Evinrude 200hp E-tec - what does white smoke mean?

[Jonny2488]

I work for a dive centre running a 10m Humber with twin Evinrude 200's.

One of the engines has a lot of white smoke being emitted even when warm. Wondered if anyone knew what this might be a sign of???

Any help appreciated.

Cheers.

J.

[Screaming04]

White smoke is steam. Impeller change? Water intake obstruction? The electronics on those engines would tell you if there was an overheat problem. Usually it would be nothing to worry about but it's strange that one is doing it and not the other.

Are the telltales both flowing equally? It wouldn't hurt to check the impeller.

[Jonny2488]

Ah ok. That had crossed my mind but it is really dense and looks more like smoke than steam.

The telltale flows more strongly on the engine WITH the steam problem which also confused me.

Yeah I'm not worried from that point of view as I'm sure the electronics would make me aware of a problem before any serious damage occurs.

Water intake seems to be clear. Might give the impellor a check. Easy to find???

Thanks.

[gotchiguy]

Hi,

You might like to check out www.etecownersgroup.com. They're even more knowledgeable than us etec owners on here. Ours smokes a fair the whole time, and expecially when having been run hard for a while then slowed to idle. I don't think it's anything to worry about

[Jonny2488]

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

Hi,

You might like to check out www.etecownersgroup.com. They're even more knowledgeable than us etec owners on here. Ours smokes a fair the whole time, and expecially when having been run hard for a while then slowed to idle. I don't think it's anything to worry about

Thanks a lot for that. Will check it out.

J.

[Ian Austin]

Hi Jonny
Sounds like you might have a problem with water flow through the block, maybe salt build up, or thermostate fault most of the water from the impellor is trying to leave via the tell tail hense the rise in pressure.

HTH
Ian

[Jonny2488]

Thanks for that Ian.

You lost me at a rise in pressure?

[Ian Austin]

Jonny
Most of the water goes around the engine and out of the exhaust, (through the prop or the high level outlets) if you block these outlets the water has no where to go ( or through a very small hole ) so it will build up a back pressure, hense the rise in pressure and a stronger tell tail.

Do you opperate out of QAB ???

[Jonny2488]

Ah I see, that makes total sense. After all the tell tail is only an indication that the engine is being cooled. The tell tail on the other engine is much weaker.

Yes I do. Working for Plymouth Diving Centre. I see you're local.

J.

[Ian Austin]

Jonny
It is not an indication that the engine is being cooled, it indicates that there is water being pumped by the impellor and on most engines indicates that water has made t to the top of the engine.

I am a mobile marine engineer, i do work for Plymouth Power boat and many others in and around Plymouth.

[Jonny2488]

Thanks for explaining that, my knowledge of outboards isn't as good as it should be!

Are there any basic fixes I can do to rectify the problem??

Thanks.

J.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

my knowledge of outboards isn't as good as it should be!

Are there any basic fixes I can do to rectify the problem??

How about a course various people run them but Doug at Stormforce (who posts under that name here) would be worth a chat.

I work for a dive centre running a 10m Humber with twin Evinrude 200's.

Might give the impellor a check. Easy to find???

You lost me at a rise in pressure?

I don't know about your water pressure but I can feel Roguewave's blood pressure rising from here!

Yeah I'm not worried from that point of view as I'm sure the electronics would make me aware of a problem before any serious damage occurs.

you are placing an awful lot of reliance in some electronics and sensors! Still if you can afford not only to replace a dead engine but the downtime of doing without a boat if something is wrong then you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

I don't think it's anything to worry about

if one engine is doing it and the other is not - then clearly something is wrong. Might not be terminal and with a twin set up might not be life threatening - but it could be a little embarrassing if he has a boat load of clients and an engine dies at sea.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

Thanks for explaining that, my knowledge of outboards isn't as good as it should be!

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

Are there any basic fixes I can do to rectify the problem??

Jonny,

I would get an E-tec trained technician to check the engine, they can plug a laptop in and get a report that will show the temperature history for each engine and will be able to see straight away if you have anything to worry about.

E-tecs do steam quite a lot so it may well be nothing to worry about however I take on board your point about only one engine doing it.

Speak to Powertech Marine who are failry local to you and they can probably send someone out to check the motor is ok.

There is little you can do yourself without the diagnostic software other than the usual checks to make sure no debris in water intakes etc it may also be worth checking to see if the tell tale is blocked on the steamer as if it were partially blocked that could make it look like it is a faster flowing as it would be under more pressure.

You mention 200HP E-tecs are they the 2.6 litre small block versions or the larger big block versions (a model number from one of the engines would confirm this).

Chris

[Jonny2488]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I don't know about your water pressure but I can feel Roguewave's blood pressure rising from here!

If one engine is doing it and the other is not - then clearly something is wrong. Might not be terminal and with a twin set up might not be life threatening - but it could be a little embarrassing if he has a boat load of clients and an engine dies at sea.

Maybe Roguewave should go and see the Doc. Sadly, problems occur so often with this boat that the regular divers have learnt not to expect too much/be surprised when the boats not working!

I would get an E-tec trained technician to check the engine, they can plug a laptop in and get a report that will show the temperature history for each engine and will be able to see straight away if you have anything to worry about.

I have been trying to tell the centre to do that but it is costly, especially when the nearest ones are in Kingsbridge and charge travelling time!

There is little you can do yourself without the diagnostic software other than the usual checks to make sure no debris in water intakes etc it may also be worth checking to see if the tell tale is blocked on the steamer as if it were partially blocked that could make it look like it is a faster flowing as it would be under more pressure.

The centre has a palm top with the diagnostic software but it rarely works for some reason or another. Have tried sorting it myself but I only have so much patience for things that just simply won't work with no rhyme or reason.

You mention 200HP E-tecs are they the 2.6 litre small block versions or the larger big block versions (a model number from one of the engines would confirm this).

They are they 200 HO's. The larger 3.3 litre block versions I believe.

Thanks for everyone's help thus far.

Jonny.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

Maybe Roguewave should go and see the Doc. Sadly, problems occur so often with this boat that the regular divers have learnt not to expect too much/be surprised when the boats not working!

They must be delighted with this little advert you're giving them!

especially when the nearest ones are in Kingsbridge and charge travelling time!

a ridiculous practice, charging for spending their time helping you ; still that 1.5 hrs of travel time saved should mean there is about 0.5% of the replacement/repair cost still in the bank if it does seize! I guess this is why when people ask here which engine then the response back is often whoever has the best local dealership/support.

The centre has a palm top with the diagnostic software but it rarely works for some reason or another. Have tried sorting it myself but I only have so much patience for things that just simply won't work with no rhyme or reason.

I don't mean to offend but if your understanding of the cooling circuit on an o/board is at the level you described above then you might not be the best person to be debugging the software and hardware interface.

Sorry for being flippant but it doesn't sound like the centre have any interest in fixing their problem.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

The centre has a palm top with the diagnostic software but it rarely works for some reason or another.

That's because you cannot diagnose an Etec with the palmtop software. You must use the laptop version. Even then, you need the version of the Evinrude diagnostic software that is compatible with your engine. The software is backward compatible to older engines, but new engines are not compatible to older software. Knowing the model numbers of your engines would help. Saying that, there's not much that the software can tell you about the cooling system apart from head temps. Fitting a pressure gauge or N2K transducer (if you have an N2K network & I-command) would be more useful. Find another dealer quick

[Erin]

Excessive white smoke in the exhaust is normally a result of mositure in the fumes. This can be caused by cold damp climatic conditions, but can also be due to water getting in to the cylinders or exhaust circuit from a defective head gasket. If one does it and the other doesn't, then I'd have it checked by a mechanic.

[Chris]

Jonny,

What other problems have the engines had ? (might help explain the current issue)

How old are the engines and when were they last serviced. Also how many hours have they done, Who have you been using to get work done to them?

Chris

[Jonny2488]

Originally Posted by Polwart

They must be delighted with this little advert you're giving them!

I wish I could say it isn't common knowledge but unfortunately not.

a ridiculous practice, charging for spending their time helping you ; still that 1.5 hrs of travel time saved should mean there is about 0.5% of the replacement/repair cost still in the bank if it does seize!

Not a ridiculous practice, I agree, but charging full mechanic hourly wage is maybe a little steep. Especially seeing as I'm sure they have more return business from the centre than they do any other client. Maybe that's telling us something in itself.

I don't mean to offend but if your understanding of the cooling circuit on an o/board is at the level you described above then you might not be the best person to be debugging the software and hardware interface.

My point exactly, I haven't tried "debugging" anything. But to be fair, taken out of the context used above, the two aren't even remotely related. I could be a computer whiz and still know nothing about engines. Unfortunately I'm not.

Sorry for being flippant but it doesn't sound like the centre have any interest in fixing their problem.

Exactly. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Pikey Dave & Erin, thanks for your input.

Chris, unfortunately the list of other problems is too long. But a brief snippet would include, gearbox replacement, injectors being replaced on a regular basis, oil and fuel filters (as expected), also various pumps and sensors needing replacement etc. etc. I can't remember when the engines were last serviced, October maybe?

It's all quite confusing and I don't know the exact details but when the centre took over the boat they used some parts from the old 175's that were fitted before to create 200's that are what's now on the back. I would have to say 2004 engines probably. No idea of the hours either "a lot" would be the short answer.

Jonny.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

It's all quite confusing and I don't know the exact details but when the centre took over the boat they used some parts from the old 175's that were fitted before to create 200's that are what's now on the back. I would have to say 2004 engines probably. No idea of the hours either "a lot" would be the short answer.Jonny.

I am not sure what they would have done to mix and match the 175 with the 200HO. They are two very different engines.

If they are 200HO's then they will have proper telltales as opposed to the low pressure waterstreams out of the small block version. It might be worth checking the telltale is not partially blocked on the engine with a higher pressure stream. Use a paperclip to see if there is any debris in teh nozzle.

Otherwise if you want the software that will allow you to connect a laptop to the engine you can find it here for download,

http://cid-41ff5d8a14ba2c84.office.l...lic/EV%20Diags

you need to download both files and run the 2012 one first followed by the update to get the latest version.

You will then need a cable to connet a laptop to the engine. which you can find here... eBay

This will allow you to run reports like the one below that I took from my engine. As you can see it will give you a detailed history of the engine and the temperatures it has been running at. If there is nothing untoward then seeing as you are not keen to get a tech to check the engine over I would run it as is and keep an eye on things.