Engine diagnostics

Most engine problems announce themselves the same few ways: it will not start, it starts and dies, it runs rough or loses power under load, or an alarm you cannot clear. The mistake that costs boaters the most money is skipping the diagnosis and going straight to parts — a new set of plugs and a fuel pump later, the fault is still there.

How a diagnosis actually works

We start with the story: when it last ran right, what changed, what fuel went in, what it does when you turn the key. Then the engine gets tested the way the manufacturer intends — compression, spark, fuel delivery and pressure, and a scan-tool session for anything with an ECU. Yamaha and Mercury diagnostics are done with the proper factory-level tools, not a guess and a parts catalogue.

Common South Florida culprits

Down here the usual suspects have a local flavor: ethanol fuel that sat through the summer and phase-separated, corroded connections a northern boat would never see, water in the fuel from a bad deck fill O-ring, and impellers cooked from running skinny water. We see these weekly and know the fast path to each.

What you get

A plain-language answer: what is wrong, what it will cost to fix, and whether it is worth fixing on an older engine. Nothing gets replaced until you have said yes to a number.

Mobile diagnostics across Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward County — at your dock, marina, or driveway. Often the fastest first step is a phone call: describe what the engine does and we can usually narrow it down before anyone rolls a truck.