I had a similar issue with a 2011 Lowe Stinger 18HP. I sent a letter to Lowe, Mercury, and Brunswick. Getting no response, I posted the letter to their Facebook page. In 9 hours, I heard from the Lowe factory, they picked up my boat, took all my gear off, installed in a brand new 2014, and delivered back to my dealer at no charge. Service people stall, Marketing people act to protect the brand.