Maintenance46tilled water.3. Store the battery on a level surface in acool, dry, well-ventilated place out of di-rect sunlight.4. Once a month, check the specific gravityof the electrolyte and recharge as re-quired to prolong battery life.EMU28450Cleaning the outboard motorAfter use, wash the exterior of the outboardmotor with fresh water. Flush the coolingsystem with fresh water.NOTE:For cooling system flushing instructions, seepage 43.EMU28460Checking painted surface of motorCheck the motor for scratches, nicks, or flak-ing paint. Areas with damaged paint aremore likely to corrode. If necessary, cleanand paint the areas. A touch-up paint is avail-able from your Yamaha dealer.EMU28486Periodic maintenanceWARNINGEWM01070Be sure to turn off the engine when youperform maintenance unless otherwisespecified. If you or the owner is not famil-iar with machine servicing, this workshould be done by your Yamaha dealer orother qualified mechanic.Maintenance, replacement, or repair ofthe emission control devices and sys-tems may be performed by any marineengine repair establishment or individual.All warranty repairs, however, includingthose to the emission control system,must be performed by an authorizedYamaha marine dealership.A service manual is available for purchasethrough your Yamaha dealer for owners whohave the mechanical skills, tools, and otherequipment necessary to perform mainte-nance not covered by this owner’s manual.EMU28510Replacement partsIf replacement parts are necessary, use onlygenuine Yamaha parts or parts of the sametype and of equivalent strength and materi-als. Any part of inferior quality may malfunc-tion, and the resulting loss of control couldendanger the operator and passengers.Yamaha genuine parts and accessories areavailable from your Yamaha dealer.ZMU03223