Buying 2008 AR230 - quick inspection questions

[Brandon_SC]

I have decided to stick with conventional Yamalube for the oil in my SX230. It’s what has been used in it from its very beginning over 200hrs ago. I will also be using K&N oil filters for the ease of the welded nut on the end for ease of installation & removal. @grady dagenais You will want to make sure you warm up the engines and have them level on the trailer (or naturally in the water... that way you get an accurate oil level reading. You may already know this, but with these engines you can actually overfill them when they are cold... causing the oil to run into the air filters after getting hot.) just like @AZ Native said
*Edited to say Air and not oil filters

 

[Scottintexas]

when you change oil you can't get it all out so you're trying to replace what you take out and sometimes if you're at the bottom of the dipstick it will throw the code and as stated above, on the trailer you usually want it just at the low mark,

I try to make it a habit to check the oil level at the dock starting each trip,

 

[spatty99]

My $.02... when cold, the oil level should be between the low and halfway point. Then when it is hot the level rises to between the halfway point and full. I would not purposely keep it below the low level, especially for engines that can be put at such extreme levels of tilt during hard turns or rolling wave action.

 

[grady dagenais]

All - I appreciate all the feedback.
Hopefully it’s a combination of just being low, not empty, and tilt, etc.

I will clear the codes, go as planned with a partial change/new filters and get on the water and run them. Check the diagnostics, for leaks and do a full change for the season.

Will post back in 1-2 months weather dependant.

 

[scokill]

So what happens? You just don’t put enough in - 4.5l per motor? Or the low level switch trips and doesn’t reset?

Also recommendations for oil type/brand? Treatments?

It happens when you crank the engine for the first time after oil change and most likely it is a momentary loss of pressure due to the oil filter filling up.

 

[scokill]

Not sure. I got a warning about 450 hours ago. I just think it was a fluke.

I highly recommend running 10w-40 instead of 10w-30. I believe Yamaha updated it's recommendation to reflect that. When you run the MR-1's hard and get them hot you will get a low oil pressure alarm in the YDS at idle RPM's. It won't show on the dash or lock in a code. You just see it in real time or if you take a screen shot. That is why I went to 10w-40.

I always wondered about temperature. So doesn't the thermostat keep the temperature around 200 degrees? And if the engine in is sucking in 70-80 degree water wouldn't that keep it at a constant temperature controlled by the thermostat? When I drive the car it stays the same temperature regardless of speed or outside temperature. Granted you have a radiator, but the boat is in a giant radiator filled with constant temperature water. Just thinking....

 

[swatski]

I always wondered about temperature. So doesn't the thermostat keep the temperature around 200 degrees? And if the engine in is sucking in 70-80 degree water wouldn't that keep it at a constant temperature controlled by the thermostat? When I drive the car it stays the same temperature regardless of speed or outside temperature. Granted you have a radiator, but the boat is in a giant radiator filled with constant temperature water. Just thinking....

I think the problem is when you run hard and then stop, most people would keep the engines running for a while to help cooling after a WOT run, low RPM may not offer enough cooling water pushing through the engine cooling system. I find the "pisser" temp taken by hand to be a great indicator of when I can shut the engines off - water should no longer be scalding hot, at the least.
At WOT - cooling is at its most efficient and the temps are constant, and perfect. At least in the 1.8s that was recently demonstrated - @gmtech16450yz has shown that to be the case with his newly installed oil pressure/temp/whateverelse gauges.

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[scokill]

I think the problem is when you run hard and then stop, most people would keep the engines running for a while to help cooling after a WOT run, low RPM may not offer enough cooling water pushing through the engine cooling system. I find the "pisser" temp taken by hand to be a great indicator of when I can shut the engines off - water should no longer be scalding hot, at the least.
At WOT - cooling is at its most efficient and the temps are constant, and perfect. At least in the 1.8s that was recently demonstrated - @gmtech16450yz has shown that to be the case with his newly installed oil pressure/temp/whateverelse gauges.

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Very good point. I had not thought of that.