How to Identify Johnson Outboards by Serial Numbers

Johnson is one of the most recognizable brands of outboard motors on the market. Boat owners can identify them easily, and not just because the motors prominently display the name Johnson. Evinrude, another major name in outboard motors, acquired Johnson in 1935. In 2000, Bombardier, maker of the Sea Doo jet ski, bought Evinrude. In the event that the owners manual for your particular motor is no longer available, you will still be able to identify a Johnson outboard by its serial number.

Instructions

1. Locate the mounting bracket for the Johnson outboard motor. On the mounting bracket, search for the Johnson brand name. After the name, the serial number and model number will follow.

2. Search the left side of the outboard motor close to the top for a plug. The plug will be round, small and chrome. On the top of the chrome plug will again be the brand name Johnson followed by the serial number and the model number.

3. Write down the Johnson outboard motor model number. Johnson outboard motors use a code to decipher each component of the serial number. The code is INTRODUCES. The code is as followed, I - 1, N - 2, T - 3, R - 4, O - 5, D - 6, U - 7, C - 8, E - 9, S - 0.

   As an example, if you have a Johnson outboard motor with a serial number xxxxxECx, EC represents 98. The year of the motor is 1998.

4. Deciphering earlier Johnson outboard motors presents a greater challenge due to serial numbers not matching. The year in which the outboard motor was made is located in the model number. If the year the Johnson outboard motor was made was 1977, the serial number would be xxxxx77x.

5. Decoding Johnson outboard motors older than 1968 will require extensive research. Check the Bombardier website and look up the year and the horsepower.

References

• Warner's Dock Inc.: Johnson Model Year Codes
• Evinrude: Evinrude Timeline

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish