[my97camaro]

I just recently bought a 2006 mariah back in February. have had it in the water about 4 times. can someone please educate me a little as far as maintenance. i have no idea about what fluid levels i need to check etc.

[indykoch]

I'll chime in, but I'm sure others will have better/more info...

Obviously, engine oil is a good thing to keep an eye on.
Lower unit drive oil (reservoir should be on the front of the engine to one side).
Trim hydraulic fluid (maybe not terribly important).
Grease in the zerks for the lower unit and trailer bearings.
Power steering fluid (again, maybe not terribly important).
Keep an eye on the temp gauge at all times (broken impeller can ruin everything)

It's all pretty simple. Main thing is to have an enjoyable time and not let the worries take time away from that. It's all important, but I've been with people that take away from the fun because they're too worried about something going wrong.

[bpfirrman]

http://www.mariahownersclub.com/foru...1&d=1192353996

Here is a link to a good checklist courtesy of Dudders. Very helpful.

[180diablo]

Welcome to the forums my97camaro...

Engine oil I routinely check before starting
I double check the spark plug wires to make sure they are seated fully on the cap (I have had one pop off while underway).
Indykoch made a good point about watching the temp gauge. Get into the habit of doing that.

It is a good idea to get yourself familiar with the engine compartment and how things are arranged, how connectors look, how tight everything might be etc etc etc. That way when you look around your engine bay you can say " hey wait a minute, why doesn't this seem right".

So each time I look around in the engine area, I look under, over and around again for anything that looks out of place.

bpfirrman: #14 on dudders list is the best!

[my97camaro]

okay well this should get me started hope im not the only female that doesnt know anything about a boat beings i bought it first to learn later lol.

[180diablo]

Even better! A female with a Mariah ...

Female or male, we all have to start at some place right. Take your time, do your research, ask questions and eventually it will become easier. We are all here to help one another out. We all share the exact same passion for our Mariahs.

If you need any help in locating something, ask or post some photos of what you are trying to identify and you will have your reply.

Last summer was my first time owning a sterndrive driven boat (im 30yrs old). Prior to this, the biggest boat I had access to was an old fibreglass boat with a 1960s 6hp Johnson outboard on the back. I have basically been around boats since I was a kid. But really knew nothing mechanical about them.

[180diablo]

Forgot to mention,

Check out this link for a tutorial on how to upload photos of your Mariah.

Click, Click

We love to look @ pics of other Mariahs... LOL.

[dudders]

Gidday 'my97camaro", welcome to the board, indykoch 180diablo and bpfirrman have all given you good advice, mostly about just getting out there and having fun. Do keep an eye on your temp gauge, the warning buzzer sound that you get before you start will sound if the engine does overheat or loose oil pressure etc, so that takes the pressure off you a bit.
The list of things to do that I put together ages ago I still use, and since doing this list and using it each time, I havent had a single problem.
So putting together your own list may help to take the worry away for you especially being new to all this - as I was.
I found going out a few times with just the other half and no one else around really helped too. This got us both into a routine that we were familiar and comfortable with - launching and retrieving especially.
I know MikeyT or Wetwilly will chime in explaining how to get your hands on documentation that may be handy for you, along with other usefull tips.
Good luck with your boating and please upload some pics - especially with that Camaro.

[my97camaro]

i will take some pics and upload hopefully after 4th of july weekend. as for the camaro sold about 4 years ago but its my email so easy to remember and just use it as always for all user id's. i am now an owner of a trans-am and an avalanche lol. gotta have the toys.