Kicker Motors/Warranty ?

[Ltrain]

Originally Posted by maya

the golden role is to always run it dry unless using it the next day, you can see here more info about it.

Your link is to a kayak buying guide

[Donscs]

I have a 2014 Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker and had problems with the carburetor. Had to have it serviced twice because the jets got gummed up from using gas with ethanol even though I used Stabil and Quick Clean 2. Mechanic said the jets are so small so they could meet EPA regulations or something like that. If I recall Mercury doesn’t warranty the fuel system because of all the crappy gas people can put in them. So I started using Marine Gas with no ethanol and Quick Clean 1 (which is much cheaper than Quick Clean 2) and haven’t had a problem in 4 years with the Carburetor.

Another issue which isn’t as costly is the engine likes to make oil. Apparently when trolling for long periods of time the gas somehow gets into the oil and it gets overfilled. I can always tell when I need to check the oil and usually end up changing it when the motor starts to act a little odd when trolling, i.e., idles higher than it normally does. Not a big deal, just change it in the middle of the season.

I always run the kicker hard after trolling and then disconnect the fuel line and run the motor out of gas.

Really wish Mercury had an EFI 9.9 Pro Kicker when I bought mine back in 2014. Even asked my mechanic if mine could be converted like they can with IO’s and Inboard engines. He kind of laughed and said no they redesigned parts of the motor and they don’t have any way to convert it. If they did I bet it would be very popular.
Donscs

[ABA]

I work for a dealership and wanted to point out a few things to clarify.

1) All Carbureted four strokes use fine needle jets to meet EPA standards. So changing brands won’t solve the issue of clogged needle jets.

2) Ethenol fuels are hard on outboards. Especially carbureted 4 strokes. It breaks down fuel lines, gas tanks , etc, and sends small particles into the fuel system. Ultimately clogging jets. Ethenol also pulls moisture into your fuel. When you leave this fuel in the float bowls it’s rusts and causes carb issues. This is why we suggest you to run the motors dry

If you can get Ethenol free fuel do so.

If you can’t then you should run Quick Care (or similar product) in every tank. This stabilizes your fuel and helps to reduce the effects of Ethenol. Quick Klean has a tiny amount of stabilizer but not enough to offset the effects of Ethenol. Don’t run Quick Klean in every tank run Quick Care instead. Quick Klean is best to run a couple times a season not in every tank.

Personally I put Quick care in every tank of gas regardless if it’s Ethenol free or not. I seem to foul less plugs when I do.

[ABA]

Originally Posted by Donscs

Another issue which isn’t as costly is the engine likes to make oil. Apparently when trolling for long periods of time the gas somehow gets into the oil and it gets overfilled. I can always tell when I need to check the oil and usually end up changing it when the motor starts to act a little odd when trolling, i.e., idles higher than it normally does. Not a big deal, just change it in the middle of the season.


Donscs

If your making oil you have an issue you need to diagnose. Making oil can cause engine damage as oil gets contaminated.

Most common causes of making oil are a blown intake gasket or a leaking carburetor. (Injector on EFI )

You should investigate and fix this issue before it causes more issues for you.