It is vital for the owner of a Honda outboard motor to know what year the motor was manufactured. Not knowing the model year of the motor will make it impossible to order the correct parts to repair the motor in some cases. Knowing the model year of the Honda outboard will also allow the owner to purchase the correct repair manual for the engine, so that repairs can be properly done by the owner. Although it may seem like a difficult task at first, determining the model year of the Honda outboard motor by using the serial number is really a very simple task.
Locate the serial number plate on the right side of the outboard, just beneath the engine cover and close to the transom.
Wipe any soil off the serial number plate with a shop rag, so that all of the numbers in the serial number can be read clearly. Record the serial number, using a pencil and a piece of paper.
Turn on a computer with Internet access and open a browser. Paste http://www.iboats.com/basics/serial_number_year.html into the address bar of the browser and press the "Enter" key on the computer. This will open the serial number look-up section at Iboats.com.
Scroll down to the Honda Marine section on the Website. Compare the serial number in question to the charts displayed on the website to determine the model year of the Honda outboard in question.