Hi
I'm wondering if anyone knows where I might be able to get my 135 mercury 4 strike re tuned. I believe the Mercury 135 is just a detune of the 150 with all other parts being like for like.
I'm out of warranty so no issue on that front and would like to see if this is something that I can get done. I'm in North Brisbane.
Many thanks.
Most of the after market "tuners" have gone into hiding, there might be one or two still operating here, but they are getting scarce, I don't think the 135 and 150 are exactly the same. All the ones in the US have vanished, Mercury and the EPA have them running.
Probably...my 9.9 Merc was a 15 with a simple restrictor plate in the intake. I got a Mercury tech bulletin on how to remove it but was bleeding obvious anyway.
Yes the tech was way different to a modern 135 EFI 4 stroke but hints at same marketing strategy.
Tried Holt marine?
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thanks... I brought this up as during a recent trip to the local dealer they stated the 135 was a 150 with a local detune and a new sticker, and it was pretty much only AUS that gets the 135 now. They also said they can't/don't do it.
I'll give holt marine a call and see how I go. thanks.
I seriously doubt any dealer will do it, or have the capabilities to do it, you need to remap the ECU, it's not just turning as such.
I suspect you are right Noel. Interested to know if an ECU from a same model run 150 would do it plug and play.
That said, OP - is 15 hp worth it?
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Yes it would be worth it. The problem is that sometimes a remap is not all that needs to happen.Originally Posted by TheRealPoMo
There are many motors that can be upgraded, remapping the electronics is partly the answer but, there's always a but, I have also considered this option and steered away due to existing reports
It kind of looks wrong when reports of upgrades is giving so called improved results that are worse than I am currently getting. The thing with my motor was that it was the first og it's type so no comparison available.
I believe future models were ok, just mine not. There was a big difference in which way I could go, next model - go for it, otherwise I'm not sure, 12 mths ago there was no doubt.
I enquired with the mob mentioned in the review below about remapping my 200 Honda ECU.....although they claimed they could get me in excess of 50 hp more a couple of things bothered me...
One was there was no real world data they could show me for before and after performance figures on an actual boat..any boat..they just pointed me to dyno graphs...
Whats so hard about getting some data on the boat before the remap and after...?
I was also told I would have to use premium fuel from then on and change the prop...
So thats another 6-800 on top of the 1650 plus any potential fuel economy gains were likely to be offset by the extra cost of fuel...
I also spoke to a couple of guys that claimed to have their ECU's remapped and could detect negligible increase in power but were blocked on FB and emails went unanswered when they raised the issue with the technician...
This is a alleged customer of the guys from the NT that I spoke with....
ecu REmap.jpg
I'd love an extra 50+ horses but am not game to bet $2500 with no real guarantee of an increase and worry what happens if they change some ecu parameters which may have an adverse affect on the longevity of the motor...
If it’s just a ecu flash it would still run on the same fuel type
if it requires premium then all they are doing is leaning it out and advancing timming and maybe increase if max rpm which requires prop changes
just like I did with my kart engines and they went from 100 hour engine life to 5-6 hours engine life
There's a whole lot of stuff at play here, Mercury manufacture/program the ECU to ensure motor complies to EPA levels, the motor lasts a long time, gives good fuel economy and performs as they advertise, a few after market "tuners" hacked the ECU software and are able to get (sometimes) more HP out of a motor, however, parameters start to suffer, some simply remove the rev limiter to allow more RPM, giving the owner the impression his motor is more powerful, most motors will only rev to a certain RPM until mechanical limitations are reached (the old fashioned "valve bounce") nearly all tunes do not comply to the EPA specs, that's how and why they are now out of business, and Australia is now on the radar, of course Mercury are not too keen on the idea either. I think boats were chosen first because of the limited manufacturers and number in use compared to cars, but, I suspect cars will be next on the list to "crack down" on, of course it's possible to increase HP, but it's not as clear cut as it seems at first.
Similar experience talking to some who'd had theirs done, so shied away from it. I do know if a guy up Hervey Bay who did them (a lot cheaper) and in some cases it appears worthwhile e.g. with the model after mine the 150, 175 and 200 hp all shared the same block. BUT, apparently there was more to it, there other components that needed changing out, timing adjustments etc. change of prop. I don't recall the details as too many beers were had in the discussion and when another mate piped in that by the time we'd be finished we could have bought the higher spec motor for the sane price.
Longevity of the motors was a definite concern I'd seen reported elsewhere as indicated by stevej, I suspect that to be the case where the block is already at it's max hp. Not being mechanically minded I decided I was happy with my setup as it suited me. The boat is definitely a factor as well, a mate has the identical boat with a 140hp suzi and gets way better speed and mileage but I go loaded for bear and he carries next to nothing.
Nothing new or 'tricky' about having an ECU tune to unlock a little more performance - as a consumer you just need to understand in which situations you'll realise a benefit and in which you will not.
It is 100% true that manufactures in all sorts of industries apply different ECU calibrations to the same hardware, and the marine industry is no exception. In the case of the marine engine manufacturers, it appears primarily so that they can provide a product to match the max hp of different hulls on the market without having to develop and produce a bespoke hardware package to fit every single niche. Heaps of examples of this, the OP's Merc 135 being one. It is indeed the same hardware as the 150, just a different ECU calibration. Just looking at the Merc range, pretty evident that the 75-115 range is the same hardware, 135-150, 175-225, 200 ProXS-300. Some manufacturers are even transparent enough to put the data on their website, like Volvo Penta (see image). This info is really informative and helps the consumer understand what, if any, benefit they'd get from spending the money to go from the 200 to the 240 or 280 hp model. In this particular case, someone not worried about top speed and just wanting to get their boat up on the plane and have economical cruise would get zero benefit from going to the 240 or 280 model, as torque is identical up to 3500 rpm, by which point most boats will be comfortably up on plane. If they wanted a bit more mid-range punch, the 240 makes sense as it has a slight jump in peak torque vs the 200. The other really interesting point to note is that someone with the 280 model, propped to clip max rpm, would actually have worse hole-shot performance than if they had the 200 hp model, also propped to reach max rpm.
Attachment 123919
I would also point out that manufactures tend to be quite keen to make it known when they make a mechanical change to achieve a bit more poke from a familiar engine platform. Tow cases that spring to mind are the current Yamaha 130, which is NOT the same as the similar models up to 115 (different cams and perhaps throttle body from memory) and the ETEC G2 150 3 cyl, which was different to the 115HO and 140 models (included the RAVE exhaust manifold that BRP use in other Rotax applications).
So overall, I'd say if you have an engine at the lower end of the spectrum for a particular platform, a well executed remap will give you more power and perhaps a whisker more peak torque. Just be aware that unless the max rpm goes up (to match that of the higher output models for example), you're pretty unlikely to be able to achieve a higher top speed without taking a backward step in terms of hole-shot. If you already have the top hp rating for a given platform, gains are likely to be tiny and only achieved through running a higher octane fuel.
Thanks all. as most say in my case the 135 I have is identical to the 150 with the only difference being an ECU map and sticker. I was happy to save the $$ when purchasing initially as the performance is very similar and the savings were a decent discount over a 150. As 'm now out of warranty I thought why not ask if this could be done. I know the dealers can do it very easily as some race their own boats and tune their engines to suit, but "will they" I guess was my real question and that seems to be No.
Would have been nice to pay a few $$ and get an upgrade, given when I buy parts I have to buy the 150 parts anyway.
if I have to spend 1-2 minutes extra getting to my fishing spot then so be it
Thanks again!
It certainly can and has been done but no dealer or close contact is going to shout it from the roof tops. Not unless they potentially want their dealership terminated. Mercury Marine would be well less than impressed if they found out it was going on. Not sure about here but in the US there is also the threat of EPA action as well as it is deemed to be playing with emission controls 🤷
do you remember the price difference between the 135 and 150?Thanks all. as most say in my case the 135 I have is identical to the 150 with the only difference being an ECU map and sticker. I was happy to save the $$ when purchasing initially as the performance is very similar and the savings were a decent discount over a 150. As 'm now out of warranty I thought why not ask if this could be done. I know the dealers can do it very easily as some race their own boats and tune their engines to suit, but "will they" I guess was my real question and that seems to be No.
Would have been nice to pay a few $$ and get an upgrade, given when I buy parts I have to buy the 150 parts anyway.
if I have to spend 1-2 minutes extra getting to my fishing spot then so be it
Thanks again!
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