Mercury Outboard Engine Tuning

We get asked all the time if we can tune Mercury outboards, and while we’d love to say yes, the reality is… Mercury has built a wall of legal and warranty barriers to keep the aftermarket out.

They’ve got a well-documented history of taking legal action against companies that try, and one calibration change is all it takes to void your warranty. Mercury’s solution is simple: if you want more power, they’ll happily sell it to you in a Pro XS or similar factory model, with performance locked to your engine’s serial number so it can’t be swapped or flashed.

So what can you do if you’ve got a Mercury and want more speed or power? You’re mostly looking at prop changes, weight reduction, and setup tweaks — or moving up to a higher-output factory model. 

We would love to tune Mercury outboards, and if these circumstances ever change, trust us: we’ll be here ready to make your Mercury rip.

Documented Mercury Legal Actions & Tuning Enforcement

Brunswick Corporation v. Simon Performance Technology, Inc.
Federal case where Mercury’s parent company, Brunswick, obtained a consent judgment and permanent injunction against a tuning company for infringing ECU software copyrights.
- Read the court filing on Justia
- Forum discussion on The Hull Truth

Forum Reports of Legal Threats Shutting Down Tuners
Multiple industry forum users report Mercury threatening lawsuits to major tuning companies, effectively ending their Mercury ECU services.
- BBC Boards – Mercury ECM/ECU tune or swap question
- BBC Boards – Follow-up discussion

Copyright Infringement Enforcement on ECU Modding
A tuning provider reportedly stopped offering Mercury ECU flashes after Mercury claimed copyright infringement on their calibration software.
- The Hull Truth – ECU tune flash Mercury Verado 5

Social Media Discussion – Legal Pressure on Tuners
Boating group members describe Mercury’s aggressive enforcement tactics, saying tuners “tapped out” after threats and lawsuits.
- Facebook group post