Mercury 200XL Verado Outboard Oil Change

An oil change on a Mercury outboard motor is one of the most straightforward do-it-yourself maintenance tasks. You don't need any fancy tools nor more than a handful of minutes to get the job done. 

Watch the video above and follow the steps below to learn how to change the oil in a Mercury 200XL Verado outboard motor.

Tools and Parts - Mercury 200XL Verado Oil Change

• Ratchet and sockets
• 74mm oil filter wrench (or strap oil filter wrench sockets)
• 4-stroke marine engine oil
• Oil filter

PRO TIP: You can use either standard 4-stroke marine engine oil or synthetic 4-stroke marine engine oil, but you should never mix the two. However, the extra protection that synthetic oil provides to an outboard is worth the minor extra cost.

Mercury 200HP Outboard Oil Change

Step 1. Remove the top cowl and tilt the outboard up.

Step 2. Remove the oil filler cap from the top of the motor, then take off the oil drain bolt from the bottom of the motor. Have a drain pan ready to catch the old engine oil that drains from the motor.

Step 3. Tilt the outboard back down again, and let the remaining oil drain from it. Next, reinstall the oil drain bolt.

Step 4. Put a shop towel or rag under the oil filter to catch any oil that is still trapped within it, and then remove the oil filter.

Step 5. Put a smear of engine oil over the new oil filter's rubber seal and install the new filter. Hand-tighten the new oil filter, then turn it an additional ¾  of a turn using the oil filter wrench.

Step 6. Fill up the motor with 6.3 quarts of engine oil, then reinstall the oil filler cap

NOTE: The Mercury 200XL Verado holds 6.3 quarts of oil, but the exact quantity differs from outboard to outboard. Consult the service manual for the precise quantity of oil your outboard requires.

Step 7. Check the oil level by tilting up the motor, then letting it rest in that position for half a minute so the oil drains down into the oil sump. Next, tilt the motor back down again and measure the oil level with the dipstick. 

NOTE: The oil should be in the upper half of the cross-hatched area on the dipstick. Top off the engine oil and repeat the dipstick measuring process if necessary.

Step 8. Reinstall the top cowling and you're done.

The steps for changing the oil in a Mercury outboard engine are the same or similar for most models. However, if you want a slightly different take on changing a Mercury outboard's oil and filter, watch the video below to see how to change the oil and filter on a Mercury 115 EFI outboard.