Break in on new malibu engines

[Bman1]

Can anyone tell me the break in and service intervals on the new malibu engines? 

[ahopkins22LSV]

I don't mean to sound like that guy... but the procedure can be found in the manual.

[Bman1]

Lol, I don't have the manual yet, and my dealer is an hour and a half drive away. So I was wondering if I should just put it in at the local lake and run off the 10 hours and get it serviced there, before bringing it back and putting it on the lift. 🙂

[Ronnie]

2019 Malibu Manual

This is from the 2019 manual which should be the same as 2020.

 

Break-In Period—All Boats

Breaking in marine engines is a different process from land- based vehicles. The first 10 hours of operation for your Malibu engine is critical for long life and enjoyable operation. When done properly, the break-in period will ensure peak performance.

The first hours of the boat operation have critical requirements for engine break-in. Pay close attention to the screens and monitor the readings. Pay particular attention to the oil pressure and engine temperature information as these are the earliest warnings when something is going wrong with the drivetrain. Alarms will sound if serious problems are encountered.

Also, check carefully for leaks. The break-in period is the most- likely time for leaks to appear, whether fuel, oil, water or exhaust. Verify that fluid levels are at the required levels. Listen for abnormal noises and pay attention to vibrations.

Any part of the operation that seems to be different from expectations should be checked with your authorized Malibu dealer, especially during this break-in period.

     

2019 Malibu Boats, LLC Owner’s Manual • Page 109

       

Break-In Procedure

The Malibu boats undergo a general pre-test run at the factory before shipping. The customer-based break-in period takes place for the next 10 hours of operation. (The video screen includes an hourmeter function that allows consumers to keep track of the number of hours the boat has been in operation. See Dashes and Video Screens in this Owner’s Manual for details.)

Failure to follow break-in instructions can result in long-term performance

issues or damage to critical components of the drive- train. Such failure is not covered under warranty.

The break-in procedures, which should be followed for the first ten (10) hours of operation as measured by the integrated hourmeter, allow the engine and transmission components to properly seat and function in the usage thereafter. These procedures are as follow:

Always allow the engine to warm up after it is started. The length

of time varies depending upon conditions, but it is especially critical when operating in colder weather. Oil viscosity thickens
at these times. Failure to allow it to warm up can cause severe damage to the engine, which is not covered under warranty. This is time in addition to the four (4) minutes venting the engine compartment. Engine temperature is available on the video screen. Always verify that the engine feedback information on the video screen is within acceptable limits and no alarms show or sound before leaving the dock. Often, symptoms of potentially stranding issues will be noticeable at the beginning of the outing.

Vary engine speed, but do not exceed 3500 RPM with light load for the first hour.

After the first hour higher RPMs are allowable, but operators must avoid operating at one continuous speed (RPM). Varying the speed is important! NEVER RUN AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE (WOT) DURING THE BREAK-IN-PERIOD!

Never operate at idle speed for extended periods during the break-in period. Occasionally, return the shifter/throttle to neutral for a cool-down period, but do not operate at idle speed for extended periods. It is better to turn OFF the engine than to idle indefinitely.

Operate above 1500 RPM carefully. If the body of water is choppy or if there are other challenges present, operate at lower RPM. Boating conditions can add strain to drivetrain operation.

Always shift and accelerate smoothly during break-in. Avoid rapid operational changes. Plane the boat quickly as lower speeds can put more strain on the engine.

Do not do your first oil change before 10 hours or later than 15 hours.

Do not load the boat to its maximum load capacity until after the first oil change. Maintain the correct oil level as measured on the dipstick during the break-in period.

Monitor the gauges and video screens closely as these are your first line of defense.

Abnormal vibrations or unusual noises could be symptomatic of additional problems that are not registered by the gauges and video screens.

The boat must be returned to an authorized Malibu dealer for the first service/scheduled maintenance. The purpose is to allow a trained technician to interpret any signs of malfunction or anomaly that may have occurred. Catching these symptoms early is critical to avoiding potentially damaging events that might not be covered under warranty.

The dealer will change oil, transmission fluid and cooling fluid, clean the sea strainer, and do an alignment check on the engine.

Verify that the propeller remains properly mounted and undamaged. Propeller information is provided in the How It Works section of this Owner’s Manual.

Check the engine oil level frequently during the break- in process. It is normal for

the engine to use oil at this time, often at a greater rate than will occur later. The dipstick is located mid-block on the starboard side of the engine, between the intake and manifold. It has a circular yellow handle. Add only full-synthetic 5W30 engine oil. DO NOT USE ENGINE ADDITIVES AT ANY TIME. ENGINE ADDITIVES WILL VOID THE WARRANTY.

Never operate at wide- open-throttle (WOT) continuously, even after

the break-in period. WOT allows boat operators to quickly get the boat out of potentially dangerous situations and is intended for only brief use. WOT places exceptional stress and strain on the engine and drivetrain components. It can also test the boat operator’s ability

to control the vessel. Loss of control not only could cause an accident that damages the boat, but could also potentially injure persons on-board.

At 10 hours (and never later than 15 hours), the engine oil and oil filter MUST be changed. Malibu strongly recommends that this procedure be done by the authorized Malibu dealer as the service technicians are trained to look for the difference between acceptable signs of engine wear as differentiated from abnormal. This can make the difference in ensuring a long life for your drive-train.

       

2019 Malibu Boats, LLC Owner’s Manual • Page 110

      

If your dealer is not conveniently close by, instructions for oil and filter change procedures has been provided for oil changes AFTER the break- in, 10-hour oil change. After the break-in period, follow the instructions presented in the Care and Maintenance section of this Owner’s Manual.

Failure to have the initial, 10-hour oil change performed by an authorized

Malibu dealer may result in the voiding of the engine portion of the warranty if it is determined that engine issues could have been analyzed and/or prevented through the dealer’s inspection at that time.

[hethj7]

Just curious, any reason the 2019 manuals aren’t in the resources section?

[Ronnie]

I am putting it all together. I haven't asked for digital copies of the 2020 Malibu or Axis yet.

[jjackkrash]

I have seen how the dealers break these boats in at their demo days and their break-in procedure does not appear to jive with the written instructions.    

[Pnwrider]

38 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

I have seen how the dealers break these boats in at their demo days and their break-in procedure does not appear to jive with the written instructions.    

Ironically neither does the factory. 

[hethj7]

3 minutes ago, Pnwrider said:

Ironically neither does the factory. 

Ironically, neither are probably worried about a denied warranty claim.  

I am not saying the procedures are right or wrong, but for me, it is a small price to pay to know it is by the book and if I have issues the ECM won’t be telling a different story.  
 

It would be interesting to hear from an automotive engineer what the reasoning is for procedures in the manuals.  

[Cole2001]

Break in hours is kinda of funny. I know you’re supposed to wait a while before surf. But I’ve been on so many brand new “demo” boats from various dealers and nobody follows it.  

[Woodski]

@hethj7 - some reasoning behind break in procedures:  initial oil change interval is primarily to drain and remove the machining and assembly debris captured by the oil and filter in the initial running of the engine, in addition to some of the initial wear in of piston ring to bore and bearing materials.  Engine cycling formats are to ensure the best conditions are used to seat the piston rings to the piston and bore, camshaft and related parts, cam chains, drive gears, etc.  In addition as the early break in running generates more heat as the parts mesh together, less than hard running is to reduce overheating issues leading to poor performance in the long term.  They are also used to minimize any infant mortality issues that may pop up.  On a side note, you may have seen / heard about high racing engines having a very short break in period, that is primarily due to much larger than production clearances allowing harder initial running with the penalty of a short useful life, higher oil consumption and higher emissions.  Hope that helps.

[23LSVOwner]

I've been told they are also shipped with special break in oil.

[COOP]

1 hour ago, 23LSVOwner said:

I've been told they are also shipped with special break in oil.

The new Malibu motors ship with 0w20 break in oil. 

10hrs should be the first change to 5w30 syn. 

 

[EricLsv]

On 1/22/2020 at 11:05 AM, COOP said:

The new Malibu motors ship with 0w20 break in oil. 

10hrs should be the first change to 5w30 syn. 

 

This week i am picking up a 2020 lsv with 3 hours on it, the dealer said i should operate it for 10 hours then bring it to them for service. I am fairly handy, I've been maintaining my jet-skis fora  couple years. do you have an opinion about doing the service myself? is the warranty only valid if dealers preform service?

[Eagleboy99]

50 minutes ago, EricLsv said:

is the warranty only valid if dealers preform service?

No.

[dlb]

The initial service after the 10 hour break in also includes things like shaft alignment and a once over with experienced eyes and diagnostics.  Probably worth having the dealer do this.

[ahopkins22LSV]

1 hour ago, EricLsv said:

This week i am picking up a 2020 lsv with 3 hours on it, the dealer said i should operate it for 10 hours then bring it to them for service. I am fairly handy, I've been maintaining my jet-skis fora  couple years. do you have an opinion about doing the service myself? is the warranty only valid if dealers preform service?

Legally, I don’t think so. I did my first service on my 2019 but my dealer strongly encouraged that I have them do it on my 2020. The M series engines were still newer at that point and I can’t understand why Malibu and dealers would push so hard to have themselves do the first service. As @dlb said, other items are verified too. My dealer also let me provide the oil and filter so that helped reduce the cost. Ask yours the same. I also looked at it as if anything did happen, then there is no questions asked moving forward. Sometimes you have to pay a bit to play the game. 

[Surf4FamFun]

 I actually like the idea of doing the break-in myself, plan to for new boat we are getting this month, no the Dealer demo on our boat last year did not follow the break-in guidelines.  As I understand break-in most of the benefits are longer term with regards to performance and serviceability.  It would be difficult to associate break-in compliance and onset of oil consumption for example without a pretty rigorous effort.  There are so many other factors that go into how the engine and drivetrain holdup that attributing it would be difficult even if you had perfect records on the break-in.

I plan to do maintenance after 50 hours myself which gets us past the break-in inspection/alignment checks and so forth.  I figure they could well see something that I might miss given their experience and if they have the boat and miss something there will be no back and forth over if the 10/50 hr checks were made correctly.

Every new motor I have purchased or rebuilt have had best practice break-in and very regular oil changes, all of them have lasted at least as well as expected despite hard use.

[EricLsv]

Thanks for the input guys, according to one poster on TMC they wrote

Quote

2019 Malibu Boats, LLC Owner’s Manual • Page 110

      

If your dealer is not conveniently close by, instructions for oil and filter change procedures has been provided for oil changes AFTER the break- in, 10-hour oil change. After the break-in period, follow the instructions presented in the Care and Maintenance section of this Owner’s Manual.

Failure to have the initial, 10-hour oil change performed by an authorized

Malibu dealer may result in the voiding of the engine portion of the warranty if it is determined that engine issues could have been analyzed and/or prevented through the dealer’s inspection at that time.

so it appears there could be some impact on warranty

[Eagleboy99]

3 minutes ago, EricLsv said:

Thanks for the input guys, according to one poster on TMC they wrote

so it appears there could be some impact on warranty

Illegal.

[EricLsv]

17 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Illegal.

im not sure if this is a general sentiment, but i dont see why it would be illegal. "heres our product, maintain it including adhering to our prescribed break in procedure. dont worry our ECU is watching and logging everything, so if your issue stems directly from disregard of any of our maintenance procedures, we told ya and you didn't listen" seems pretty reasonable unless "stick to the maintenance schedule" is not a legal thing to force someone to stick to. but than again if someone were to never change the oil in a car than try to warranty it.. doubt it would fly so i dont see the diff

[Eagleboy99]

1 minute ago, EricLsv said:

im not sure if this is a general sentiment, but i dont see why it would be illegal. "heres our product, maintain it including adhering to our prescribed break in procedure. dont worry our ECU is watching and logging everything, so if your issue stems directly from disregard of any of our maintenance procedures, we told ya and you didn't listen" seems pretty reasonable unless "stick to the maintenance schedule" is not a legal thing to force someone to stick to. but than again if someone were to never change the oil in a car than try to warranty it.. doubt it would fly so i dont see the diff

What is specifically illegal is tying dealer service to the warranty.  Oil change schedules, break-in schedules, etc. are all fine, but printing that you MUST use a malibu dealer is out and out illegal.  What matters is if the work is done properly.  For the US:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance#do

Do I have to use the dealer for repairs and maintenance to keep my warranty in effect?

No. An independent mechanic, a retail chain shop, or even you yourself can do routine maintenance and repairs on your vehicle. In fact, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which is enforced by the FTC, makes it illegal for manufacturers or dealers to claim that your warranty is void or to deny coverage under your warranty simply because someone other than the dealer did the work. The manufacturer or dealer can, however, require consumers to use select repair facilities if the repair services are provided to consumers free of charge under the warranty. [emphasis is mine]

That said, there may be certain situations where a repair may not be covered. For example, if you or your mechanic replaced a belt improperly and your engine is damaged as a result, your manufacturer or dealer may deny responsibility for fixing the engine under the warranty. However, according to the FTC, the manufacturer or dealer must be able to demonstrate that it was the improper belt replacement — rather than some other defect — that caused the damage to your engine. The warranty would still be in effect for other parts of your car.

For Canadians, same law - different name.

[EricLsv]

1 minute ago, Eagleboy99 said:

What is specifically illegal is tying dealer service to the warranty.  Oil change schedules, break-in schedules, etc. are all fine, but printing that you MUST use a malibu dealer is out and out illegal.  What matters is if the work is done properly.  For the US:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance#do

Do I have to use the dealer for repairs and maintenance to keep my warranty in effect?

No. An independent mechanic, a retail chain shop, or even you yourself can do routine maintenance and repairs on your vehicle. In fact, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which is enforced by the FTC, makes it illegal for manufacturers or dealers to claim that your warranty is void or to deny coverage under your warranty simply because someone other than the dealer did the work. The manufacturer or dealer can, however, require consumers to use select repair facilities if the repair services are provided to consumers free of charge under the warranty. [emphasis is mine]

That said, there may be certain situations where a repair may not be covered. For example, if you or your mechanic replaced a belt improperly and your engine is damaged as a result, your manufacturer or dealer may deny responsibility for fixing the engine under the warranty. However, according to the FTC, the manufacturer or dealer must be able to demonstrate that it was the improper belt replacement — rather than some other defect — that caused the damage to your engine. The warranty would still be in effect for other parts of your car.

For Canadians, same law - different name.

gotcha, but the part of the quote i was referencing was tying the validity of the warranty to proper break in, not servicing it at a dealer. the language they used there appears to make it more lenient if you DO break it in with the dealer. theoretically shifting some liability to them, bottom line seems to say break it in on your own and go crazy full throttle ECT, the warranty could be voided.

[Eagleboy99]

7 minutes ago, EricLsv said:

gotcha, but the part of the quote i was referencing was tying the validity of the warranty to proper break in, not servicing it at a dealer. the language they used there appears to make it more lenient if you DO break it in with the dealer. theoretically shifting some liability to them, bottom line seems to say break it in on your own and go crazy full throttle ECT, the warranty could be voided.

I was specifically referring to this part of your post: "Failure to have the initial, 10-hour oil change performed by an authorized Malibu dealer may result in the voiding of the engine portion of the warranty"

Not sure the dealer needs to do the break-in?

[EricLsv]

Just now, Eagleboy99 said:

I was specifically referring to this part of your post: "Failure to have the initial, 10-hour oil change performed by an authorized Malibu dealer may result in the voiding of the engine portion of the warranty"

Not sure the dealer needs to do the break-in?

that quote isnt the full sentence, the rest of the sentence is "if it is determined that engine issues could have been analyzed and/or prevented through the dealer’s inspection at that time."

 

the rest of the sentence is likely what would make it not illegal