Winterizing a Newer EFI 4 Stroke

[Acme54]

I have a newer Suzuki 25HP EFI 4 stroke outboard. I understand you shouldn’t fog an EFI engine thru the intakes as it will mess up the injectors. The manual says nothing about fogging. You tube posts…some say to fog in the spark plug holes And others say to add a little 2 stroke oil into your stabilized gas and run it until it smokes. What do you people think? Hate to screw up my $4000 engine. Thanks

 

[DaleH]

YOUR OEM manual tells you exactly what to do in the section called "Off-Season Storage" ... but a typical sequence is:

• Run Stabil or other fuel stabilizer through it
• * Read their specific section for EFI motor, vs a carb's one, for draining fuel or other *
• Remove spark plugs and spray fogging oil in, then pull through (kill lanyard off) the motor to turn the flywheel to distribute the oil
• Change the engine oil
• Change the LU oil
• Lube/grease all lube/grease points
• Wash and store per the manual. NOTE if you can't store it 'straight up', be aware YOUR specific manual will tell you the only other way to store or position it.

 

[Acme54]

Thanks for the response. Your instructions make perfect sense to me. My OEM manual for my DF25A has the following, which does not specifically mention fogging thru the plugs but maybe #7 is fogging?
1. Change gear oil
2. change motor oil
3. put fuel stabilizer in the fuel
4. flush water passages
5. run engine to distribute stabilized fuel throughout the engine
6. stop engine and disconnect flushing attachments
7. lubricate all other specified parts (listed in the Lube section). Then it says Spray the entire power head with a rust preventative. I’m not sure what that means. Could that be fogging thru the plug hole? It doesn’t say to pull the plugs but maybe they just want me to take it to a dealer.
8.wax the outside of motor.
9.store upright.
I’m new to this so I apologize for stupid questions

 

[MrGiggles]

Thanks for the response. Your instructions make perfect sense to me. My OEM manual for my DF25A has the following, which does not specifically mention fogging thru the plugs but maybe #7 is fogging?
1. Change gear oil
2. change motor oil
3. put fuel stabilizer in the fuel
4. flush water passages
5. run engine to distribute stabilized fuel throughout the engine
6. stop engine and disconnect flushing attachments
7. lubricate all other specified parts (listed in the Lube section). Then it says Spray the entire power head with a rust preventative. I’m not sure what that means. Could that be fogging thru the plug hole? It doesn’t say to pull the plugs but maybe they just want me to take it to a dealer.
8.wax the outside of motor.
9.store upright.
I’m new to this so I apologize for stupid questions

That sounds to me like they want you to soak the exterior of the powerhead with something like fluid film to keep corrosion at bay, but unless you live on the coast, I don't see it as necessary.

If you choose to fog it, I'd just pull each plug and give it a shot down every bore, and spin it over a couple times by hand. Fogging oil isn't as important on a four stroke.

 

[Acme54]

That sounds to me like they want you to soak the exterior of the powerhead with something like fluid film to keep corrosion at bay, but unless you live on the coast, I don't see it as necessary.

If you choose to fog it, I'd just pull each plug and give it a shot down every bore, and spin it over a couple times by hand. Fogging oil isn't as important on a four stroke.

Thanks for the help. I think a little fog down each piston can’t hurt. Suzuki isn’t helping me too quickly.

 

[DaleH]

If you don't have a manual for your OB motor ... you should ... you can get one here:

https://www.suzukimarine.com.au/owners/manuals/AccessForm/
Here's an example from a DF25A from 2018, for an EFI motor:

 

[FuzzyGrub]

That sounds to me like they want you to soak the exterior of the powerhead with something like fluid film to keep corrosion at bay, but unless you live on the coast, I don't see it as necessary.

I can't say I always spray down my outboards, but when I had an I/O, always used the rest of the fogging oil on the exhaust manifolds, heads, and sides of the engine. Never had any surface rust issues in the 20 years I had it.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

Fogging oil isn't as important on a four stroke.

I thought it was more important in 4-strokes. The residual oil in a 2-stroke keeps things lubricated.

 

[Acme54]

If you don't have a manual for your OB motor ... you should ... you can get one here:

https://www.suzukimarine.com.au/owners/manuals/AccessForm/
Here's an example from a DF25A from 2018, for an EFI motor:

View attachment 116365

Thanks for that. No mention of fogging I see.