Utilizing the key below, locate the model year code in your model number to ascertain the year.
Note: Yamaha stopped using the year in the model number starting in 2005. The transom bracket of motors manufactured after 2004 will display the production date.
There is no year information contained in the model or serial numbers of Chrysler Outboard engines.
See this graphic showing the years associated with Chrysler serial numbers. By hitting CTRL+F, you can determine the matching year by searching for your serial number.
There is no year information contained in the Force Outboard engine model or serial numbers.
See the Force serial number year chart, which is available here. By hitting CTRL+F, you can determine the matching year by searching for your serial number.
Nothing in the model or serial numbers of Mercury Mariner Outboard engines immediately indicates the year.
The starting serial number is determined by the first serial number sold within a year. The serial numbers that are between the first serial number of that year and the next belong to the same year. To discover the starting serial number for the range that includes your engine, look up the horsepower of your engine on the Mercury Mariner serial number year chart, which is found here.
In This Article...
How are the serial numbers on Honda outboard motors read?
Although every model name begins with “BF,” these two letters are absent from the engine.
The frame’s serial number is stamped into a piece of metal on or close to the stern bracket.
This could also be called a vehicle identification number or a product identification number (VIN).
How can you determine a boat motor’s year from its serial number?
Looking at a paper could be all it takes to determine the year your outboard motor was constructed. For certain motors, the hints are on the motor and are awaiting your use of a key word to solve them. Because neither the model number nor the serial number will provide you any information, you must ask the dealer for at least one if you want to know more than a general time period during which that particular model of motor was created.
If you reside in a state that mandates registration, check the registration certificate the state provided, or the title if you call Utah, Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Oklahoma, or Missouri home. Both the registration and the title clearly state the model year or the date of manufacturing. This may be one of only two options available to owners of Honda outboard motors to locate the information without calling the Honda dealer.
Look for the details the dealer included about your motor in the operator’s manual for your motor. You must employ a different technique if you don’t have the motor operator’s manual that was packaged with your motor when it was brand-new.
Go to the motor and look for an embossed, metalized tag or plate with the manufacturer’s name prominently stamped at its top on the motor’s swivel bracket. The model year, or the year the motor was created, is also displayed on this manufacturer’s tag, with the exception of Honda motors.
Pull the motor’s top cowling away. This information is engraved on the top center of the engine block of some well-known outboard motor models, although it may also be on a tag that is often located on the right side of the engine block.
If you have an Evinrude or Johnson outboard, check the model number. The 10-letter word “introduces” provided the final two letters of the model number. Up until the letter “E,” which equals nine, each letter equals a different number: the first letter is “1,” the second, “2,” the third, etc. The numbers are the last two numbers of the motor’s year of construction, and the final letter of the word, “S,” stands for “0.” In 2009, a model with the number XXX-XX-XXX-XYX-X SE was created since “S” stands for “0” and “E” for “9.
Tips
- Ask the closest dealer who carries the outboard motor brand you own if none of these options are available to you. Many outboard-parts websites offer a “lookup capability,” but their main objective is to sell components rather than provide information.
Honda outboard motors switched to fuel injection in what year?
Four-stroke engine customer satisfaction is the highest and has received the Customer Service Award.
engines by J.D. Power and Associates were tied. Every model in our selection keeps going
Honda obtains a four-stroke outboards customer satisfaction award from
J.D. Power and Associates*and a CSI Award for customer satisfaction for the sixth straight year
the Honda Marine line-up, which won the 2011 IBEX Outboard Innovation Award
NMMA, the tenth year in a row that the business has been honored for excellence
The business has received awards every year for outstanding customer satisfaction.
among four-stroke engines, obtained the highest numerical rating in the proprietary
2009 Marine Engine Competitive Information StudySM by J.D. Power and Associates.
opinions of customers who bought boats between January 2007 and May 2008. a private study
Results are based on the opinions and experiences of owners who were polled between September and November.
2008. Your results may be different. Visit
How do you gauge a Honda outboard’s shaft length?
The versatility of an outboard engine is one of its main advantages. With the right mounting, almost any type of boat can be propelled by an outboard motor. You will see outboards hanging on the sterns of anything from little canoes to large cruising sailboats, in addition to motorboats built for large outboards. A tiny auxiliary motor is commonly installed on single-engine boats for emergency use.
The shaft length of an outboard motor is one of the most important decisions you can make, regardless of the size of the boat you are operating. Since every boat is unique, there are several various standard lengths produced by the motor manufacturers. Looking at what you have and pulling out the measuring tape will help you determine the correct size. But how would you quantify it?
Measure the distance between the bottom of the mounting bracket, which sits on the transom, and the top of the cavitation plate, which is the horizontal surface of the lower unit just above the propeller, to determine the length of your outboard motor shaft.
There is an illustration that demonstrates where to take the measurements in the article further on. I’ll also go over the distinction between short and long shafts and how they differ depending on the kind of boat.
Can you use a boat motor’s serial number to find it?
To determine the year your engine was made based on the serial number or model number, choose your boat motor manufacturer from the list above. It will be easier for you to order a manual and parts if you know the year of your engine.
Can a boat’s serial number be used to locate it?
Every boat made in the United States or imported into the country must have a special hull identification number, or HIN. You may check the validity of a boat’s HIN and find out more about the boat’s past using an online database, such as the one run by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Is the serial number and the hull ID the same?
Similar to the VIN on a vehicle, the Hull Identification Number (Hull ID or HIN) is a serial number provided by the manufacturer that uniquely identifies a boat. Hull identification numbers assist deter theft by identifying one vessel from another. Any vessel constructed on or after November 1, 1972, must have a 12-character HIN that is unique and adheres to a US Coast Guard-approved format. It’s possible for vessels constructed before November 1, 1972, to have a non-standard Hull ID format.
The HIN is commonly located on a metal or plastic plate that is attached to the boat’s transom, usually on the right starboard (right) side, two inches below the highest point of the transom, the lowest point of the gunwale, or the lowest point of the hull/deck joint. The HIN is typically attached to the starboard (right) outboard side of the hull, aft, within a foot of the stern and within two inches of the top of the hull side, gunwale, or hull/deck joint, depending on which is the lowest. The HIN is typically fastened to the aft crossbeam of catamarans and pontoon boats with replaceable hulls, just one foot from the starboard (right) hull attachment.
What distinguishes an outboard motor?
We’ll need as much information as possible if we need to repair or replace the motor on your boat. It may be simpler to replace your motor with the appropriate parts if you know the make, model, and serial number. Contrast this with the brand, model, and year of your boat.
You’ll see a plate on the side of your motor. You can find the make, model, and serial number here. If it’s an outboard motor, the serial number is the only thing you’ll need.
The information is the same on each model plate, although the layout may change. The model and serial numbers are typically labeled, but if they are not, ask the repairer if you are unclear or get assistance from a dealer.
- A Parsun’s plate can be found on the bracket’s left assembly or the upper portion of the bracket swivel. The serial number has the designation SN.
- The second half of the number on the second line is the serial number for Suzuki.
- Evinrude – An Evinrude’s transom or mounting bracket is where the serial number is found. The serial number has a label. The model number is especially significant because it provides information about the motor’s type, year, and horsepower.
- Serial numbers for Mercury are typically labeled.
- The serial number for Yamaha is on the far right of the second line, while the model code is the top number.
- Honda: The model name typically begins with BF and is followed by the letters on the motor’s rear, such as BF50. The serial number, also known as the product identification number, has the format “BXXX-XXXXXXX.”