Cold Weather (Freezing Temperature), Seasonal Storage, And Extended Storage; Seasonal Storage Instructions (Six Months Or Less) - Mercury TDI 3.0L Owner's Operation And Maintenance Manual

Section 5 - Storage

Cold Weather (Freezing Temperature), Seasonal Storage, and Extended Storage

IMPORTANT: Mercury Marine strongly recommends that this service be performed by a Mercury Diesel authorized repair
facility. Damage caused by freezing is not covered by the Mercury Marine Limited Warranty.
Water trapped in the seawater section of the cooling system can cause corrosion or freeze damage. Drain the seawater
section of the cooling system immediately after operation or before any length of storage in freezing temperatures. If the boat
is in the water, keep the seacock closed until restarting the engine to prevent water from flowing back into the cooling system.
If the boat is not fitted with a seacock, leave the water inlet hose disconnected and plugged.
NOTE: As a precautionary measure, attach a tag to the key switch or steering wheel of the boat reminding the operator to open
the seacock.
A boat is considered to be in storage whenever it is not in operation. The amount of time that the power package is not
operated may be for a brief period, such as during a day or overnight, for a season, or for an extended period of time. Certain
precautions and procedures must be observed to protect the power package from freeze damage, corrosion damage, or both
types of damage during storage.
Freeze damage can happen when water trapped in the seawater cooling system freezes. For example, after operating the
boat, exposure to freezing temperatures for even a brief period of time could result in freeze damage.
Corrosion damage is the result of saltwater, polluted water, or water with a high mineral content trapped in the seawater
cooling system. Saltwater should not stay in an engine's cooling system for even a brief storage time; drain and flush the
seawater cooling system after each outing.
NOTE: An engine flushing attachment accessory kit P/N 8M0117939 is available to provide easy and convenient flushing of the
seawater cooling system.
Cold weather operation refers to operating the boat whenever the possibility of freezing temperatures exists. Likewise, cold
weather (freezing temperature) storage refers to whenever the boat is not being operated and the possibility of freezing
temperatures exists. In such cases, the seawater section of the cooling system must be completely drained immediately after
operation.
Seasonal storage refers to when the boat is not being operated for a period of time not to exceed six months. The length of
time varies depending on the geographic location of the boat in storage. Seasonal storage precautions and procedures include
all of the steps for cold weather (freezing temperature) storage and some additional steps that must be taken when storage will
last longer than the short time of cold weather (freezing temperature) storage.
Extended storage means storage for a period of time exceeding six months. Extended storage precautions and procedures
include all of the steps for cold weather (freezing temperature) storage and seasonal storage plus some additional steps.
Refer to the specific procedures in this section related to the conditions and the length of storage for your application.

Seasonal Storage Instructions (Six Months or Less)

Without sufficient cooling water, the engine, the water pump, and other components will overheat and suffer damage. Provide
a sufficient supply of water to the water inlets during operation.
IMPORTANT: If the boat has already been removed from the water, supply a water source to the water inlet holes before
starting the engine.
1. Treat the fuel in the fuel tank with QuickGuard Diesel Fuel Treatment per instructions on the label.
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