Summerwind
New Member
These pics are only after one season.
B3 Corrosion w/pics.
- Thread starter Summerwind
- Start date
That's too bad, Summer.
Any combination of the following could be happening:
-- Wrong anode composition
-- Mercathode not functioning
-- Stray electrical current in your marina
-- Nearby dock neighbors with the first two things, which is causing your anodes/mercathode to do double duty.
What is the condition of the anodes?
Talk to your dealer about the corrosion warranty.
Any combination of the following could be happening:
-- Wrong anode composition
-- Mercathode not functioning
-- Stray electrical current in your marina
-- Nearby dock neighbors with the first two things, which is causing your anodes/mercathode to do double duty.
What is the condition of the anodes?
Talk to your dealer about the corrosion warranty.
wreckless123
Member
Is that from salt water?
Do you have any pics of your anodes? Are you in salt or fresh water? Do you have aluminum or magnesium? Do you have a galvanic isolator?
http://www.yandina.com/galvanicIsolator.htm
Did you have any electronics installed?
If you have stray current, the Mercathode and anodes should be able to ward it off, but the anodes should be eaten up. If you have wrong anodes they should be pretty new looking as your aluminum drive would be more noble.
http://www.yandina.com/galvanicIsolator.htm
Did you have any electronics installed?
If you have stray current, the Mercathode and anodes should be able to ward it off, but the anodes should be eaten up. If you have wrong anodes they should be pretty new looking as your aluminum drive would be more noble.
Summerwind
New Member
Im in fresh water. The stealer put new zincs on in May for fresh water use.
All electronics were installed by Formula.
Its does have Galvanic Isolator with protection display (never got a error message) and Mercathodes.
Formula had to replace the battery charger and the multichannel stereo amp.
It stand to reason that since the charger and amp went bad that just maybe theres other electrical issues...
All electronics were installed by Formula.
Its does have Galvanic Isolator with protection display (never got a error message) and Mercathodes.
Formula had to replace the battery charger and the multichannel stereo amp.
It stand to reason that since the charger and amp went bad that just maybe theres other electrical issues...
There could be a grounding issue causing the electronics to fail. Your symptoms are two separate and complex electronics failing and a badly corroded outdrive. Not unusual if separate, but highly unusual together. You need to check the bonding system.
douglee25
Well-Known Member
What type of zincs were put on? Zinc? Magnesium? Aluminum? I would have had Magnesium installed if I was in fresh water.
Doug
Doug
Summerwind
New Member
JV, Im not familiar with bonding system?
douglee25
Well-Known Member
If you look on the various seacocks and other items exposed to water in the bilge, you will note a wire, usually green, that is tied to these pieces and usually to a main buss bar. This is usually tied into the mercathode unit.
While the boat is out of the water, look under the drive and find the band clamps. Usually there will be a wire tied onto all of them so that they don't corrode away and ultimately cause your boat to sink. It's a very important system to be sure is functioning correctly.
Doug
You need to have your dealer check out this problem for you.
The first thing they need to check is whether the Mercathode is even working. It may not be and that means that you have had no protection at all. I would think Mercury would cover that under warranty as well as the corrosion damage if that is the case. If the Mercathode Controller is working, then the bonding points all need to be checked by the dealer since this can also render the Mercathode ineffective. Since you indicate you had problems with your battery charger, does that mean your batteries went dead? If so this renders the Mercathode inoperable since it runs on batteries. I am not sure how that would be handled in terms of warranty to cover the corrosion on your outdrive. You said your dealer changed the anodes. Were the old ones worn out or did he realize he had given you the wrong ones? You need Magnesium anodes for fresh water. Anything else will mean that electolysis won't be handled properly and the drive case (which is aluminum) becomes the sacrificial anode instead.
Based on my experience with corrosion on my Bravo 3 and on other boats I have seen, I am betting your Mercathode is not working at all. If that's the case then your dealer ought to be able to work with Mercury to get you a proper solution which in my opinion should be a new outdrive.
Dave
The first thing they need to check is whether the Mercathode is even working. It may not be and that means that you have had no protection at all. I would think Mercury would cover that under warranty as well as the corrosion damage if that is the case. If the Mercathode Controller is working, then the bonding points all need to be checked by the dealer since this can also render the Mercathode ineffective. Since you indicate you had problems with your battery charger, does that mean your batteries went dead? If so this renders the Mercathode inoperable since it runs on batteries. I am not sure how that would be handled in terms of warranty to cover the corrosion on your outdrive. You said your dealer changed the anodes. Were the old ones worn out or did he realize he had given you the wrong ones? You need Magnesium anodes for fresh water. Anything else will mean that electolysis won't be handled properly and the drive case (which is aluminum) becomes the sacrificial anode instead.
Based on my experience with corrosion on my Bravo 3 and on other boats I have seen, I am betting your Mercathode is not working at all. If that's the case then your dealer ought to be able to work with Mercury to get you a proper solution which in my opinion should be a new outdrive.
Dave
Summerwind
New Member
My Dealer and Formula? They referred me to Merc.
Boat US also recommended that I have the boat surveyed.
Boat US also recommended that I have the boat surveyed.
Jack F
Active Member
- Oct 3, 2008
- 2,407
- Boat Info
- 2008 240DA,
Garmin 545s,
North Star NS100ss.
MMSI#338093894
- Engines
- 350 Mag Seacore BR3
Your dealer should be handling this for you, they should be calling Merc.
Sea Ray dealers will normally handle things like this for customers. Why won't your Formula dealer do the same?
Dave
They may not be a Merc Certified dealer :huh:
Any Merc Certified dealer that you're comfortable with should be able to handle this for you.
Oh, seeing you're in the Bohemia, but I would assume you venture out into the Bay, I would suggest aluminum anodes.
Any Merc Certified dealer that you're comfortable with should be able to handle this for you.
Oh, seeing you're in the Bohemia, but I would assume you venture out into the Bay, I would suggest aluminum anodes.
Summerwind
New Member
Agreed, however Formula said its a merc warranty issue and not their warranty, this does make sense to me and I wont let the selling dealer ever touch my boat again.
So SR handles issues such as this for its owners? Thats outstanding.
Nehalennia
Well-Known Member
- Aug 22, 2007
- 10,006
- Boat Info
- 2001 310DA twin 350 MAGs, Westerbeke 4.5KW
- Engines
- Twin 350 MAG V-drives
You bought the boat recently from them. They should be the liason and your agent in this matter. Yes SeaRay would handle this (also because they're under the Brunswick umbrella) but either way you shouldn't have to "handle" this yourself.
It's crazy that they're attempting to pass the buck in today's market.
Best of luck.
magster65
New Member
By 'zincs' you mean magnesium anodes hopefully... 'zinc' is for salt water.
Referring to the anode chart from Boatzincs.com, there is no mention of using zinc as an anode for saltwater on boats 2001 and newer. Aluminum is suggested. Magnesium only for fresh water. Supposedly all 2001 and newer outdrives with stainless steel props all shipped with Aluminum anodes.
http://www.boatzincs.com/pdfs/Which_Anodes_Should_I_Use-Chart_Merc-B.pdf
Last edited:
sprink56
New Member
- Oct 28, 2008
- 1,288
- Boat Info
- 1979 255 Liberator
- Engines
- twin Mercruiser 450 HP I/O on Bravo I Drives
Try calling Scott Porter at Formula. He is a very personable and hands on kind of guy...they are truly customer service driven and don't want customer dis-satisfaction.
I have had 3 of their boats and never had a problem with them going to bat for me with Merc, Taylor or any other of their vendors. You just need to get upper level management involved in a case like this.
John F
