Repair & maintenance guides
Plain-English, step by step, written for owners. Pick your engine to see the guides that apply to it.
6 of 509 guides
Electric Marine Toilet Troubleshooting: Won't Flush, Weak Flush, Won't Stop Filling
Electric and macerating marine heads fail in a handful of predictable ways. Work from the cheapest checks to the messiest ones to fix a toilet that won't run, flushes weakly, trips its breaker, keeps filling, loses or gains water in the bowl, or backs up, and learn what to keep out of it.
How to Do a Compression Test on an Outboard, Sterndrive, Inboard or PWC
A compression test tells you whether the pistons, rings, valves and head gasket in each cylinder are sealing. Learn when to do one, how to do it safely, how to read the numbers by comparing cylinders, and what a wet test and a leak-down test add.
Marine Stereo Troubleshooting: No Power, Lost Settings, No Sound or Bluetooth Trouble
Track down a boat stereo that won't turn on, forgets its presets, resets when the engine cranks, plays no sound or won't keep a Bluetooth connection. Work from the free checks (switches, resets, fuses) to voltage tests, speaker wiring, water damage and software updates before you buy a new unit.
No Spark - Safe Ignition Checks for Outboards, Sterndrives, Inboards and PWCs
Engine cranks but never fires, and you suspect the ignition? Work from the cheap, common causes (kill switch lanyard, key switch, plug wires and caps, plugs, battery) to a proper spark test, and learn what the stator, CDI and coils do and when it is time for a dealer.
Two-Stroke Smoking More Than Usual - Troubleshooting Guide
Tell normal two-stroke smoke from a warning sign, then work through the usual causes in order, from the oil mix and choke to spark plugs, oil injection, carburetor and overheating, and know when to shut down.
Where Is the Water in My Bilge Coming From? A Step-by-Step Leak Finder
Track down the source of water in your bilge, from the cheapest clues (when it appears, salt or fresh) to the usual suspects: rain and deck drains, the freshwater system, AC condensate, the shaft seal, raw-water hoses and through-hulls. Fix the leak instead of relying on the bilge pump.
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