Quick note these two areas are defintely ignored by most shops and techs during winterization.
Here's the rub guys. You take it in for winterizing not a maintenance check, so they don't look.
I heard of a boat,bougth from a big dealer, this summer, PDI'd in the spring the guy must have spent over $50,000 on the boat and at the 3rd tournament he lost his steering, loose fittings. Should have been caught at the PDI but wasn't probably becasue the squid doing the PDI is not experienced enough. There in lies the problem, cold weather, a rush of boats, lack of experience and poor shop attitude makes these problems occur more and more.
So what's the solution, I suggest you get to know the shop personnel or possibly the service manager and check out their trianing and experience. If it is a good shop they will have all the training certificates visible and maybe even want to hire a Master tech. Most shops around here don't want to spend the money on qualified techs so they get whomever walks in off the street. Thats how I got all my jobs in the marine industry, no resumes no checks on supposed experience. This is my prediction as it was 10 years ago, the customer is going to be more concerned about getting GOOD COMPETENT service over low boat packge prices. Tghe shift is coming and the industry is going to stand behind the dealers who recognize this paradijm and will let the dealers who are still in the dark ages fall by the roadside.
When I saw a boat dealer looking this spring for a parts person and service personnel in April and May, especially a service manager in the spring this is a mistake. Looking for your top guys just as the season starts is a major mistake and any businessman can tell you that. And to top it off they were advertising for top personnel the only problem is the remuneration they were offerring was not going to get them anything but underskilled personnel. The dealers do not want to pay what the TOP techs are worth. When I got my Master tech for Johnson/Evinrude my boss said that's nice and that was about it. Did I get a raise no did they advertise the fact no, was it recommended by the manufacturer YES.
Why does GM have GOODWRENCH, why does Chrysler have 5 star service???? People want it. The marine dealers have to step up or they are going DOWN. And for a dealer to let unskilled personnel answer technical questions on these boards is also a mistake. It's like the blind leading the blind, no offense to blind people. You get incomplete information and it couild lead to an accident and it's the lawyers who will look to blame someone, so I question the reasoning behind posting this type of incomplete information.
Now for the answer to your questions.
Hydraulic steering look for leaks if none are found check the fittings for tightness.
Tilt'n'trim one of the most ignored systems on your motor. Every 3 years change the fliud. Each year look for leaks and sweating around the scrapers and burp the system(bleed)
I teach this stuff as well as doing it myself.
Remember your dealer is only your friend if your are personnally acquainted with the owner or IF YOU ARE BUYING NEW. Other than that you are just another work order
and it's the proactive dealers that will see selling service is the evolution of the industry.
Here's a personal note; the big dealer I mentioned earlier who was looking for service and parts personnel, I sent the person concerned an email stating my qualifications and salary expectations and stated I can take their dealership to the next level, all the things they were advertising for and I think my salary expectations put him off as I recieved no reply,
so that tells me they want qualified people BUT DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THEM. That is the attitude that permeates the dealers in this area and it's sad. That's why I CAN'T work for them.
So be very specific what you need done and make sure it was done to YOUR expectations.
Got a few more weekends before the water freezes
And remember CAVEAT EMPTORE
