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Posts: 192
| I have a 2007 150 HP Optimax. Had it out for the first time this year last weekend and it ran really sluggishly. Normally my boat will run in the low fifties but last weekend top end was only around forty. Hole shot was also terrible, took for ever to getup on plane.
Last three or four times I had it out last year was around Thanksgiving, which were all trolling trips.
Over the winter the boat was kept in my garage and I live in southern Indiana, so it wasn't exposed to any really cold weather. I keep it this way every winter and usually never have any trouble. After the last trip last fall I topped off the tank with premium gas and added the marine formula Sta-bil.
Any ideas about what is wrong?
Edited by LarryO 5/12/2013 9:28 AM
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Posts: 559
| Same thing happened with mine last Oct. I changed the plugs and all is good. |
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Posts: 192
| That was my first thought but that answer seemed too easy and I wanted to make sure before I ran out and bought six of them at $20 or $25 each. |
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Posts: 559
| I guess I did not put new plugs in . I had buddy clean them with a bead blaster and they look and work like new. I did find some plugs on ebay for around $12 a plug. The price of these plugs is crazy. |
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Posts: 163
Location: lake st clair michigan | if they are ngk plugs call your local auto parts store...advance auto had them last year for the 200 opti for 12.00 each same exact ones the dealer had for 23.00 and they were in stock |
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Posts: 410
Location: one foot over the line | I'm fairly certain that mercury recomends running an 87 octane gas, which i do and also "sea-foam" with every tank. |
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | Try new plugs, I wouldn't try cleaning Iridium plugs. If that doesn't fix it you will need to have the air and fuel pressures checked, along with computer history. |
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Posts: 1042
| I had that happen to me with my 2007 150 Optimax. Ended up being the power heads and not the plugs. Dealer (MW) replaced them and it was covered under warranty. The plugs for that thing weren't cheap, so I'd probably pull it to a dealer and have them check it out before you put money into the plugs.
But yah, what you are describing is exactly what happened to me. Slow hole shot and no top end speed. 100% thought it was plugs, but I was wrong. |
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | One quick note on buying plugs at auto parts store, if purchased from a Mercury dealer who is getting them from Mercury the plug is covered by a 1 year warranty. Most autoparts stores offer no warranty on spark plugs. |
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Posts: 163
Location: lake st clair michigan | lifetime warranty from advance auto parts |
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Posts: 192
| vegas492 - 5/13/2013 11:19 AM
I had that happen to me with my 2007 150 Optimax. Ended up being the power heads and not the plugs. Dealer (MW) replaced them and it was covered under warranty. The plugs for that thing weren't cheap, so I'd probably pull it to a dealer and have them check it out before you put money into the plugs.
But yah, what you are describing is exactly what happened to me. Slow hole shot and no top end speed. 100% thought it was plugs, but I was wrong.
I sure hope it isn't a power head, my special 5 year warranty deal has expired. |
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Posts: 192
| Long story but I just last weekend got a chance to deal with this. I put new spark plugs in and it ran like a champ. The old plugs were really trashed. The last three times out last fall were all trolling trips and I had the problem the next time I was on the water. I've been told that they fixed the low trolling speed issues but doesn't seem so in my case. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | That's why Mercury builds the Pro Kicker.  |
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Posts: 5874
| When was the last time you changed the plugs? Or even checked them? I ran my 135 Opti plugs for 2 seasons and changed them. My 200 went 4 years before I changed them. But I always checked them all at the end of the year. |
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Posts: 437
| Or you could trade that Merc for a Suzuki and troll to your heart's content and never need a kicker.  |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Not me. if I want a four stroke, I'll buy a Merc. The new 150 Merc 4 stroke is a really impressive engine. |
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Posts: 437
| If the new 150 Merc is half as good as my 150 zook it will be good. Thats how impressed I am with it. I was getting more speed from my boat than a buddy with a smaller lighter boat and he had a 200 Yamaha. Plus I used 10 gallons less gas on the same trip and I ran around way more than he did.
They are all good motors these days compared to only 10 years ago even.
The bad thing about that new Merc is it comes with all those people. The boat will get crowded. |
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Posts: 192
| Shep - 7/2/2013 7:45 AM
When was the last time you changed the plugs? Or even checked them? I ran my 135 Opti plugs for 2 seasons and changed them. My 200 went 4 years before I changed them. But I always checked them all at the end of the year.
I take my boat in for a full service including new plugs every other year. I usually only fish 20 to 25 days per year and of those only 3 or 4 would be trolling trips, always in late fall.
My boat is garage kept and I live south of most of you so I don't do the winterizing you guys do. This year for the first time I used the marine formula stabil but I'm not ready to blame my problem on that. |
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Posts: 5874
| Just wondering. I've heard a tank of bad fuel can mess up plugs, too.
I never trolled with my Opti's.
Funny Captain compares his Suzi speed to a Yamaha, but not a Merc. Always said Yamaha's were slow. But do agree they all make much better motors these days.
Edited by Shep 7/3/2013 8:05 AM
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Posts: 437
| Shep - 7/3/2013 8:03 AM
Funny Captain compares his Suzi speed to a Yamaha, but not a Merc. Always said Yamaha's were slow. But do agree they all make much better motors these days. If there would have been a mercury on his boat I would have compared it. It was in the shop for new plugs.
In all seriousness though, regarding bad fuel ie water, it can absolutely foul up plugs, your fuel system (injectors, etc).
If you do not have a fuel/water separator you are bound for trouble at some point. And I am not talking about that chinsy little cup that comes "standard" on some motors, a real bonafide external fuel water separator.
You will be amazed the amount of water that you have in your fuel. |
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Posts: 5874
| Agreed on running an external water/fuel separator. The one that comes on the Opti's works, but it's money well spent to add the external. Especially if you're running a kicker, you'll have another port to run a fuel line and bulb to it. |
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Posts: 437
| Shep - 7/3/2013 8:25 AM
Especially if you're running a kicker, you'll have another port to run a fuel line and bulb to it. Right, that is a very nice feature. Forgot about that... |
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