EdNewman

I need some advise if anyone has been through anything like this before. I listed my boat for sale with a dealer and left it with them over the winter. The boat is a 2003 with 525EFIs and only 70 hours on it. There were a few people interested and they demo'd the boat at least once, but it did not sell. Summer is hear so I asked them to prep it and I would pick it up for Memorial day. Things got busy at work so I teld them don't rush, just have it ready for the NYC poker run. They called me earlier this week and said they were having some problems with it. One of the engines was stalling and the alarm was going off. They asked me if I could help them troubleshoot it over the phone!?!? They are a Merc dealer so I told them to call Merc. I went to pick the boat up on Friday and found that they had not done a damn thing. The boat was disgusting dirty and had stains on the bottom like it had been left in the water for a week! It was after hours but one of the mechanics was there and he told me they could not figrue out the alarm, but it was fine to use and then he took off like a bat out of hell. I went to hook up the trailer and found the truck plug had been broken off. Not feeling comfortable at all, I looked at the engines. The oil cap would not come off the first one (strange) so I checked the second. The second engine looked fine, but the oil had not been changed as I had asked them to do so I went back to the first. I pulled hard and the cap came off and the oil was white mush!!! As my friend there said, the problem with the engine was obvious to a duck. Its blown, probably the head gasket. I left the boat and went home to drink myself silly. What do I do now? I have not spoken to them yet. There are about 5 hours of runtime on the boat since I left it with them in the fall and it was immaculate and running flawlessly at the time. Has anyone had an experience like this? The repairs will likely run $20-25k for a new longblock. I don't trust them to repair it and the boat will be worth less with a replacement motor than two sealed engines. HELP!!!

the duke

In the first place, you need to talk to the dealer before you do anything else.(and not a mechanic, the boss)

In the second place, milky oil does not mean that you have a blown engine. It can mean a lot of different things. and a blown motor is way way down the list.

You don't have enough info for yourself, or anyone on OSO to give you a more valid response.

EdNewman

I had been dealing with the sales manager, but apprently the mechanic who is new (only been there 2 months) is also the general manager! I am going to talk to them on Monday (and record the conversation).

Thick milk white oil is typical of water in the oil. Most likely the head gasket from my experience. I've been running hi-perf boats for a while and lost a motor to a head gasket a few years back (albeit at 700 hours not 70)

I guess what I am most interested in hearing is if anyone has had problems like this or damage while the boat was on consignment and what the dealers responsibility and reaction was.

f311fr1

Does it have Silent Choice or Captians Call exhaust? If so could they have run the boat @ speed with the cutouts through the prop?

CasinoRunner

Ed,
I think I know your boat and the dealer. I would suggest getting a Lawyer ASAP. What type of agreement did you have with them to sell the boat? Pull it out because your attorney may need it. That boat should be returned to you in the same condition it was when you left it at the establishment. The tricky part is wheather to get your boat out of there and mitigate the damages by bringing it to your own fix it place or leave it there and file a lawsuit.
I would get it out of there as soon as possible but document the damage before you leave. Get a vid camera and video the boat and engine at the property, record some taped phone conversations between you and them and let them do most of the talking you just ask the questions.

It's inevitable that your boat is going to need some major work. Get the boat to a reputable dealer who sells and fixes that brand boat. Get the estimate of repair and file suit. I wouldn't want them to fix it/damage it more.

Main thing to remember is to get the proof that they caused the damage and you should be fine.

dhlaw

You better speak to your attorney before you tape any converstations..... in many states its a felony.

ratman

that sounds like a nite mare, i hope you get it resolved. good luck, rm

dean51267

comperable deal for me cost $25K - lesson learned, know who has your boat, I mean REALLY know them, spend the $20 to get a Dunn and Bradstreet report, ask LOTS of questions from LOTS of people, and know price is GENERALLY inversely related to risk.

I feel for you man, but you are probably going to take a bath on this....

packinair

my understanding when I was a broker is that many agrements limit/exclude the dealer from liability for pretty much anything other than driving it aground or physical damage.. DHLAW??? true or false? plus how do you PROVE there was no issue before hand and they damaged the boat, yes you say it was fine but.........................

the duke

Yes, I know what white oil means. I've had it. the worst I had it, it was from an intake manifold gasket leak. Yes, I know a blown head gasket can cause it too. plus reversion, plus exhaust manifold leaks etc. I'm not trying to be smart, just trying to tell you not to assume the worst yet.

As others said, depends on what the contract says. unfortunatly, ifs its major damage, its unlikely that you will ever be able to prove that they did it, and that it was okay when you brought it there.

The scary part of this is that they told you that they couldn't figure out an alarm. The only alarms are low oil pressure , high water temp, and low drive fluid. If they didn't know that, you are in a bunch of trouble with a dealer that has never even read a Mercruiser owners manual before.