More hp

Kurtr

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So you can tune your car/pickup but outboards are off limits . Makes sense
 


sweeney

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Not supposed to tune those either we get lucky we don’t have epa inspections.
 

Ericb

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Not supposed to tune those either we get lucky we don’t have epa inspections.
There is no law against tuning a vehical. Messing with the emissions components is a different story.
 

Kurtr

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Not supposed to tune those either we get lucky we don’t have epa inspections.
They are not that hard to pass my brother did them for a few years in Idaho. The tuned vehicles not a problem the bombs that never seen service were the ones that failed .
 

sweeney

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There is no law against tuning a vehical. Messing with the emissions components is a different
True to a point. As long as the tune doesn’t affect the emissions of the vehicle, which they usually do. I don’t agree with it personally. Mercury sent out this service bulletin citing the epa fine.
Mercury Marine is aware that, in order to change engine performance, individuals and businesses have modified the engine control modules (ECM) for Mercury engines. These modifications are not authorized by Mercury Marine. Mercury Marine engines are extensively tested to meet emission regulations and ensure long term performance, reliability, and durability objectives. Modifying or replacing the ECM with unauthorized parts or untested, unverified calibrations will change the engine’s emissions reliability and durability performance in ways that cannot possibly be understood by those offering such services. ECMs should not be recalibrated by anyone, unless authorized to do so by Mercury Marine. Authorized Dealers should report all known circumstances of ECM recalibration to Mercury.

US EPA Rules: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules prohibit tampering with an engine including the unauthorized modification or replacement of the ECM with an unauthorized part. A dealer found to have tampered with the ECM of any certified engine could face a fine of over $40,000 or an owner could be fined over $4,000 per engine by the United States EPA.

Copyright Violations: Modifying an ECM also typically infringes Mercury’s copyright‐ protected software code and circumvents the technological measures that Mercury put in place to protect its copyright protected software code. Anyone found to have infringed Mercury’s copyrights could be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 per work, and up to $150,000 per work for willful violations. Anyone found to have violated anti‐circumvention laws could be liable for civil statutory damages up to $2500 per violation, and for criminal penalties up to $500,000 and five years’ imprisonment for a first offense. Repeat offenders may be fined up to $1,000,000 and subject to ten years’ imprisonment. Other countries may have similar penalties.”
 


SLE

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As Allen stated, if there is ever an incident and it is discovered the engine is no longer in original condition, expect legal troubles and no coverage by your insurer.
As to the Geico Pig... WWWHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Everyone claims this but there's never been an incident or proof showing such. Just more regurgitation of internet trash. Garbage in, garbage out as they say. Just like the old wives tale of a boat with more HP than the boat is rated for on the Coast Guard Plate isn't insurable. That's also a untrue.

It would be like insurance denying a claim on some guy with a diesel pickup with a tuner because he hit a deer. It would have to be shown that the modifications caused the accident. I can't believe people continually state these false claims without thinking about it. Think about any vehicle that has had engine or other work done to make it perform better. Hell, I have a built trans, 4:56 gears, modified exhaust, a 2.5" lift, 35x12.5R20s and a host of other stuff done to my F250.......insurance will cover me in an accident for the value of the vehicle I have insured and any liability to others to my limits......... If I want my vehicle covered for the cost of my modifications, then I have to go to an agreed upon policy that covers an agreed upon value.

Boats, sleds, atvs, Side x Sides, are no different................
 

ORCUS DEMENS

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SLE, You said it at the end, if the modifications are disclosed to the insurance carrier prior to incident. That would cover your investment. I do not know how the lawyer/insurance carrier for anyone injured would argue how any modifications to your vessel caused or exacerbated the accident. That would probably be something your insurance would not cover if not disclosed prior. No lawyer here, but have known many, they always look for any tiny error/non disclosure to hang you.
 

Kurtr

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SLE, You said it at the end, if the modifications are disclosed to the insurance carrier prior to incident. That would cover your investment. I do not know how the lawyer/insurance carrier for anyone injured would argue how any modifications to your vessel caused or exacerbated the accident. That would probably be something your insurance would not cover if not disclosed prior. No lawyer here, but have known many, they always look for any tiny error/non disclosure to hang you.
We used to mod the hell out of our sleds and insurance covered stuff when it was wrecked . They didn’t care if we had nitrous or turbos adding a lot of hp.
 

Allen

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Everyone claims this but there's never been an incident or proof showing such. Just more regurgitation of internet trash. Garbage in, garbage out as they say. Just like the old wives tale of a boat with more HP than the boat is rated for on the Coast Guard Plate isn't insurable. That's also a untrue.

It would be like insurance denying a claim on some guy with a diesel pickup with a tuner because he hit a deer. It would have to be shown that the modifications caused the accident. I can't believe people continually state these false claims without thinking about it. Think about any vehicle that has had engine or other work done to make it perform better. Hell, I have a built trans, 4:56 gears, modified exhaust, a 2.5" lift, 35x12.5R20s and a host of other stuff done to my F250.......insurance will cover me in an accident for the value of the vehicle I have insured and any liability to others to my limits......... If I want my vehicle covered for the cost of my modifications, then I have to go to an agreed upon policy that covers an agreed upon value.

Boats, sleds, atvs, Side x Sides, are no different................
Modifications come in many forms. Are you of the opinion that the consequences for that jackass who modified a jetski to where it no longer had a deadman's kill switch and he killed a young girl on a small lake in ND are the same as they would have been if he hadn't been such a great mechanic?
 


Fester

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Modifications come in many forms. Are you of the opinion that the consequences for that jackass who modified a jetski to where it no longer had a deadman's kill switch and he killed a young girl on a small lake in ND are the same as they would have been if he hadn't been such a great mechanic?
The kill switch was not modified..he did not have it secured. If I remember correctly he also wasn’t charged at least for homicide etc..was charged b misdemeanor for not securing lanyard

They say Bartsch erred by not securing the lanyard attached to the vehicle's kill switch.

“Doing so would have shut off the jet ski engine when he fell off of it. However, violations of boat safety regulations do not create per se criminal negligence in negligent homicide cases,” wrote Erickson.
 

SLE

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Modifications come in many forms. Are you of the opinion that the consequences for that jackass who modified a jetski to where it no longer had a deadman's kill switch and he killed a young girl on a small lake in ND are the same as they would have been if he hadn't been such a great mechanic?
Although Fester already put addressed this, and regardless that was a horrible situation in which we personally know one of the affected familys. Everything about that situation is different than sending in your ECU to add some performance to your boat. If it's driven with negligence, it doesn't matter if it has 10 hp or 500 hp, negligence is negligence. And no part of tuning your ecu or adding performance has anything to do with disabling saftey equipment in which your alluding to................that's a different topic all together.
 

Fester

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Although Fester already put addressed this, and regardless that was a horrible situation in which we personally know one of the affected familys. Everything about that situation is different than sending in your ECU to add some performance to your boat. If it's driven with negligence, it doesn't matter if it has 10 hp or 500 hp, negligence is negligence. And no part of tuning your ecu or adding performance has anything to do with disabling saftey equipment in which your alluding to................that's a different topic all together.
This is correct..any insurance company or DA is going to have to prove negligence. Also for insurance purposes the insurance will go with whatever is cheaper. If they can prove that whatever mods caused said damage and that's the cheapest route they will go with it. When having anyting insured the insurance goes buy the vehicle Vin from factory..so for example 2010 chevy impala has insurance based of the Vin and what HP that came with that VIN. Now if you take the engine out and put in a 3,000hp engine in it and total the car...the insurance is not going to cover that 3,000hp engine..they are going to cover the value of the Vin. Now if you hurt or kill someone due to negligence with 3,000 hp engine your gonna be in the hurt bag if they can prove that the 3,000 hp influenced what took place. To add if you modify a snowmobile and total it out in the mountains even if moded more than likely the insurance will just pay off the value of the sled even if the mods caused the damage as its still probably cheaper paying the sled off then losing a customer and dealing with it in court.
 
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Kurtr

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This is correct..any insurance company or DA is going to have to prove negligence. Also for insurance purposes the insurance will go with whatever is cheaper. If they can prove that whatever mods caused said damage and that's the cheapest route they will go with it. When having anyting insured the insurance goes buy the vehicle Vin from factory..so for example 2010 chevy impala has insurance based of the Vin and what HP that came with that VIN. Now if you take the engine out and put in a 3,000hp engine in it and total the car...the insurance is not going to cover that 3,000hp engine..they are going to cover the value of the Vin. Now if you hurt or kill someone due to negligence with 3,000 hp engine your gonna be in the hurt bag if they can prove that the 3,000 hp influenced what took place. To add if you modify a snowmobile and total it out in the mountains even if moded more than likely the insurance will just pay off the value of the sled even if the mods caused the damage as its still probably cheaper paying the sled off then losing a customer and dealing with it in court.
Yep thats what they did. Paid stock value on the sled the mod parts you had to eat the difference.
 

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