The process of breaking in your specific Suzuki outboard motor is outlined in the Suzuki owner's manual, however, here are some quick pointers to get on the water and get boating.
Breaking in an outboard takes 10 hours, this is where you will get to know your Suzuki, you will never have to look back, because you will know that she is behind you all the way.
So why is the break-in period important?
- Breaking in your outboard ensures that you get the maximum lifespan and performance out of your outboard motor.
- Breaking in the outboard allows engine components to seat better thus they bed properly during this process without overstressing.
- You need to break your outboard in to maintain the warranty.
Hours 1 - 2
The first two hours are very important, let your outboard warm up for 5 minutes then idle it at the lowest gear speed for 15 minutes. From here you can operate it, staying at 3000rpm and less for the remaining time. You may occasionally exceed 3000rpm when getting on the plane but ensure that this is not exceeded too much and that the outboard is warm before attempting to increase the rpms.
Hour 3
Now in the third hour of operation, you can operate your outboard motor at 4000rpms. At this stage you should still avoid running the outboard at full throttle.
Hour 4 - 10
At this stage, you can operate your outboard at the desired speed. You can occasionally proceed to full throttle if the outboard is warm, but this should not be exceeded by 5 minutes at a time.
During this time, you will also get a good feel of how your boat handles in general and at the different speeds.
To get a more accurate indication it is advised to have your boat loaded as it will be during normal operation. For example: If the boat will be used for fishing, load your tackle and gear as this will add more weight to the vessel. This may include filling your live well to see what the impact of the extra weight will be.
Use premium fuel when running in your outboard to ensure a more efficient and consistent operational engine temperature.
Here are some things to keep in mind that will make your boating experience more enjoyable.
When you purchase your Suzuki outboard through one of the Suzuki Marine Authorized dealers, your dealer registers the outboard as sold to the customer on the Suzuki system. This only happens with the client gives consent to upload the client’s details on the Suzuki database keeping in mind POPI compliance.
The aim for Suzuki to have your contact details online is, not to spam you, but in case there is a product recall, Suzuki can easily contact the relevant product owners.
This will make it easy for you to monitor you outboard and to send information to your dealer about your outboard without having to take your outboard in!
With SDSM+, you can have a more satisfying boating / marine experiences than before. If your boat is equipped with the Suzuki Multi-Function Gauge, you can use this advanced app.
Familiarize yourself with your outboard and the important connections
There are basic connections that are very important to be aware off and to check on a regular basis. This will also make you more comfortable with operating your outboard when you understand how they work.
- Fuel connections
- Battery connections
- Propeller nuts
- Transom mount bolts and brackets
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