Oil for Mercury OptiMax: Using Evinrude XD100

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Author Topic:   Oil for Mercury OptiMax: Using Evinrude XD100

gvisko posted 08-22-2014 01:23 PM ET (US)
I have four gallons of Evinrude XD100 oil leftover. Would it be ok to use this oil in a Mercury OptiMax? Or, should just sell it and get [another] oil? I just sold my 17 OUTRAGE II with an E-TEC, and I just purchased a 2001 23 OUTRAGE with twin Mercury OptiMax 135-HP outboard engines.
Ridge Runner posted 08-23-2014 08:53 AM ET (US)
I would think that since Mercury is okay with running a TC-W3 oil in Optimax engines, and that BRP is okay with running XD100 in the XD50 mode, using the XD-100 full synthetic oil in your Opitmax would be fine. Some E-TEC owners run XD100 in the XD50 mode because of the perceived extra protection. I also believe that in the E-TEC 150 H.O. there is no option to run in the lower consumption XD-100 mode, but XD-100 oil is recommended.
jimh posted 08-25-2014 10:13 PM ET (US)
The Evinrude XD100 oil is probably not certified by Mercury for use in an OptiMax.
JTC posted 09-04-2014 11:20 PM ET (US)
I've had both Optimax and ETEC (still have the ETEC), and from what I understand of the motors, I would not risk putting the XD100 oil into an Optimax. May be OK, but why take the chance?
Teak Oil posted 09-05-2014 12:24 PM ET (US)
If the Opti is certified for synthetic tcw3 oil you are fine.
Xd100 is a higher quality oil than anything mercury makes
seahorse posted 09-06-2014 12:21 AM ET (US)
XD-100 is a specialty oil designed and blended for Evinrudes and not marketed for other makes and it is NOT TC-W3 certified.
martyn1075 posted 09-07-2014 12:23 PM ET (US)
I (would) say that [using Evinrude XD100 oil in a Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] would not be a good idea. Mercury offers a DFI Optimax or Quicksilver premium DFI oil for Optimax engines, old and new. Same product from what I understand. It's very expensive stuff and very good. [Deleted a sentence whose meaning became controversial.--jimh] The Optimax DFI oil is different because it is a special blend which reduces breakdowns versus any other oil on the market. The Evinrude oil is probably the same idea but designed for the E-TEC.
Think of it as similar to fuel. We can purchase cheap gasoline and we can purchase premium quality gasoline. The better gasoline will out preform the cheap gasoline in all areas. We have to pay more for it and it is not readily available in some parts of the world. However if our outboards could talk they would thank you.
Don SSDD posted 09-09-2014 02:18 PM ET (US)
I wonder who has had problems using the wrong oil in a 2 stroke? I wouldn't use a cheap oil of any type, motor oil or 2 stroke oil. I used Castrol 2 stroke in my 90 HP 1998 Merc and it always worked great. No carb or plug issues and I owned it for 12 years, also always use high test gas since around here it has no ethanol, yet.
It would be interesting to see an oil analysis of some of these "magic elixirs" to see what is actually in them, besides hype. While you still have warranty, you have to use whatever the warranty requires or no warranty.
In the warranty or owner's manual, what do etecs and optimax's call for for a 2 stroke oil?
Don
Tom Hemphill posted 09-09-2014 05:48 PM ET (US)
My E-Tec's owner manual calls for "TC-W3RL NMMA-certified oil or Evinrude/Johnson XD100 oil."
Don SSDD posted 09-09-2014 09:03 PM ET (US)
This list shows the 2014 NMMA TC-W3 certified oils, their numbers are all RL's on this list.
https://www.nmma.org/certification/certification/oil/tc-w3.aspx
Don
jimh posted 09-19-2014 10:04 AM ET (US)
Brunswick, BRP, and Yamaha all have their own specialty oils, and I am certain all those manufacturers feel their oil is the best oil to use in their outboard engines. Oils that are rated as TCW3 are supposed to be interchangeable. I am certain it is possible to have a lengthy debate on which private-brand of outboard engine two-cycle oil is the best. That's not the question posed in the initial article.
Considering the cost of modern outboard engines relative to the cost of a few gallons of oil, it does not make much sense to me to use an oil that is not specifically recommended and does not have the generic certification required. The engine costs 500-times more than a gallon of oil. I don't see any compelling economic advantage to be obtained by saving 1/500 of the cost of the engine by using an oil that is not specifically recommended and lacks the generic certification.
It further makes no sense to me because a few gallons of unused outboard oil are quite fungible. One could easily sell the unused oil or swap it with another boater.
I believe all of the replies to the initial question have been very similar: don't use a non-recommended and non-generically qualified oil. Exactly what are we still arguing about?

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Author	Topic: Oil for Mercury OptiMax: Using Evinrude XD100
gvisko	posted 08-22-2014 01:23 PM ET (US) I have four gallons of Evinrude XD100 oil leftover. Would it be ok to use this oil in a Mercury OptiMax? Or, should just sell it and get [another] oil? I just sold my 17 OUTRAGE II with an E-TEC, and I just purchased a 2001 23 OUTRAGE with twin Mercury OptiMax 135-HP outboard engines.
Ridge Runner	posted 08-23-2014 08:53 AM ET (US) I would think that since Mercury is okay with running a TC-W3 oil in Optimax engines, and that BRP is okay with running XD100 in the XD50 mode, using the XD-100 full synthetic oil in your Opitmax would be fine. Some E-TEC owners run XD100 in the XD50 mode because of the perceived extra protection. I also believe that in the E-TEC 150 H.O. there is no option to run in the lower consumption XD-100 mode, but XD-100 oil is recommended.
jimh	posted 08-25-2014 10:13 PM ET (US) The Evinrude XD100 oil is probably not certified by Mercury for use in an OptiMax.
JTC	posted 09-04-2014 11:20 PM ET (US) I've had both Optimax and ETEC (still have the ETEC), and from what I understand of the motors, I would not risk putting the XD100 oil into an Optimax. May be OK, but why take the chance?
Teak Oil	posted 09-05-2014 12:24 PM ET (US) If the Opti is certified for synthetic tcw3 oil you are fine. Xd100 is a higher quality oil than anything mercury makes
seahorse	posted 09-06-2014 12:21 AM ET (US) XD-100 is a specialty oil designed and blended for Evinrudes and not marketed for other makes and it is NOT TC-W3 certified.
martyn1075	posted 09-07-2014 12:23 PM ET (US) I (would) say that [using Evinrude XD100 oil in a Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] would not be a good idea. Mercury offers a DFI Optimax or Quicksilver premium DFI oil for Optimax engines, old and new. Same product from what I understand. It's very expensive stuff and very good. [Deleted a sentence whose meaning became controversial.--jimh] The Optimax DFI oil is different because it is a special blend which reduces breakdowns versus any other oil on the market. The Evinrude oil is probably the same idea but designed for the E-TEC. Think of it as similar to fuel. We can purchase cheap gasoline and we can purchase premium quality gasoline. The better gasoline will out preform the cheap gasoline in all areas. We have to pay more for it and it is not readily available in some parts of the world. However if our outboards could talk they would thank you.
Don SSDD	posted 09-09-2014 02:18 PM ET (US) I wonder who has had problems using the wrong oil in a 2 stroke? I wouldn't use a cheap oil of any type, motor oil or 2 stroke oil. I used Castrol 2 stroke in my 90 HP 1998 Merc and it always worked great. No carb or plug issues and I owned it for 12 years, also always use high test gas since around here it has no ethanol, yet. It would be interesting to see an oil analysis of some of these "magic elixirs" to see what is actually in them, besides hype. While you still have warranty, you have to use whatever the warranty requires or no warranty. In the warranty or owner's manual, what do etecs and optimax's call for for a 2 stroke oil? Don
Tom Hemphill	posted 09-09-2014 05:48 PM ET (US) My E-Tec's owner manual calls for "TC-W3RL NMMA-certified oil or Evinrude/Johnson XD100 oil."
Don SSDD	posted 09-09-2014 09:03 PM ET (US) This list shows the 2014 NMMA TC-W3 certified oils, their numbers are all RL's on this list. https://www.nmma.org/certification/certification/oil/tc-w3.aspx Don
jimh	posted 09-19-2014 10:04 AM ET (US) Brunswick, BRP, and Yamaha all have their own specialty oils, and I am certain all those manufacturers feel their oil is the best oil to use in their outboard engines. Oils that are rated as TCW3 are supposed to be interchangeable. I am certain it is possible to have a lengthy debate on which private-brand of outboard engine two-cycle oil is the best. That's not the question posed in the initial article. Considering the cost of modern outboard engines relative to the cost of a few gallons of oil, it does not make much sense to me to use an oil that is not specifically recommended and does not have the generic certification required. The engine costs 500-times more than a gallon of oil. I don't see any compelling economic advantage to be obtained by saving 1/500 of the cost of the engine by using an oil that is not specifically recommended and lacks the generic certification. It further makes no sense to me because a few gallons of unused outboard oil are quite fungible. One could easily sell the unused oil or swap it with another boater. I believe all of the replies to the initial question have been very similar: don't use a non-recommended and non-generically qualified oil. Exactly what are we still arguing about?