Practical Boatowner has compiled a list of the top 10 causes of engine breakdown as follows;
1. Engine electrics - 23% of call outs – beware of water in the bilge splashing onto the starter motor.
2. Fuel systems - 16% of call outs - beware of clogged up filters, diesel bug and running out of fuel particularly due to inaccurate fuel gauges.
3. Overheating - 14% of call outs – blocked intakes and broken impellers.
4. Batteries and isolators -13% of all call outs – failure of battery isolator switch or badly maintained battery
5. Fouled propellers and drives - 12% of all call outs – beware of fishing nets and stray rope.
6. Gearboxes, saildrives and steering gear - 6% of all call outs – failure of cone clutches and saildrive props falling off.
7. Major mechanical failure - 5% of all call outs – broken camshafts, cracked cylinder heads…
8. Drive belts - 4% of all call outs – belt slippage …
9. Ancillaries - 4% of all call outs – gear and throttle cables.
10. Leaks – water and fuel - 3% of all call outs – corrosion in exhaust water jackets, perished hoses and loose clips.
