2003 Mercury 115 4 stroke EFI

[ocuyler]

Hey guys,

A 2003 Mercury 115 4 stroke EFI came installed on my new Boston Whaler 16' Dauntless. It a terrific motor. No choke starts, runs very quiet, especially at idle, great mid-range power and a perfect 2.5 to 3.5 mph troll at idle. Indication so far show amazing fuel mileage.

The only problem that started almost immediately was the linkage became sticky trying to go from forward back into neutral. It binds a little and then jumps into neutral or even past it into reverse. Ouch! Also neutral is hard to find and it occationally will start in gear.

I dropped it off at the dealer, who's immediate reaction was "welcome to the world of Mercury". The comment FLOORED me. I asked why he would say something like that to a first time service customer. His reply refered me to the dealership owner. His reply today was that they have have this persistant problem with the lower units being too "tight" and that Mercury customer service was BALKING at acknowledging the problem, much less a fix. So they are going to do the "best they can".

Any comment out there? Joe?