FUEL ECONOMY / CRUISE TUNING

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Lower Fuel Bills

Burn less fuel at your typical cruising speeds.

Increased Range

Go further on a single tank of fuel, perfect for offshore trips.

Smoother Cruising

Optimised fuelling often results in a smoother running engine at part-throttle.

Maintained WOT Power

We improve economy at cruise without sacrificing wide-open-throttle performance.

Consultation

We discuss your typical cruising RPM and boat setup.

ECU Mail-In

Send us your ECU using our secure, tracked process.

Economy Remap

We apply our dyno-developed economy calibration.

Return Shipping

Your ECU is shipped back express, ready for your next trip.

To understand how we achieve better fuel economy, you must look at how manufacturers program factory ECUs. Outboards are sold globally, meaning they must survive in freezing Alaskan waters and boiling tropical humidity, often running on poor-quality fuel. To ensure the engine doesn't overheat or detonate under these worst-case scenarios, the factory calibration runs a very 'rich' fuel mixture (injecting more fuel than is strictly necessary for combustion) across the mid-range and cruise RPMs. This excess fuel acts as a liquid coolant for the cylinders.

While this is safe for the manufacturer's global warranty claims, it is incredibly inefficient for the Australian boater running good quality fuel. Our outboard fuel economy tuning specifically targets the 3000 to 4500 RPM range—the exact zone where 90% of boats sit while cruising on the plane. By using our dyno to safely lean out this air-fuel ratio to an optimal stoichiometric balance, and advancing the ignition timing to maintain torque, the engine produces the same cruising speed while injecting significantly less fuel per combustion cycle.

For commercial operators, charter fleets, and avid offshore fishermen, fuel is the number one operating expense. A twin-rig offshore boat burning 100 litres per hour at cruise can easily consume $500 to $1000 worth of fuel in a single weekend trip. Our cruise tuning typically yields a 10% to 20% improvement in fuel economy at cruise RPM. If you are saving 15 litres of fuel per hour on a long run to the reef, the financial payback period for our mail-in ECU tuning service is incredibly short.

Beyond the immediate financial savings, the most valuable aspect of economy tuning for offshore anglers is the increased range. When you are pushing the limits of your fuel tank capacity to reach remote fishing grounds, a 15% increase in range provides a massive safety margin. It means you can stay out longer, troll further, and return to port with confidence, without needing to carry dangerous auxiliary fuel bladders on deck.

Many modern outboards, particularly from Suzuki and Yamaha, feature factory 'Lean Burn' technology. This relies on oxygen sensors to trim fuel usage at very specific, light-load cruising speeds. However, the factory parameters for when Lean Burn engages and disengages are often very narrow. If your boat is slightly heavy, or you are pushing into a headwind, the ECU will drop out of Lean Burn mode and dump fuel to maintain speed.

Our custom ECU remapping enhances these parameters. We broaden the operational window of efficient fuelling, ensuring your engine remains in its most economical state even when the boat is loaded with gear or facing mild resistance. Importantly, this economy tuning does not sacrifice your top-end power. Because the ECU maps are three-dimensional based on RPM and throttle position, we can provide maximum fuel efficiency at 60% throttle, while still delivering a rich, powerful, and safe fuel mixture when you push the throttle to 100%.

Will fuel economy improve or suffer?

Does this affect my top speed?

How much fuel will I save?

Should I re-prop after tuning?