesn't air out the vapors.

"Vapor density is the weight of a vapor relative to the weight of air.
The vapor density of natural gas causes it to be lighter than
air and will rise when exposed in the open. The vapor density of
gasoline is heavier than air and will seek low points when it is
exposed to the air."

Can't go wrong with running the blower unless you have a really good reason not to.

Exactly, that is why the blower suction hose goes down to the bottom of the engine compartment.

 

[Matt Phillips]

Good Advice Mel, I've used your checklist for years.

I'll also add a copy of my maintenance log to the discussion. I only kept info for 2015 as an example of the detail I keep in it. I find this helps me keep track of exactly when and how I've been doing maintenance.

 

[txav8r]

Careful with this, fuel vapors have a heavier density than O2 so opening the hatch doesn't air out the vapors.

"Vapor density is the weight of a vapor relative to the weight of air.
The vapor density of natural gas causes it to be lighter than
air and will rise when exposed in the open. The vapor density of
gasoline is heavier than air and will seek low points when it is
exposed to the air."

Can't go wrong with running the blower unless you have a really good reason not to.

If you read carefully, you will see where I mentioned having the engine hatch cover open for 4 or 5 minutes, this is very different than opening and closing. While it is open, you should be operating the blower to make sure it works, operating the bilge pump and listening for its buzz on and back off, checking the oil in each engine, and making sure your drains in the engine compartment are dry and secure, as well as a generally over all check. This was intended to add to a common sense approach, not to confuse, so it is a good point you make, as fuel vapors are indeed heavier than air and does sink, but it isn't so heavy that the blower or the hatch won't ventilate it given an appropriate amount of time. Here is a copy of the manual page from 2007-2009 AR/SR/SX230, and it is identical except for page number and placement in my 2012 AR/SX240 manual.

 

[BobJohnson]

Battery switches off unless your in a wet slip, with switches off your bilge pump won't work. If you leave them on your navy lights will flash every couple minutes as it cycles the bilge pump.

For those of you saying battery switches on to keep pump working, do you have float switches, which turn off when the battery is turned off? Just wondering.. My chaparral has a float switch for the bilge. It stays powered when we turn off the batteries. Withe the batteries off, the helm switch for the bilge is not powered. This is my first boat with a float switched bilge, so don't know if all are wired similar.

For the othe things, we run the blower about 5 minutes before starting out for the day or if we stop somewhere. After anchoring, I'll turn it on before I start to pull up the anchor, so it runs a while. I too have used nu-finish with good success. Marine staybil with every fill up. And for 25-30 years my dad changed boat oil in spring, so I have been doing it the same since I have owned a boat. 1/2 will do in fall. 1/2 will do in spring.

 

[Zarrella]

I agree with all of it except not waxing. I only use my blowers at startup and refueling. Come up with your own way of doing it and then it will become second nature to you.
Don't forget the plug!!

 

[Andy S]

For those of you saying battery switches on to keep pump working, do you have float switches, which turn off when the battery is turned off? Just wondering.. My chaparral has a float switch for the bilge. It stays powered when we turn off the batteries. Withe the batteries off, the helm switch for the bilge is not powered. This is my first boat with a float switched bilge, so don't know if all are wired similar.

The Yamaha's have an automatic bilge pump, no float switch. Automatic bilge pumps cycle for about 5 seconds every couple of minutes, if it senses water (increase in torque/current) then it runs until the torque/current drops and restarts the cycle. So if you leave the battery switch on and the dash bilge pump switch on, overtime it will drain your battery.

 

[Julian]

The Yamaha's have an automatic bilge pump, no float switch. Automatic bilge pumps cycle for about 5 seconds every couple of minutes, if it senses water (increase in torque/current) then it runs until the torque/current drops and restarts the cycle. So if you leave the battery switch on and the dash bilge pump switch on, overtime it will drain your battery.

And as someone who's tested this I can tell you that it will drain your battery (depending on its condition) somewhere between 2-3 weeks. At two weeks there was enough power to start my boat. But your results may vary depending on if you have other things drawing power (radios etc). This is why I have shore power set up for my boat in its slip. Boat in the water....power to the bilge....even on a lift!

 

[robert843]

Hmm the blower has me thrown. I'm similar to many others though all my I/O's and this boat so far I start the blower as soon as I get to the ramp then do final prep before launch and usually turn it off a few minutes after we leave the dock then I only use before starting the engine on the water and it goes back off a few minutes after that. I have not seen in my manual where it says to run the whole time but I have not seen where it say to turn it off either. I know my old Bayliner years ago the manual said to turn the blower off above idle speed.

 

[stever40]

I didn't get the fuel additive or blower speech. The rest I did.

I did buy a protection package which protects the interior and exterior for 5 years. If a seat gets a stain or exterior fades etc and it doesn't come out it gets corrected/replaced at zero cost. I was told not to wax.