On May 17, 8:40*am, wrote:

Except for the part that says it's still ok when it's not squirting.... unless severe damage occurs lol! I think Salty said it best ... "Truly bizarre".

I don't recall that statement (...it's still ok when it's not
squirting.... unless severe damage occurs...) being in the manual.

I think I would call a Suzuki mechanic (not a salesman) and get an explanation that makes sense.. And pin him down if necessary. That owners manual is as ambiguous as any I've heard about.

I already did contact a Suzuki mechanic and he confirmed that
Suzuki calls them pilot holes, not pee or tell-tale holes and that
they serve the same purpose as pee holes and/or tell-tale holes. I
agree that sometimes things appear "bizarre" but sometimes they do
simply because some are not aware of them, not because they are
necessarily in error.

The manual states, "Cooling water is intermittently discharged from
the pilot water holes at medium engine speeds. Water is not normally
discharged at other speeds even when the engine is operating
properly. However, cooling system operation can be confirmed as
follows:

1---Place the shift selector lever in the NEUTRAL position with the
motor idling.
2---Increase and decrease the engine speed five or six times in
succession by opening and closing the throttle smoothly and without
stopping in any one throttle position.
3---If water is discharged from the pilot water holes under this
operating condition, the cooling system is working properly. If
water
is not discharged, stop the engine as soon as possible and consult
your authorized Suzuki Marine dealer."

It then states: CAUTION Never OPERATE (perhaps they are referring to
having the motor in GEAR, not NEUTRAL as stated above) your outboard
motor when there is no water coming out of the pilot water holes or
severe damage can
result. Before setting off, be sure that emergency stop switch
operates properly.

Perhaps there's a difference between having the motor idling in
neutral and operating the motor under stress in gear in regards to the
functionality and/or creating possible damage in regards to the
cooling system?

-Jay