Z308
 

Hi Myself and a friend have recently purchased a Miriah Z308 made in 2000. The boat has been sitting in the dry dock for a few years and not used. We have spent a lot of time on cleaning the boat up and today we got 1 of the engines turning over but we are unable to get it to fire up. I was hoping some one would be able to advise me on where to get a user manual for the boat? and also if you have any ideas on the reason the engines will not fire up? is there an immobiliser? There is a key ignition and there is also keyless ignition for each engine.

Re: Z308
 

Welcome to the MOC willimcnally, and congrats on your "new" Z308! They sure are beautiful boats, and the flagship of the Mariah line.

As for your engine issues, there's a number of things it could be. It could be anything from a bad battery, to the safety switch on the shifter, bad wiring, or even worse, a bad engine. The best thing would be to either get it to a mechanic or if you're mechanically inclined, get a mercruiser service manual and start digging in.

You can start the engines with the key (easier), or with the keyless ignition. You'll need to know the code (could have been programmed by previous owner, or could be still the mercruiser factory code 0000). Enter the number, and hit the "run" button. This will start your bilge blowers. After a few minutes, you can hit the start button, and it will start. To stop the engine, hit the stop button. Once you've entered the code once, all you need to do is hit the run, then start button. When you stop, if you enter the code again and hit the stop button, this will lock it, and it will need the code again. This is the sequence you'll use every time you want to start without the key. It's a great "gadget" feature, and will come in handy if you ever forget your keys, but 9 times out of 10 you'll find it much easier to just use the key.

As for manuals, there is no specific manual for your Mariah. The manuals they provided were a basic book that was more of an introduction to boating and the rules of the road, rather than an instruction manual. In fact, the content never changed from 1990 to 2001. We do have many resources available here on the site, including the manuals, and also the specific systems, such as keyless ignition, electrical system diagrams, service manuals, etc, and since you're a silver contributor, you should have access to everything you need!

For all your other questions, feel free to search around the board, and post any questions you may have. We're a friendly bunch and can hopefully help you out! :wink_thumbup: