2003 Dauntless New Owner

[MillieTheBoat]

Greetings all,

I've been lurking around this site since I got my first boat last year, a 2003 Dauntless 160 with a Mercury 115-HP. I'm also new to boating. The general use is taking the little ones around the harbors between Dana Point and Newport, California, and some fishing trip with buddies within five to ten miles off the California coast. Since I got the boat, I had a mobile marine mechanic do some basic services, such as changing the engine oil, lower unit service, spark plugs replacement, and fuel filter replacement. I also had my friend's buddy help with installing Raymarine SONAR. Also installed two new batteries and a battery switch, installed aftermarket live bait tank behind the built-in bait tank under the seat of the Dauntless.

I still have a problem with the boat's gauges. The [tachometer] always shows 1,000 RPM when the [engine] is turned off or idle. The pressure oil gauges are not working.

Also, shift to reverse is also a bit stiff.

The previous owner had the boat stored in the garage for almost two years. The conditions of the boat and gel coat is excellent. The engine looks clean. I don't know how many hours this Mercury 2003 has.

I read the Mercury Service Manual for this model year but it does not tell me when to replace parts due to age or tell me at [what interval of running hours] hours you need to replace [particular components] parts. Similar to a car maintenance schedules.

Should I bring this boat to a dealer for them to take a look and fix some of the above [convcerns]?

Or [should I] take time and learn how to do this myself?

For general boating, I've been reading Chapman Piloting and Seamanship 67th Edition for knowledge. What advice you have for newbie like me?

Thanks everyone in advance for reading my post. I am grateful for all the insights and especially Jim's time for creating this site.

MillieTheBoat

[Dutchman]

Re your question about the 115 HP Mercury engine: tell us a little more as to what specific model.

A dealer can do a computer check or diagnostic for $100, giving you a printout of total running hours and at which speeds. This is nice to know and enables you to determine what to do for your engine per the owner's manual.

You can do the rest yourself.

For [an outboard engine tachometer] to not return to zero is common. I assume it reads the correct engine speed when idling and running the engine.

As for the pressure gauge I don't know if this is electric or an oil line. If it is an oil line you might have an obstruction somewhere. If it is electronic it could be the sensor or the gauge itself, or a short.

Sitting for two years is never good especially when boat was used in a salty environment.

Hard shifting can be caused by not enough lubricant in either the shifter and throttle or the cables. You can try [loosening] it with some penetrating oil, but then lubricate with water resistant grease specifically made for that purpose. If that doesn't work search for "Teleflex" on the internet. Replace the cables: onexpensive solution compared to other boating expenses.

Great to hear you are using Chapman for your bible. Always think safety first and you'll have a lot of fun ahead of you.

[MillieTheBoat]

Thank you Mr. Dutchman for your response. I got the Mercury Service Manual the previous owner gave me with the boat and it shows 115 FOURSTROKE EFI, but I don't see the engine decal with that logo on the side.

When I was cruising at 19 to 20-nautical-miles-per-hour, the engine speed was [more than] 3000-RPM. I don't know if that is the correct RPM.

When I first got the boat last year, the marine tech told me he saw milky-color in the engine oil and thought there was leakage, but it turned out old oil from not in used.

I think I put only 20 hours since it was serviced last summer.

I will see if there is a local mobile mechanic who can read the hours off the engine so I don't have to pull the boat to the dealer or maybe do that in the winter.

Thanks again for the tips on Teleflex. I'll take a look at putting more oil in the cables first.

There is so much to learn and I am enjoying it.

[jimh]

Get the owner's manual for your Mercury outboard engine. The owner's manual is not the service manual. The owner's manual is provided with the engine and gives the owner-operator of the engine detailed advice on how to operate the engine and how to perform routine preventative maintenance.

The owner's manual will tell you what routine service procedures should be performed and at what intervals to perform them. Typically with a four-stroke-power-cycle engine you should change the engine lubricating oil at least annually, no matter how few hours the engine has been run that year. Typically the lubricating oil on a four-stroke-power-cycle outboard will be changed at the end of the season of use--assuming you are in a seasonal boating area.

There will also be a dozen or more routine procedures to follow, often mostly checking certain components to determine their wear and status.

Changing the lubricating oil can be a messy job. You may need to purchase some specialized tools to perform the work. The procedure should be described in the engine owner's manual. Be cautious changing the oil when the boat is in the water. Pollution of the water with old engine oil can be a serious environmental offense. Take precautions to prevent any oil getting into the water.

[jimh]

The remote controls for Mercury outboard engines are sold in several tiers of quality and price. It is common for the remote controls for Mercury engines to be quite stiff and difficult to operate, and for the shifting mechanism of the outboard engine gear case to be somewhat clunky when actuated. Shifting in and out of gear from NEUTRAL should be done only at engine idle speed. The shift lever should be moved quickly. Slow movement of the shift lever generally causes grinding or noisy shifting. The gear shifting mechanism and clutch of an older outboard engine is a very simple and somewhat brute-force mechanism, very different from a sophisticated transmission you are accustomed to with a vehicle.

The cables that connect the Mercury remote controls to the Mercury engine are sold in several tiers of quality and price. The better cables have very low stretch, lower friction, and smaller bend radius.

I would not invest in an upgrade to the remote controls or the cables. Generally the ones provided by Boston Whaler on their factory rigged boats are adequate. They typically are not TELEFLEX brand. Mercury uses their own brand of cables and remote controls.

Usually there is some mechanism for adjusting the friction and detent force on outboard engine remote controls. Those procedures are usually covered in the owner's manual or perhaps in a rigging manual. It may be possible to simply adjust the friction and detent to be more to your liking.

[jimh]

I am not aware that the engine control unit on a c.2003 Mercury 115-HP FOURSTROKE will be able to provide you with a comprehensive engine speed history. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to retrieve any data from a Mercury engine without using proprietary diagnostic tools available generally only to dealers and certified technicians. Before investing any money in hiring a dealer or technician to retrieve historical data from the engine, you should discover in advance just what data will be available. I would not pay hundreds of dollars just to discover the number of engine running hours.

[jimh]

Re the "oil pressure gauge': I suspect you may have a misunderstanding about what parameter this gauge is providing. It is extraordinarily uncommon for an outboard engine to be equipped with an oil pressure gauge. It is very common for an outboard engine to have a cooling water pressure gauge.

[MillieTheBoat]

Jim,

Thank you so much for your replies and advice. I just downloaded the Boston Whaler 160 Dauntless Owner's Manual. You are correct, the gauge I thought was oil gauge is actually an analog cooling water pressure gauge. I just found out that this is actually one of the most important indicators for the boat operator. I need to figure out why it is not working or have it fix by a professional.

Now I know why those grinding noises make when I shift slowly forward and backward because I was afraid of "hurting" the gear. I got startled a few times thinking the gear box might break because of the loud clunking noises. It does not happen when I shift quickly.

The boat is in the garage so I can work on it without making a lot of mess. I've been watching a few youtube videos on how to change oil, impellers and so on. I think with further reading, research, I can tackle these basic maintenance myself.

Thanks!

[jimh]

Most likely the hiring of a profession outboard engine technician will not be necessary to get the water pressure gauge to work. Typically those gauges are operated by a hose connection between the inlet port of the gauge and some outlet port on the engine cooling water supply.

The most common problem with these gauges are:

--the hose fell off the back of the gauge; the remedy is to reconnect the hose to the gauge;

--there is some blockage in the hose; the remedy is to disconnect the hose at both ends, drain any water in the hose, and use air to blow out any blockage;

--the hose fell off the outlet fitting on at the engine; the remedy is to reconnect the hose to the outlet fitting.

If the gauge is properly connected, there is no blockage, and no water pressure reading is seen, this may be evidence of a serious problem in the engine cooling system.

In most outboard engines the raw water cooling system has another outlet that directs some of the cooling water overboard, usually through a small orifice or nozzle, creating a spray stream. This is called a confidence stream or an overboard indicator, or by various vulgar terms related to urinating that I won't mention. If there is no flow on the overboard indicator, this is also a problem. Much like the pressure gauge, the problems are often related to a blockage in the hose connection between the engine and the nozzle, an obstruction in the nozzle from some small object coming out of the cooling system, or an obstruction in the nozzle outlet from some external object like a mud-wasp nest.

[GoldenDaze]

Hi Millie,

I have this exact same boat and engine, purchased new in 2003. While there are plenty of things in this world that I don't know about, after 13 years there are not many things about this boat that I don't know.

> Also installed two new batteries and a battery switch

Dang it, now I can no longer say "I have the world's only 16 foot boat with two batteries"! ;-)

The 2003 Mercury 115 4-stroke (model ELPT1154S) is a good solid motor, though not a torque superstar by any means. This engine uses a powerhead built by Yamaha, with accessories and a housing and lower unit from Mercury. It is fuel injected and in general seems to have few reported problems.

I have the owners manual (Mercury part number 90-10225030 302) and can look up anything you might need. I also have an aftermarket service manual, which is for both Yamaha and Mercury outboards across a wide range of sizes, and thus isn't always as useful as it might be.

The engine remote control for this boat is, as JimH suggests, not Teleflex but rather Mercury's own brand. If it's stiff, it probably needs to be lubricated at the engine end. There's a cam that rides in a slot on the end of the cable that can bind if not well-lubricated. In my experience the remote end of the cable is not a problem. Unlike a lot of designs, there is no neutral release button on this control; it will shift directly from neutral to forward or reverse without any button to press.

The biggest problem that I have had with the engine has been the steering cable binding at the engine over the winter. A few years ago I replaced the mechanical cable steering with a BayStar hydraulic system, which was a really nice improvement. I should have done it years ago. Which reminds me, I promised JimH a writeup on the procedure with pictures that I got halfway through and forgot about. Time to put that back on the to-do list.

My regular maintenance for this engine is:
Yearly:
1) Oil and filter change (Mobil M1-108 or Fram PH6607 or PH6017A)
2) Lower unit lube change
3) Fuel filter (the big canister filter in the aft bilge area, Quicksilver 35-802893Q))
4) Spark plugs (NGK LFR6A-11 or Autolite APP5325)
5) Fuel primer bulb (Mercury/Quicksilver brand only, 3/8", the others are in my experience junk)
6) Lube all electical connectors with WD-40

Every 2 years:
7) Fuel filter (the little paper cartridge on the engine, Quicksilver 881540)

Every 3 years:
8) Change the water pump impeller

Every 4 years:
9) Replace the battery (now that I switched to dual batteries I've relaxed on this a bit)

Longer but when needed due to condition:
10) Replace the fuel line from the tank to the filter and filter to engine

None of this work is particularly hard. If you're not mechanically-inclined, maybe you want to leave the water pump to a professional. In which case you probably don't need to do it every 3 years. Many people never replace it for the life of the engine, but that's just not me.

As far as I know there is no way to read engine hours or other detailed diagnostics from this engine, the electronics just aren't that advanced. But I've only had it professionally serviced once, so I could be wrong on that. It is normal for the engine to idle at around 700-750 RPM, and typical that the tachometer stays at that readout when the engine is turned off.

> Also, shift to reverse is also a bit stiff.

Somebody on this site once referred to this engine as shifting like a 1950s truck. I have to agree. Smooth it is definitely not. Do not try to gently ease this engine into gear, just push it in with a thunk. Again, lubricating the cables where they terminate in the engine should help.

> The pressure oil gauges are not working.

That gauge shows engine water pressure. There is a small 5/16" black polyurethane hose that comes off a fitting on the lower right side of the engine and goes with the control cables through the under-deck tunnel and terminates at the back of the gauge. I just replaced mine this year because it had deteriorated from sun, and even more from what I guess was mouse teeth. Stupid rodents. Others have reported that the hose is easily plugged up if you are running in salt water; I haven't experienced that but I could believe it. You might disconnect it on both ends and flush it out with a hose. The disconnect fittings are funny, very similar to SharkBite connectors for PEX plumbing. You push in on the ring on the back of the fitting and gently extract the hose. If you break the hose off you will have a heck of a time getting the broken piece of hose out of the fitting. Trust me on this.

I hope this info is useful to you. You can also find some posts on the old site that I made (under the name "Marlin" at the time) about propellers for this boat. In short, the 16" Vengeance that was standard is okay, but the boat really shines with a 17" four-blade Trophy Plus.

Good luck and enjoy, it's a great little boat!

-Bob

[GoldenDaze]

Here are a couple of photos of the engine control cables in the engine.

Here is where the cables enter the engine. Your shift and throttle control will be sloppy if the little plastic retaining block that the cables pass through is broken, I did need to replace mine at some point.



Here's where the throttle cable terminates in the engine. What you can't really see is the cam hidden behind the cable and intake manifold, but it's there and it needs to be lubed. So much for my comment about the cables not being Teleflex, eh?



Here's the interior of the shift control. You can lube it if you want to, but it's pretty complicated in here and looks really easy to break. I decided not to try anything further, and fortunately nothing further was needed.



-Bob

[GoldenDaze]

And for the record, the yellow line in this graph shows what your water pressure should look like at various engine speeds. If you're significantly below this, you have a problem and you should probably start by replacing your impeller (since you don't know whether it's ever been done before).



-Bob

[MillieTheBoat]

Jim and Bob,

Thank you both very much for your time responding to my posts and gave me those advice and pictures. I am very grateful. I will make sure I print your recommendations and put in my tools box. When I got the boat in June 2015, I had a friend's mobile marine mechanic serviced the boat. I put the boat overnight at Dana Point harbor in the parking lot and he serviced these items last year:

1. Replaced gear oil and gaskets in lower unit
2. Replaced impeller
3. Replaced spark plugs
4. Replaced fuel filter ( have to double check on this one). He mentioned the fuel was old and became a thin layer in the filter. I have no idea what that meant
5. I replaced the fuel/water separator filter Quicksilver 35-802893Q (July 2015)
6. Replaced engine oil and oil filter
7. Greased the steering cables

After the above services, I purchased a bottle of "MERCURY MARINE Quickleen Engine & Fuel System Cleaner" and filled the 45 gallon tank. It was running and engine died a few times when I put in Reverse. I think after I burned through 45 gallons of Costco 91 octane gas, I have not experience any more of this concern.

This is my first boat and steering her seems like driving a car without power steering. Now I know about the gear shift behavior so I am less worried. Also this is on my wish list for next upgrade. I could have read your other post about 13-3/4 x 17 Trophy Plus propeller upgrade and bring her on plane faster.

After every trip, I wash her down and the trailer with fresh water. Flush engine with fresh water while running for 2-3 minutes so no salt in the impeller. The tell-tale seems very good with spitting out water when I flush on land or when I cruise at 20 knots.

I will tackle this gauge concern this coming weekend.

Thanks
Mixa

[jimh]

GOLDENDAZE (Bob)--thanks for the highly informative comments on the boat and engine, and also for the great photographs.

[MillieTheBoat]

I can't wait until this weekend to take a look at the water pressure gauge so I took a picture of the boat. I found the hoses. One is sticking out from the engine end where you described but it does not have any hole! And it has all these grooves. I am not familiar with "Sharkbite" connectors. The other end is the hose and when I blew some air in it, i could hear sounds of water gargling. I've been wondering these 2 hoses since I got the boat and they're just there.

[GoldenDaze]

That hose coming out of the engine to the left of your photo is not the water pressure hose, that's the speedometer pitot hose. There's a pickup on the front of the lower unit that feeds this hose, the faster the boat goes the higher the pressure. But the 160 Dauntless does not have a speedometer in its instrument panel, so this hose is just capped off at the engine and goes nowhere.

The water pressure hose comes off the engine block low on the starboard side of the engine, and is the smallest of the hoses in the bundle coming out of the engine cowling. It is black polyurethane hose 3/16" interior, 5/16" exterior diameter.

The fitting I'm talking about is a "Legris" fitting, which you can see here: https://www.zoro.com/legris-male-connector-tube-516-pipe-14-pk10-3175-08-13/i/G2391401/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwnIm7BRDSs42KxLS8-6YBEiQAfDWP6Mh5x5fT7JuKioBWSYdk_KyZZL3q28Z36ST-Fn8vQAgaAnu78P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds. You simply push the hose into the back of the fitting (that is, into the right side in that photo) and little teeth inside the fitting catch the hose. To remove the hose, you must push in the back of the fitting (the little black ring on the right in this photo) and gently remove the hose. There is one of these fittings on the engine and another on the back of the water pressure gauge. You will need about 20 feet of tubing for this; I bought 15 feet (thinking "how much could I possibly need, it's only a 16 foot boat!") and it made it only to the floor inside the center console.

I'll see if I can get a photo of the fitting on the engine.

-Bob

[GoldenDaze]

It just so happens the boat is sitting in my yard right now, so it was easy to get pictures. For starters, pull off the cowling and look down on the starboard side near the oil dipstick.



Behind the dipstick you can see a little chrome fitting with a thin black tube coming out of it. That's the water pressure line. You can easily remove the small chrome fitting from the larger brass fitting that goes into the block. Once you've done that, push in on the back of the fitting (as you can see, the back ring on my fitting is not black like the vendor photo I linked to earlier) and gently remove the hose. I suppose you could even try this without removing the fitting, but there's not a lot of room to work in there.



Thread the new hose down around the bottom front of the engine and through the rubber grommet with all the rest of the hoses. You will need to peel up the rubber gasket on the lower cowling, then remove two 10mm (I think) bolts and remove the piece that covers the grommet (see my first picture above from the previous post about steering cables). Perfect time to lube your shift and throttle cables while you're at it.

I recommend connecting the new hose to the old so you can gently pull it through the under-deck rigging tunnel and into the center console. It's not hard if you're patient about it.

-Bob

[MillieTheBoat]

Hi Bob,

Thanks so much for taking the pictures and the instructions. I am thankful for that. Going to take the boat out this weekend since the weather is nice and warm here in Southern CA. I bought a grease gun and a 14oz of Quicksilver 2-4-c grease so it will keep me busy. I can't wait to find out what happened to the current hose now I know where the location is.

Mixa

[Pete Viking]

Welcome to boating. Welcome to owning a really good boat! Many people have had and will have maddening experiences with boats that cause them to post the for sale sign shortly after going broke trying to fix themselves or bringing to a dealer to get crushed by incredible part, diagnostic, 'guess' and labor fees... Whaler makes the best Hull. Congrats on your choice! Unfortunately, trailers and engines don't and won't match the quality and life span of a Whaler hull. If you own your Whaler for many years or you own an older Whaler that has an older motor or trailer... You will have replace and invest through rebuilding the old or buying new. Sad but true. I have been there. Recently. I too bought an older 2004 whaler that appeared in incredible, like new condition with the original engine that seemed sound and appeared in good working order. It did work well the first few times on the water...and then one problem after another... Repairs and expensive repairs! I spent over 2k and had many days on water ruined in less than one full 4 month season. I hated! That Engine! I will never own that brand of engine again. I researched and researched and then bought the engine that I feel, measures best the quality and longevity of the Whaler hull - because as nice as mechanics and boat dealers are... I don't want have to pay their repair and service fees and lose time on the water maintaining the 'relationship'. The least service and least expenses maintaining ...mean the most to me! Previously, I owned a 40 year old whaler for 25 of it's years and had to replace the engine and trailer(after throwing $$$ trying to fix what was not worth fixing). There comes a point when you have to replace, sell and cut losses or just walk away. Just like a car and truck. If it costs more to repair than it is worth or if you have already invested thousands and you still have a money pit... You have a big decision to make. You have an older motor of questionable quality and lifespan. You could choose to Trade it in,if you can or junk it and buy new or 'good' used so you are not in the same place again... Soon. Boat ownership is not cheap. Smart choices on your engine choice and your trailer will keep the money in your pocket and you on the water enjoying your boat with your family and friends. Again, congrats on picking the right, best built, longest lasting boat. The choice and $ spent moving that boat are now up to you. All engines are not built equally. Research the engine and manufacturers before buying. Then find and research the dealer of the type of engine you choose. Do not go to a dealer first and ask them. They will be glad to sell you what only they sell. Buyer beware. Who is profiting from their advice? My new engine has been flawless to date with 115 hours of quiet performance and dependability. I only pay for gas. Turn-key happiness every time and zero $ and time spent with mechanics which to me is priceless and well worth the investment and resale value. Happy Boston Whaler ownership to you.

[MillieTheBoat]

Hi Pete,

Thank you for taking the time writing back to my post and your advice. I am sorry to hear that you had bad experiences with your previous 90HP Saltwater Mercury. I would not want anyone to experience what you went through. Looks like your new Honda 90HP outboard serves you well. For my situation, I think the previous owner cared for the boat at some level. He was working at the marina and maybe got a good deal, used it and also stored it in his garage. I am not a mechanic and know nothing about marine engine but I am learning slowly and start taking care of things that I can do myself and learn from others here. It is the joy of working on things. But I know at some point call it quit when I can't figure things out.

I can not afford to bring in the boat to the dealer every time there is minor problems; therefore, I have established connections with a local mechanic to help me with some major work if needed. So far, this Mercury has served me well 1 season of ownership. I also have Boat US membership in case I need towing while disable near the coast. I also have a secondary 6HP outboard that the owner gave me. I see some pictures others use it as a secondary backup engine but I don't know how to mount it yet and maybe when I am more comfortable doing it alone or with a friend's help.

I will continue care for the engine base on the schedules I got from Bob and reading from others, at some point if the engine failed (depending on what failed) then I will look at the costs/benefits of replacing it with either a used newer model and make and also budget. Others have reported that Mercury engine could last for a long time. I could not imagine Boston Whaler would partnership with a manufacturer that could potential tainted their name. Honda is a good engine. Yamaha is also a good engine from what I learned that engine's power head was built by Yamaha.

Dealer is in business of making profits and kicks back from manufacturer. It is like me going to a restaurant and ask them if their food is good.

Thanks for the advice on the trailer too. I am also treating it with care. My next project is to change the bearings and grease all points that potentially fail due to salt water. It is quite a lot of work owning a boat like you said. Also, later project is to set up this boat up in case SHTF case scenario and bolt to a safe area. This is also another fun and expensive hobby.

Thanks
Mixa

[MillieTheBoat]

Quality of Mercury Marine outboards goes down? Some of these engines are new. My first car is a Honda, my current one is a Honda, my generator is a Honda. Looks like my next outboard is a Honda.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/boats/mercury.html

[Destin_Dauntless]

Hi folks. Just FYI, Brunswick Corp owns Boston Whaler, and a bunch of other brands, and also Mercury Marine, so it is no surprise that that a BW comes with a Mercury. I learn all of this since I bought my Dauntless 220 (year 2000) used in 2003.
My boat has spent its life in saltwater, and outside in the heat and cold for the 13 years I've owned it. Salt is hard on boats, engines, trailers and gear.

Thank god for the internet because I've learned everything about boats and engines from it, and books, etc. This has been my first and only boat/engine. I was actually looking online for a flush hose on my engine that broke this weekend, when I came across this thread.

I've read a lot of bad stuff about Mercury engines like my 200HP Optimax DFI, but I have to say, it has been a work horse and has not stranded me anywhere. I've had problems and problems, but I think with good maintenance it will run for a long time.

I can list the things I've had to repair if you want me to, or you can pickup my 26 year old son at a dock in Newport Beach and he can go over all the things I've taught him about that boat and engine since he was 13. :-)

PS, my Toyota cars are better than my Honda car.
I hear Yamaha boat engines are great too, but re-powering any engine is going to be expensive