Service Costs

[Mindi]

Choosing motor to drive upcoming 5 m Platey CC and looking at the inline 3s..Opti 75, Exxx 75, Suzuki 70 or 90... havent got buy prices yet but dealer quoted service costs are interesting. The Suzuki is $369 annually, the Optimax is $565 annually, and the Exxx nil. The Opti has to have a new impeller every year to hold the 5 yr warranty....I reckon thats crap but thats what the dealer says...
So over the first three years the service costs are Opti $1700, Suzi $1000 and Exxx $0. .....cant see $100 worth of synthetic oil and a bit more fuel costing that much...? NOT trying to start another Exxx nonsense thread...starting from the position that they are all good motors which they are...but the cost of ownership is the real thing to look at.
Exactly what is being done at an annual service beyond changing the gearcase oil, hitting some grease points and changing the plugs and filters..?
The problem here looks like the car industry where margins are so poor that they have to generate revenue from service.

[lethal098]

mindi, in the 4 stroke engines they change the engine oil, most of the manufacturers use synthetic oil which tends to drag the price up a little. you will prob start another 2 stroke vs 4 stroke war here so you can be assured you will see many more posts, best thing i can suggest is try to find a few guys on here that are willing to take you for a spin and see the difference in the engines. each of the engines have their highs and lows. for mine i wont go past the 2 stroke just because of maintenance. if you are reasonablt mechanically minded you can do the lot yourself pretty easily. most of the costs you see in the servicing prob does not include spark plugs as they are platinum and they tend to hit you with those during if not included, i had a 100 hour service on my di evinrude and they rang me during and hit me for another $90 worth of plugs, ever since i do it all myself, much easier. cheers lethal

[Mindi]

Couldnt agree more Lethal..platinum plugs are $29 so $90 for 3 was a fair cop. I dont care if the silly Etec vs 4 stroke discussion starts again, it can happen without me. I would actually like a 4 stroke for the quiet and economy but if the numbers are just not there then I will probably go the way you have...at least boat dealers will tell you service costs..try getting reliable info on that when buying a new car. Good luck..!..I am totally up for servicing myself, including spending $50 on a tool to fill gearcase and then do it annually rather than wait three years.

[disorderly]

you will prob start another 2 stroke vs 4 stroke war here so you can be assured you will see many more posts, cheers lethal

I really hope it doesn't degenerate into that.
It's a very interesting topic.....and as we all know ...some blokes want a 2 stroke and some want a four...there are advantages and disadvantages of both depending on how you ultimately end up using them.

This could be a very useful thread if we could be honest and forget the brand loyalty crap.

BTW,Was there a recommendation on when to change the waterpump/impellor on the suzi?
I also looked at the Opti but besides the extra 20 kg's it carried, the annual servicing cost's of a the opti were of concern...To be totally honest the servicing costs of my E-Tec worry me a bit because they really have you over a barrel due to the complexity of the electronics and the lack of alternatives if you need someone to take a look at them - but at least with mine( 2 years down the track) It's cost me nothing to service,so far, and I can take it in and have the dealer hookup the laptop from time to time just for peace of mind..

Scott

[Mindi]

Well its going to be pretty hard for anyone to beat zero in 2 years Scott.... sure service costs arent all of it, and no there was no mention of Suzi impeller so I dont expect that was included....of course there could end up being significant purchase cost differences...? depends on tthe deal and the timing.

[Greg P]

Impellers are checked every 2nd 100 hr service on the zukes (at least the DF150) and replaced if required. Leg oil is changed every 100.

[lethal098]

mindi, i work in a car dealership and all you need to do is ask for the service costs, it is the dealers responsibility to inform you of all the costs that are involved, the only thing you cant quote on in extras that may pop up. hope you find the information you need. cheers lethal