Yanmar · Authorised dealer · Melbourne
Yanmar service, brought to your berth.
From a 1GM10 sailboat auxiliary to twin 6LYs on a flybridge. Serviced to Yanmar’s schedule by an authorised dealer, with a clear rundown of what’s urgent and what can wait.
- Authorised Yanmar dealer
- Servicing Melbourne boats since 1995
- Genuine Yanmar parts on the shelf
- At your berth across Port Phillip Bay
Your setup
Which Yanmar do you have?
Yanmar owners mostly fall into three groups, and each has its own service needs. Pick yours to see what we look after.
From the single-cylinder 1GM10 to the JH common-rail fours, on a shaft or a saildrive. We service the engine to Yanmar’s schedule, and the cooling and exhaust side gets a close look every time.
- Engine oil and filter, genuine Yanmar
- Fuel filter, water separator and bleed
- Seawater pump impeller
- Coolant (freshwater-cooled engines)
- Exhaust mixing elbow, cleaned and checked
- Air intake silencer
- Drive belt and tension
- Gearbox oil (shaft installs)
Twin installations
Twin Yanmars, one visit.
Catamarans like the Seawind 1250 and Lagoon 42 carry a Yanmar in each hull, and flybridge boats like the Steber 3800 run a pair of 6LYs. We service both engines and both drives in the same visit, so the pair stays on one schedule.
- Both engines and both drives serviced in one visit, at your berth where possible
- Both saildrives’ diaphragm dates tracked, so they’re renewed in one haul-out
- Fault codes read on both engines, where they’re electronic
- A separate record for each engine, the history buyers and surveyors ask to see
What you get
You’ll know exactly where your engine stands.
Every service ends with a plain-English rundown. Each item is marked done, keep an eye on, or needs attention, so you can see what’s urgent and what can wait. Anything beyond the service is quoted first.
- A separate record for each engine and drive
- Kept for your warranty and resale history
- What’s due next, so you can plan around the season
Servicing and your Yanmar warranty
Yanmar’s warranty depends on maintenance to Yanmar’s schedule with records, and excludes failures from non-genuine parts or service by an unauthorised facility. For engines registered under Yanmar’s 3 Year Extended Warranty (available on selected models in private use), an authorised Yanmar dealer must also inspect the engine within 12 months of delivery and every year after that. Your warranty documents set out the terms for your engine. We service to the schedule with genuine parts and record every visit. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in addition to these terms.
Service rundown
Single 4JH45 · SD60 saildrive · 420 hours
- Done
Engine oil and filter
- Done
Fuel filter and water separator
- Done
Seawater pump impeller
Checked. Vanes in good order.
- Done
Coolant
Renewed.
- Keep an eye on
Exhaust mixing elbow
Light scale, cleaned. Due for replacement at 500 hours or two years, whichever comes first.
- Done
Saildrive oil
Clean, no sign of water.
- Done
Seal sensor and alarm
Tested and working.
- Needs attention
Saildrive diaphragm
Fitted 2019, due for replacement this year under Yanmar’s seven-year limit. Quoted to replace at the next haul-out.
Something not right?
Signs your Yanmar wants attention.
Many problems give a warning first. If you’ve noticed one of these, it’s worth a look before it turns into a lost weekend.
A high coolant temperature alarm
Yanmar’s list starts with not enough seawater getting through, so the intake, strainer and impeller are first to check. A faulty thermostat, a loose belt or an overloaded engine are also on it, and a common-rail JH cuts its revs to protect itself.
The saildrive seal alarm
On SD20, SD25, SD50 and SD60 drives, a sensor between the two rubber diaphragms warns of seawater getting past the outer one. Yanmar says to stop the engine and head back to port under sail to have it inspected, even if the diaphragms aren’t due.
A fault code or “CHK ENG” on the display
Common-rail Yanmars store a fault code, and some faults make the engine cut its revs to protect itself. We read the stored codes with Yanmar’s dealer equipment, so we fix the cause rather than clear the message.
Smoke you haven’t seen before
Yanmar says steady black smoke means the engine is overloaded. Other causes on its list include a clogged air cleaner, injector faults, too much oil in the sump and carbon build-up, which long spells at low revs encourage.
A water-in-fuel warning
The fuel filter/water separator has collected water and needs draining. If it keeps coming back, Yanmar’s advice is to drain the tank and check the fuel supply. Water in the fuel is also on its list of reasons an engine stops suddenly.
Rust or crust around the exhaust elbow
Practical Sailor reports that the original mixing elbows on Yanmar’s GM-series engines can corrode from the inside, out of sight, and a failed elbow can let seawater into the engine. On JH common-rail engines Yanmar has the elbow replaced every 500 hours or two years, even if it looks fine.
Timing
Book around the boating season.
A little planning means the boat is ready on the first good weekend, not the third.
78%
of maritime incidents reported in Victoria in 2024–25 were vessel breakdowns, most of them engine failure or running out of fuel.
Source: Safe Transport VictoriaAugust to October
Pre-season service
Book before the rush. November to Easter is our busiest period, so a service in late winter or early spring has the boat ready for the first good weekend.
Book a pre-season serviceNovember to Easter
On the water
Peak boating, and our busiest months. If an alarm won’t clear or something doesn’t feel right mid-season, call us.
Easter to July
Bigger jobs
The best time for higher-hour services, saildrive diaphragms, drive work and haul-outs, with the least boating missed.
Who you're dealing with
An authorised Yanmar dealer, looking after Melbourne boats since 1995.
Our factory-trained technicians bring genuine Yanmar service parts to your berth, and bigger jobs come back to our Spotswood workshop.
- Authorised Yanmar dealer
- Factory-trained technicians
- Genuine Yanmar parts on the shelf
- Also authorised for Volvo Penta and Twin Disc, and a ZF Marine Service Point
The Yanmar range we look after
Send us the full model from the engine’s nameplate when you book, for example 3YM30AE, 4JH4-HTE or 6LY3-STP, and your saildrive model if you have one. Yanmar has sold a “440” with mechanical, electronic and common-rail injection over the years, so the full designation matters.
Yanmars were fitted, as standard or as an option, to boats like the Seawind 1160 and 1250 catamarans, Lagoon 42, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379 and 439, Beneteau Oceanis 41 and 45, Steber 38 SLR and 3800, Black Watch 30 Flybridge and Matilda Bay 32. Some were also built with other engines, so check the engine plate.
Questions
What Yanmar owners ask us
How much does a Yanmar service cost?
It depends on your engine, whether you have one or two, your drive, and what’s due on Yanmar’s schedule. We confirm all of that and give you a clear quote before any work starts.
Do I need to bring the boat to you?
No. We service Yanmars at their berth or on the hardstand around Port Phillip Bay. Saildrive diaphragms, propellers and sterndrive work need the boat out of the water, so we plan those with your yard, and bigger jobs come into our Spotswood workshop.
How often does a Yanmar need servicing?
It depends on the engine. On the current JH common-rail engines, Yanmar’s schedule has a first service at 50 hours, then engine oil, oil filter and the main checks every 250 hours or yearly, the fuel filter and exhaust mixing elbow every 500 hours or two years, and bigger items at 1,000 hours or four years, whichever comes first.
When should my saildrive diaphragm be replaced?
Yanmar’s current saildrive manual (SD25, SD60, SD110 and SD150) says every seven years, or sooner if the seal alarm (SD25 and SD60) shows water getting in, and not to use the boat with diaphragms older than that. Its 2009 manual for the older SD20 and SD50 said every five years. It’s done with the boat out of the water, so we plan it around your haul-out.
Will servicing with you keep my Yanmar warranty valid?
Yanmar’s warranty depends on maintenance to Yanmar’s schedule with records, and excludes service by unauthorised facilities and failures from non-genuine parts. As an authorised Yanmar dealer we service to that schedule with genuine parts and record every visit.
Can I service my Yanmar myself?
Yanmar says it depends on the job and your skills. It recommends service by an authorised Yanmar dealer, says electronically controlled engines need special equipment only authorised dealers can provide, and warns that doing that maintenance yourself might void some or all of your warranty. If you do your own, keep a record of the work and the parts used.
Which Yanmar do I have?
The model is on the engine’s nameplate, for example 3YM30AE, 4JH4-HTE or 6LY3-STP. Send us the full model, plus the saildrive model if you have one (for example SD60). Yanmar has used numbers like 440 on quite different engines, so the full designation tells us exactly what to bring.
How do I book?
Use the booking form at the top of this page or call (03) 9399 5888. We aim to reply within 1 business day.
Ready when the weather is.
Tell us about your Yanmar and where the boat is, and we’ll take it from there.