Help Us Help You With Your Volvo Penta Engine

At Helmut’s Marine, we’re your Bay Area Volvo Penta experts, offering one of the largest inventories of Volvo Penta engine parts and engines with the highest standard of service and support.

As a Volvo Penta Rapid Response dealer, we meet stringent standards with our state-of-the-art facilities and top-notch training—coupled with mobile and fixed-service locations. We get you what you need, when you need it.

But we need your help so we can help you.

Here are a few key areas of information that you can provide us to ensure prompt and effective service.

Identify Your Volvo Penta Product

When it comes to servicing your engine, we need you to give us a little more information than just the boat model. Identifying your specific engine or drive is a crucial first step.

The serial number is made up of a series of letters and numbers, and a metal tag that lists it is riveted to all engines and drives. The information decal is usually located on the engine cover or other flat surface that is easy to see. It lists the identification numbers for the engine and also for the drive unit or reverse gear. The appearance may vary depending on the engine model and year of production. See examples of different identification numbers or product plates at the bottom of the post for help finding serial numbers for your particular Volvo Penta product.

Skip to examples

1. Locate Your Volvo Serial Number

For us to get you the right parts, we need to know the serial number of your engine package. This is not to be confused with the serial number of your boat. You can tell us that if you want—we do share your passion for boating after all—but we really want to get the specifics on what’s powering your vessel. As unlike cars, the same model boat can be powered by different engine packages.

The engine serial number reveals the year of manufacture, country of manufacture, and engine type. This information enables us to get you the right part so you can get back on the water faster.

2. Know Your Marine Engine Service Intervals

For marine engines, service intervals are based on hours of operation, or months; whichever comes first. Knowing when your engine is due for regular service can help you stay ahead of any problems, ensuring a long-lasting and reliable engine that operates with max efficiency and performance.

The service protocol complements your operator’s manual and gives you an overview of the required maintenance points. Online service protocols are stored in Volvo Penta’s system, and they can be pulled to show your engine’s service records. This has the added benefit of increasing the resale value of your engine. Regular maintenance = higher value. Or if you are planning your trip around the world the next Volvo Penta dealer will not be guessing about what was previously performed.

For engines manufactured before 2006, the engine service protocol is included with the operator’s manual. For engines manufactured after 2006, the engine service protocol can be found here. Again, knowing your engine serial number is the key to identifying the right service intervals.

3. Know Your Coolant

What color is your coolant? Green? Yellow? Red/Orange? Aside from aesthetics, there’s a significant formula difference between them, and we need to match the right one. Finding out is as simple as checking your engines expansion tank – carefully remove the cap when engine is completely cooled and use a flashlight to check the color.

Volvo Penta only produces three types of coolant—1) green, 2) VCS yellow, and 3) VCS-2 red/orange. Here are some important notes about them:

• Only modern D series diesel and petrol engines marked with a yellow VCS sticker should use VCS or VCS-2 coolant.
• Some new Volvo Penta’s may have been commissioned using green coolant. If this is the case with your engine, do not try to switch to yellow without adhering to the proper cleaning method, otherwise the coolant will gel.
• And as far as replacement goes, green coolant should be replaced every 2 years while the VCS and VCS-2 should be replaced every 4 years.

Another important point is that we only recommend using Genuine OEM Volvo Penta Coolant in your engine to ensure the safety of you and your family out at sea. We also recommend the ready-mixed versions since incorrect dilution can lead to overheating issues.

4. Know Your Primary Fuel Filter

It’s also crucial to know what your primary fuel filter is. Why? In a two-filter system, the fuel needs to go through primary filtration before reaching the engine. It’s the main defense mechanism against contamination, ridding fuel of unwanted substances like asphaltenes and other contaminants. These devices detect and remove the majority of contaminants, lowering the demands on the secondary filter. When installed correctly, primary filters are highly efficient and operate from 10 to 50 microns.

If you’re unsure where the primary diesel fuel filter is on your boat, you’ll likely find it between the tank and the engine or between the primer bulb and engine. Since these do not come on the engine, and there are several options, we need this information to assist you.

5. Know if Your Boat Uses A Secondary Alternator or Power Steering

Lastly, it’s also important to know whether or not you have a secondary alternator or power steering. Your dedicated Volvo Penta engine marine dealer will need to figure out whether your boat has a secondary alternator or power steering. Knowing this helps us supply the right belts, which is crucial for keeping your boat running smoothly and safely. The belts for the secondary alternator and power steering are quite different, and having the correct ones ensures that everything works as it should.

Use Only Genuine Volvo Penta Replacement Parts

All of our boat motor parts, boat propellers, boat maintenance items—you name it—are made by Volvo Penta and held to Volvo Penta standards in the design, material choices, testing, and verification. This means safety, reliability, and warranty coverage.

To get more information on the benefits of choosing genuine Volvo Penta parts through a trusted dealer like Helmut’s, as well as a list of our top selling replacement parts, check out our replacement parts page.

Examples of Identification Numbers/ Product Plates:

Diesel Engines

Engine Identification Numbers

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Engine Identification Numbers

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number
4. Output

Engine Identification numbers

1. Product designation
2. Serial number
3. Product number
4. Certification

Engine Identification Numbers

1. Product number
2. Product designation
3. Serial number

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number
4. Output

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Serial number
3. Product number
4. Certification

Product plates

1. Product number
2. Product designation
3. Serial number

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Drive Unit, Transomshield & Revserse Gear/Transmission

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Serial number
3. Product number

Applies for Aquamatic Sterndrive and Forward drive only

Product plates

1. Product designation
2. Product number
3. Serial number

Gas

Some also have this info on a decal on the top or side. To find the name (see Figure 1 below) of your engine or drive; locate one of the tags.

The picture (see Figure 1 below) shows the typical location of these tags on current gas engine products. This information may also be listed in other places, such as previous shop work orders, warranty registrations, and boat documents.

Finally, make note of the entire name from the tag (See Figure 2). The name in this example is 5.7Gi-B.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Helmut’s Marine is Your Trusted Service Provider

Whether you’re a leisure or commercial boater, we’re ready to assist you and deliver expertise, high-quality parts, service, and support—tailored to your specific needs. Our factory-trained staff is with you every step of the way to give you peace of mind on the water.

The bottom line is that if you know the necessary information about your engine, we can handle the rest!