Q:We have a pontoon boat on a stretch of river that limits speed to no wake. Our motor is a
115-hp 4-stroke outboard, which is always running at idle. The only time we can speed up is when we
go upstream, but that only happens a few times a season. Our motor runs fine but stalls when we're
docking, more so this season. What can we do?
- Phil Maxton, Hawthorne, FL
A: Lots of idling can cause carbon deposits on spark plugs and injectors. Adding a fuel system cleaner such as Chevron's Techron® or Mercury Marine's Quickleen® will go a long way to keep your engine running properly. Follow the label instructions, but generally you add about an ounce for every 6 gallons of fuel.
Long periods of low speed use can also cause carbon buildup in the engine lube oil. It wouldn't be a bad idea to change the oil and filter every 50 hours of operation, instead of the 100 hours recommended. Switching to the more expensive synthetic oil wouldn't be money wasted over the long run.
Send your BoatCraft Q&A questions to Dave Brown c/o Boating World
, 2100 Powers Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339. You can also e-mail your questions to
editor@boatingworld.com. Due to the volume of inquiries, Dave Brown will be unable to answer every
question.