warning to all users of higj tech 4st engines

Hi,
Not so much a warning as advice , by learning the hard way!!!
I ,( or i should say paul at Cork Marine) managed to sort a very annoying problem with my suzuki 70hp 4st engines.
As mentioned on my last trip out, the engine whilst in the cruise just cut back to 2000-2500rpm,ie under management from the engines computer, with an associated warning saying check engine.
We checked as much as we could at sea, but to no avail, with poss fuel contamination being the suspect.
Well, after a couple of days investigation by Paul, the answer to the problem had me very suprised!!
BY trying to keep the engine clean, and generally looking after it after trips etc, i was spraying the the general engine area with WD40.
The WD40 had broken down the sticking power of the tape that surrounds the wiring looms that are all over the engine. This allowed salt water into the wiring loom. when this salt water dried out it formed salt crystals, which expand on forming.
Now, The wiring looms are attached to grommets around the engine to keep the wires in place, and due to the expansion of the loom ( due to the salt, caused by the wd40)(are you all following!!)
It was found a number of wires had chaffed and shorted or fused to each other, hence causing a number of error signals to the onboard computer, but none consistant to tell you were to look to sort the problem!!
By checking each wiring loom individually paul isolated 8 faults on one engine and 4 on the other, all with the potential to cause an engine shutdown.
So, advice is, not to spray wd40 all over the engine, yes to metallic areas prone to rust, but not onto wiring looms or any wiring conectors.
Its easy enough to look at yourself , just look in the areas where the wires go through grommets etc, if there is signs of chaffing , have a closer look.
Hope this helps, feel a numpty causing problems by trying to keep engine clean!!!
regards
screeming

a good idea (not mine) is to warm some vaseline in a pan untill it melts, the paint all the wires looms etc using a small paint brush, the vaseline will congeal leaving a protective coat impervious to salt water.
with none of the problems you had with wd40 :idea: