Why it’s important to keep you boat’s motor well maintained

Preserving the motor of your boat is key to fetching a good price should you ever decide to sell it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say – paying to have your engine fixed up is bound to be more expensive than simply keeping up with regular maintenance.

The closer your boat is to new condition, the more value it will hold. Keep your engine looking and running like it just came out of the showroom with these simple maintenance tips.

1. Flush with fresh water after every outing

The most important thing a boat owner can do to keep their engine in great condition is to flush it with fresh water after every outing. Saltwater is corrosive to the insides of an engine – if you don’t clean it out, it can quickly build up and potentially cause cooling problems.

Keeping your motor in good nick can maintain the value of your boat.

The procedure for doing this varies, depending on whether your motor is an inboard or an outboard, and sometimes on the specific model of the motor too. A garden hose with tap water will be all you need as a water source.

2. Check your oil

While two-stroke and four-stroke engines differ in how they use oil, both require their respective systems to be regularly serviced.

Two-stroke engines have an oil injection system. On occasion, you’ll also need to clean the the filter screen.

Unlike two-strokes, four-stroke engines use engine oil. Proper maintenance will require that you change the oil fairly regularly, as well as replacing the oil filter.

3. Manage your fuel system

Marine engines of today are not designed to run with fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol. If too much water gets into the fuel system, phase separation can occur. This is when the ethanol separates from the fuel and mixes with the water, creating a sludge that sinks to the bottom of the tank. Unfortunately, this sludge is noncombustible, so if it gets into the fuel system, it’s bad news for your engine’s health.

4. Clean and protect your cowl

Keeping your cowl looking good can be another way to preserve value. According to the common phrase, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – as it happens, many people do. In a buyer’s mind, the cowl can serve as a proxy for the condition of the motor. An owner that went to the effort of keeping their cowl in good condition very likely did the same for the rest of the engine.

This is, of course, not always going to be the case, but think of the alternative from the buyer’s perspective – a beat-up cowl might make you wonder how damaged the rest of the engine is. An easy way to keep your cowl in good nick is to wash it after every outing with soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth. Add a touch of wax for extra protection.

Keeping regular with your boat maintenance can fetch you a lot more coin when selling your boat. Much of the damage that can accrue to an engine if it’s neglected can’t be undone cheaply, so it’s far better to stop it before it happens.