Marine Engine Diagnostic Tools

• Figure out what's going wrong with your engine before you end up stranded. Buena Vista Images/Photodisc/Getty Images

  A marine engine is an engine specifically designed for boats, and marine engines generally come in two forms. Standard engines are installed within the interior of a boat similar to a car engine. Outboard engines are self-contained units with a protective casing that sit on the rear of the boat. Marine engine diagnostic tools help you determine what's causing your engine to malfunction.

Diacom

• The Diacom Marine PC Software is for Windows-based computers running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, and it is designed to run on your laptop or notebook. This allows you to run diagnostics on your engine even if you are away from the dock. This tool is compatible with Mercury outboard engines, and MerCruiser, Volvo Penta, Crusader, Indmar, Pleasurecraft Marine, Marine Power, Kodiak, Illmor, Flagship Marine and Panther Airboats engines. The Diacom Marine PC Software allows you to run tests on your engine, and obtain the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) system data. You can also pull up fault codes and capture freeze frame data, which is data taken at a particular moment in time, and you can compare this data to future or past performance. You can also print out or export this data to other programs.

EFI Sensor

• The EFI Sensor Test Lead Kit allows you test your EFI engine sensors, and you can determine whether or not your sensor is working properly and narrow down which sensor is malfunctioning. If you do find a problematic sensor, you need to use the voltmeter included in the kit. A voltmeter measures the electrical potential between two points. The test sensors for this voltmeter clip on to the sensor without breaking through the insulation on the wire. The EFI Sensor Test Lead Kit comes with its own case so that you can keep all your items together.

M.E.D.S.

• The Marine Engine Diagnostic System (M.E.D.S.) is designed for marine engine shops, and it allows you to print out a report on the functioning on your engine. You can use this information for current clients, or share it with potential customers looking to purchase a new or used boat. This system plugs directly into the engine and runs tests on the engine, and the system will then output this information into a report. You can use these reports to compare current function with historical function. You can also view engine diagnostic information on your computer, but you will need to install the included software on your laptop.