Water in my oil

[Spike]

Would like to hear peoples thoughts about this. I have a 07 22' CD cruiser with a 90hp Merc EFI 4 stroke. At about 17 hours on it I noticed a small (1/8 ounce or so) amount of water in the engine crankcase oil. Well I got right on the phone to the dealer, Lake Union Sea Ray in Fife. They had me bring it right in. After pressure testing it and what ever else they did and consulting with Merc factory They determinded that I had a bad thermastat and the engine was not reaching correct operating temp and the water is condensation buildup. they replaced the unit, but after 6 more hours on the engine I am still finding traces of water in the oil. I was also told that because of the design of these engines, the sump is low and in most cases below the water line that they are prone to condensation. Well I am not sure I buy that. A part of me feels like maybe I'm getting the bums rush. But I do have the extended warranty. other than that the boat/motor runs great. Any ideas?

Chuck & Kathy
Bootleg Hooch

[Coastie Dory]

Hi Chuck,

I regularly see small amounts of water in the oil on both Honda and Mercury 4 stroke outboards when I change the oil. I am assuming you found this when you removed the drain plug. It is indeed condensation caused by cold water temps and the fact that the "sump" is surrounded by cool water. I have never seen any evidence of water on the dipstick or under the oil fill cap. The oil sumps are so deep (unlike a car) that the small amount of condensation just lays on the bottom to scare the bejesus out of you when you pull the plug! There really is no emulsification to speak of, just an ounce or so of water followed by clean oil.

If this is your situation I would not worry about it. You should have at least a 3 year warranty or as much as 6 depending on when you bought your engine. You did the right thing by documenting your concern with your dealer.

Enjoy your new boat!

Randy Sheehy