The boat contains a Mercury 250, serial number
The boat and boat engine has been meticulously maintained,
and has extremely low hours, under 60.

During the life span of the boat, the initial power head
failed, which was replaced.

Immediately after warranty expired, the lower gears broke.
I was quite upset, however, paid to have the lower unit
replaced. One year later the second power head failed, the
drive shaft broke.

These major failures is beyond coincidence, and is reflective
of a faulty product. Especially one that has been
well maintained and has low usage. In a limited search for similar
boats with similar engines I came across, three different instances
where the 250 engine had a major failure and had to be replaced.

Same boat, same engine, similar failure, again this is beyond
coincidence and is indicative of systemic design and manufacturing
issues with this engine.

I called Mercury support center to obtain information on 250 failures
and how we could work together to resolve this issue. I was confronted
with hostile behavior and unwillingness to work together. I am
extremely
disappointed in the quality of the product and the quality
of support.

They won't return email.

Mercury should notify the public this engine is subjecting them to
undue
risk. People are at Sea and relying these parts, Mercury is responsible.

wrote in message
oups.com...

The boat contains a Mercury 250, serial number
The boat and boat engine has been meticulously maintained,
and has extremely low hours, under 60.

During the life span of the boat, the initial power head
failed, which was replaced.

Immediately after warranty expired, the lower gears broke.
I was quite upset, however, paid to have the lower unit
replaced. One year later the second power head failed, the
drive shaft broke.

These major failures is beyond coincidence, and is reflective
of a faulty product. Especially one that has been
well maintained and has low usage. In a limited search for similar
boats with similar engines I came across, three different instances
where the 250 engine had a major failure and had to be replaced.

Same boat, same engine, similar failure, again this is beyond
coincidence and is indicative of systemic design and manufacturing
issues with this engine.

I called Mercury support center to obtain information on 250 failures
and how we could work together to resolve this issue. I was confronted
with hostile behavior and unwillingness to work together. I am
extremely
disappointed in the quality of the product and the quality
of support.

They won't return email.

Mercury should notify the public this engine is subjecting them to
undue
risk. People are at Sea and relying these parts, Mercury is responsible.


At work we have a boat with the Merc 250's and have had similar problems.
Port side high idle and will not shift out of gear. Stb side broken lower
unit. Engines have less than 50 hours on them. The high idle and shift
problem was identified under a recall. The boat is registered to the shop
and we were not contacted about the recall.

wrote:


OK we better make sure we're on the same page because you don't
actually say the word "Optimax"; is it an Optimax???

This is a 250HP 3 ltr Merc outboard which is an Optimax???

If you answer yes then I'll have a go at explaining (again) why & how
your engine etc keeps failing, let us know??????

K


The boat contains a Mercury 250, serial number
The boat and boat engine has been meticulously maintained,
and has extremely low hours, under 60.


During the life span of the boat, the initial power head
failed, which was replaced.

Immediately after warranty expired, the lower gears broke.
I was quite upset, however, paid to have the lower unit
replaced. One year later the second power head failed, the
drive shaft broke.

These major failures is beyond coincidence, and is reflective
of a faulty product. Especially one that has been
well maintained and has low usage. In a limited search for similar
boats with similar engines I came across, three different instances
where the 250 engine had a major failure and had to be replaced.

Same boat, same engine, similar failure, again this is beyond
coincidence and is indicative of systemic design and manufacturing
issues with this engine.

I called Mercury support center to obtain information on 250 failures
and how we could work together to resolve this issue. I was confronted
with hostile behavior and unwillingness to work together. I am
extremely
disappointed in the quality of the product and the quality
of support.

They won't return email.

Mercury should notify the public this engine is subjecting them to
undue
risk. People are at Sea and relying these parts, Mercury is responsible.

Harry Krause wrote:
K. Smith wrote:

wrote:


OK we better make sure we're on the same page because you don't
actually say the word "Optimax"; is it an Optimax???

This is a 250HP 3 ltr Merc outboard which is an Optimax???

If you answer yes then I'll have a go at explaining (again) why &
how your engine etc keeps failing, let us know??????

K


Warning: Karen Smith of Australia doesn't know crap from shoe polish
when it comes to modern outboard engines, hasn't seen any, and has
never run any. It has been demonstrated over and over and over and over
ad nauseum that she doesn't know what the hell she is talking about when
it comes to these engines, even though she rants for thousands of words,
usually written so poorly that it is difficult at times to tell what she
means.

Caveat emptor.

Yet as always indeed if you buy Ficht Optimax or E-Tec particularly so.

As for the writing style don't worry Krause is just uneducated & can't
understand even the most basic of concepts.

K


& the Krause lie for the day is??........


For years this lying simpleton union organiser has denigrated the US
military in all ways.

He especially denigrates anyone who was in Vietnam because after all
"he" was against that war too.

It doesn't seem to occur to him that it's the same brave people he
denigrates that allow the likes of him to lie & BS their useless way
through life. The very same military that has prevented a repeat of 911
the worst atrocity in history??

Anyway this idiot as usual creates a lie so he can claim to have a
legitimate knowledge, he creates lies about boats he doesn't own, post s
false pics, even a jetski at one stage so he could pollute that NG for a
while.

For me it's his Vietnam lie that is especially offensive to all who
served & risked "their" lives to protect cowardly him & to those that
did much more than just risk their lives. A lowlife lying grub is our
Krause.


It's so much fun keeping pea-sized, right-wing "brains" spinning. You're
being far to analytical here, John. Just to make your day, not only was
I a civilian employee in SE Asia, it was in Vietnam, it was during the
war against Vietnam, I did see some horrific sights and I was working at
the time for a U.S. general. Is that straightforward enough for you,
John, or is your amoeba still chasing your synapse?

--
Email sent to is never read.

Harry Krause wrote:
K. Smith wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:

K. Smith wrote:

wrote:


OK we better make sure we're on the same page because you don't
actually say the word "Optimax"; is it an Optimax???

This is a 250HP 3 ltr Merc outboard which is an Optimax???

If you answer yes then I'll have a go at explaining (again) why
& how your engine etc keeps failing, let us know??????

K




Warning: Karen Smith of Australia doesn't know crap from shoe polish
when it comes to modern outboard engines, hasn't seen any, and has
never run any. It has been demonstrated over and over and over and
over ad nauseum that she doesn't know what the hell she is talking
about when it comes to these engines, even though she rants for
thousands of words, usually written so poorly that it is difficult at
times to tell what she means.

Caveat emptor.



Yet as always indeed if you buy Ficht Optimax or E-Tec
particularly so.

As for the writing style don't worry Krause is just uneducated &
can't understand even the most basic of concepts.

K



It's so easy to get you going, and every single time you get going, you
prove that you have transcended the lunatic fringe, Smith.

You have no pertinent formal education in combustion engines, you don't
work on them, you don't see them, you don't even operate them. The
diesel outboard you claim to have built is nothing more than a Japanese
diesel motor welded onto the most bloody awful looking lower unit in
creation, and I'll bet the package won't meet pollution standards in
Cherynoble. There's little more to it than slamming a lawnmower engine
onto an old Evunrude lower unit. Further, the old wreck of a boat you
have put it on looks like it last had maintenance in 1962. I especially
like that tale you tell of hauling around that piece of crap boat on a
trailer, along with a dock. You put that boat on a trailer and the
trailer bunks or rollers would punch through its rotten, waterlogged
bottom.


Dear dear dear smuckims you're off today, settle, settle or at least
learn to work a kill file, need help??? happy to assist????:-); you
can't expect your lies to be just accepted can you??? but why keep
deleting them???? what?? putting you hands over your eyes will make them
go away??? Now if you want to apologise for being a non boat owning liar
well we can talk, but till then........

So a bit jealous of others is our liar Krause??? Line up all those in
the NG or elsewhere actually:-) that can claim (& prove:-)) to have
actually designed & built their own OB engine???? any sort of fuel is OK
but if the line gets too long & rowdy we'll cut it down a little by
asking; only those who have designed & built "diesel" OBs over say
50HP???? Form an orderly line alphabetical by trade brand if you
like:-) now you blokes behave!!!, no pushing & shoving please:-)

Of course he has to criticise my lovely old boat because I actually
have a boat & ... well....... the liar has never had a boat & never will:-)


But, go ahead, rave on, especially with your thousand-word buffer dumps.
It must provide some relief from your day job as a go-fer.

I intend to but, lets make sure it's the lean mixture Optimax first
shall we??? I mean this bloke might be just a disgruntled racer or some
such & we must at least "appear" to be fair:-)

This isn't a magazine dreamer Gould article we're contemplating, this
is real stuff for real boaties:-)

K

& the Krause lie for the day is??........


For years this lying simpleton union organiser has denigrated the
US military in all ways.

He especially denigrates anyone who was in Vietnam because after
all "he" was against that war too.

It doesn't seem to occur to him that it's the same brave people he
denigrates that allow the likes of him to lie & BS their useless way
through life. The very same military that has prevented a repeat of 911
the worst atrocity in history??

Anyway this idiot as usual creates a lie so he can claim to have a
legitimate knowledge, he creates lies about boats he doesn't own, post s
false pics, even a jetski at one stage so he could pollute that NG for a
while.

For me it's his Vietnam lie that is especially offensive to all who
served & risked "their" lives to protect cowardly him & to those that
did much more than just risk their lives. A lowlife lying grub is our
Krause.


It's so much fun keeping pea-sized, right-wing "brains" spinning. You're
being far to analytical here, John. Just to make your day, not only was
I a civilian employee in SE Asia, it was in Vietnam, it was during the
war against Vietnam, I did see some horrific sights and I was working at
the time for a U.S. general. Is that straightforward enough for you,
John, or is your amoeba still chasing your synapse?

--
Email sent to is never read.

What I can't figure out if no one cares what Karen says, why do I keep
responding.


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
K. Smith wrote:
Harry Krause wrote:

K. Smith wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:

K. Smith wrote:

wrote:


OK we better make sure we're on the same page because you don't
actually say the word "Optimax"; is it an Optimax???

This is a 250HP 3 ltr Merc outboard which is an Optimax???

If you answer yes then I'll have a go at explaining (again) why &
how your engine etc keeps failing, let us know??????

K





Warning: Karen Smith of Australia doesn't know crap from shoe polish
when it comes to modern outboard engines, hasn't seen any, and has
never run any. It has been demonstrated over and over and over and
over ad nauseum that she doesn't know what the hell she is talking
about when it comes to these engines, even though she rants for
thousands of words, usually written so poorly that it is difficult at
times to tell what she means.

Caveat emptor.




Yet as always indeed if you buy Ficht Optimax or E-Tec particularly
so.

As for the writing style don't worry Krause is just uneducated &
can't understand even the most basic of concepts.

K



It's so easy to get you going, and every single time you get going, you
prove that you have transcended the lunatic fringe, Smith.

You have no pertinent formal education in combustion engines, you don't
work on them, you don't see them, you don't even operate them. The
diesel outboard you claim to have built is nothing more than a Japanese
diesel motor welded onto the most bloody awful looking lower unit in
creation, and I'll bet the package won't meet pollution standards in
Cherynoble. There's little more to it than slamming a lawnmower engine
onto an old Evunrude lower unit. Further, the old wreck of a boat you
have put it on looks like it last had maintenance in 1962. I especially
like that tale you tell of hauling around that piece of crap boat on a
trailer, along with a dock. You put that boat on a trailer and the
trailer bunks or rollers would punch through its rotten, waterlogged
bottom.


Dear dear dear smuckims you're off today, settle, settle or at least
learn to work a kill file, need help??? happy to assist????:-); you can't
expect your lies to be just accepted can you??? but why keep deleting
them????

I don't know what the hell you are raving about now, I don't care what you
post, and neither does anyone else with a working brain. You're the
three-bagger for whom the term was devised.

hkrause wrote:
What I can't figure out if no one cares what Karen says, why do I keep
responding.


Well I can help you with that parody Harry:-) He & the OMC dealers of
course went totally berserk when I told them & everyone else Ficht &
Opti wouldn't work & even explained why!!!

You well ask why a non boating lying grub like Krause would care???
Simple bent Soros (he's in the French courts for insider trading how's
that for a giggle the French!!! no less) had union pension fund money
$1.3 Bil of union pension fund money, Krause of course is a union thug,
so like the dealers & Chucky he didn't care what the truth was, all they
all wanted to do was spruik sales at the expense of real boaters.

Yes I know you're ashamed to even be a parody of such a grub?? don't
be, your parody lies are actually more believable than his!!!! Well done:-)


K


& the Krause lie for the day is??........


For years this lying simpleton union organiser has denigrated the
US military in all ways.

He especially denigrates anyone who was in Vietnam because after
all "he" was against that war too.

It doesn't seem to occur to him that it's the same brave people he
denigrates that allow the likes of him to lie & BS their useless way
through life. The very same military that has prevented a repeat of 911
the worst atrocity in history??

Anyway this idiot as usual creates a lie so he can claim to have a
legitimate knowledge, he creates lies about boats he doesn't own, post s
false pics, even a jetski at one stage so he could pollute that NG for a
while.

For me it's his Vietnam lie that is especially offensive to all who
served & risked "their" lives to protect cowardly him & to those that
did much more than just risk their lives. A lowlife lying grub is our
Krause.


It's so much fun keeping pea-sized, right-wing "brains" spinning. You're
being far to analytical here, John. Just to make your day, not only was
I a civilian employee in SE Asia, it was in Vietnam, it was during the
war against Vietnam, I did see some horrific sights and I was working at
the time for a U.S. general. Is that straightforward enough for you,
John, or is your amoeba still chasing your synapse?

--
Email sent to is never read.







"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

K. Smith wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:


K. Smith wrote:


Harry Krause wrote:


K. Smith wrote:


wrote:


OK we better make sure we're on the same page because you don't
actually say the word "Optimax"; is it an Optimax???

This is a 250HP 3 ltr Merc outboard which is an Optimax???

If you answer yes then I'll have a go at explaining (again) why &
how your engine etc keeps failing, let us know??????

K





Warning: Karen Smith of Australia doesn't know crap from shoe polish
when it comes to modern outboard engines, hasn't seen any, and has
never run any. It has been demonstrated over and over and over and
over ad nauseum that she doesn't know what the hell she is talking
about when it comes to these engines, even though she rants for
thousands of words, usually written so poorly that it is difficult at
times to tell what she means.

Caveat emptor.




Yet as always indeed if you buy Ficht Optimax or E-Tec particularly
so.

As for the writing style don't worry Krause is just uneducated &
can't understand even the most basic of concepts.

K



It's so easy to get you going, and every single time you get going, you
prove that you have transcended the lunatic fringe, Smith.

You have no pertinent formal education in combustion engines, you don't
work on them, you don't see them, you don't even operate them. The
diesel outboard you claim to have built is nothing more than a Japanese
diesel motor welded onto the most bloody awful looking lower unit in
creation, and I'll bet the package won't meet pollution standards in
Cherynoble. There's little more to it than slamming a lawnmower engine
onto an old Evunrude lower unit. Further, the old wreck of a boat you
have put it on looks like it last had maintenance in 1962. I especially
like that tale you tell of hauling around that piece of crap boat on a
trailer, along with a dock. You put that boat on a trailer and the
trailer bunks or rollers would punch through its rotten, waterlogged
bottom.


Dear dear dear smuckims you're off today, settle, settle or at least
learn to work a kill file, need help??? happy to assist????:-); you can't
expect your lies to be just accepted can you??? but why keep deleting
them????

I don't know what the hell you are raving about now, I don't care what you
post, and neither does anyone else with a working brain. You're the
three-bagger for whom the term was devised.

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 12:19:25 -0800, pm12801 wrote:


The boat contains a Mercury 250, serial number
The boat and boat engine has been meticulously maintained,
and has extremely low hours, under 60.


Well, mine's a BIT smallier: a 2005 9.9hp 40-stroke. I've had it in to two
different dealers four times, to fix some fairly simple but annoying
problems:
1. it doesn't start when cold "on idle" (ie the way it says in the manual)
2. it doesn't idle when cold
3. it vibrates a lot, esp. when in gear in idle (ie WAY more than the old
Johnson Seahorse it replaced)
4. There's a big "lag" as I throttle up out of idle.

Basically, I've been told "that's the way they're supposed to run" and I'm
SOL on getting it fixed. HOWEVER, I was also told by the mechanics that
the Solution to most of the problems is the Idle Mixture, which they're
NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO CHANGE!

It does have lots of power and abolutely NO smoke (don't give me any BS
about "newer" 2-strokes not smoking - I've seen them, and they smoke
koff!koff! )

Lloyd Sumpter
"The Tin Boat" Mirrocraft 12

Lloyd Sumpter wrote:

Well, mine's a BIT smallier: a 2005 9.9hp 40-stroke. I've had it in to two
different dealers four times, to fix some fairly simple but annoying
problems:
1. it doesn't start when cold "on idle" (ie the way it says in the manual)
2. it doesn't idle when cold
3. it vibrates a lot, esp. when in gear in idle (ie WAY more than the old
Johnson Seahorse it replaced)
4. There's a big "lag" as I throttle up out of idle.

Basically, I've been told "that's the way they're supposed to run" and I'm
SOL on getting it fixed. HOWEVER, I was also told by the mechanics that
the Solution to most of the problems is the Idle Mixture, which they're
NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO CHANGE!

There was a little metal cap epoxied over the idle mixture screw on my
Honda that the shop had no trouble removing with a bit of heat.
Apparently Big Brother hadn't gotten to them yet.

Have they determined that your choke is working right?

Is the idle speed correct?

good luck,
-rick-

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 20:47:52 -0800, -rick- wrote:

Lloyd Sumpter wrote:

Well, mine's a BIT smallier: a 2005 9.9hp 40-stroke. I've had it in to two
different dealers four times, to fix some fairly simple but annoying
problems:
1. it doesn't start when cold "on idle" (ie the way it says in the manual)
2. it doesn't idle when cold
3. it vibrates a lot, esp. when in gear in idle (ie WAY more than the old
Johnson Seahorse it replaced)
4. There's a big "lag" as I throttle up out of idle.

Basically, I've been told "that's the way they're supposed to run" and I'm
SOL on getting it fixed. HOWEVER, I was also told by the mechanics that
the Solution to most of the problems is the Idle Mixture, which they're
NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO CHANGE!

There was a little metal cap epoxied over the idle mixture screw on my
Honda that the shop had no trouble removing with a bit of heat.
Apparently Big Brother hadn't gotten to them yet.


The Merc had a brass cap screwed in, which would have to be drilled out.
They weren't willing to do that.

Have they determined that your choke is working right?


Funny thing is, the one mech at one dealer looked at it and determined
that the screw that's supposed to pick up the idle RPM when you pull out
the choke wasn't even touching anything. However, they didn't even change
THAT. (They did manage to hit the trim-tab so now it pulls HARD to stbd -
I lost my grip on the tiller and the boat turned so fast I almost fell
out!)

Is the idle speed correct?


Yes. They did mention that the prop was too steep and that would
contribute to the vibration, but they didn't change it.

Lloyd Sumpter
"The Tin Boat" Mirrocraft 12