[shanestiehl]

My Name is Shane and this is my first big boat Its seat are kinda dry rotted and the back deck pad on top I guess is the worst so any ideas on how to fix upholstery would be great. I have a lot of questions I need answered and no one or where to ask so please help if you can. I live in NC around the Albarmarle sound Chowan river to be exact. It is a good place to have fun in the summer if you have a boat so I have always wanted one and now I'm the proud and lost owner of A 18' Mariah Shabah . I have 3 kids and hope to enjoy this boat if I can work the quirks out Does any one know if blowers are standard on a 18'Mariah Shabah 180- 3.0 xl - Mer Cruiser. I see the nobs and were it says to turn fan on before starting but way does one knob turn one click and the other has 3 positions.how do they work? Is the CRTSY switch for the stern and bow lights.I have lights inside the boat but the gauges don't light and the stern and bow lights will not come on either,bulbs are good, Also how often should I have to put drive oil in the reservoir. This is my first boat so I'm kinda clue less sorry.

[m&mmariah]

Hi Shane; It's a good idea to change the gear oil in the outdrive once every boating season. I've noticed that I have to add some oil to the reservoir about once every season as well, maybe 1/2 inch of fluid. Besides telling you the level of the fluid, the reservoir also can tell you the condition of the fluid....if it looks milky, then it's contaminated with water, due to a bad seal. I'm de-winterrzing my boat this weekend, so I'll figure out what the three knobs do. I know one is for the blower, one if for lights, and I forgot what the third is for. Heck, I forgot if there's 3 or 2 knobs! I'll let you know. Funny how when you get old, you forget what all of the knobs do when the boat's put away for the winter! Also, be sure to have the rubber impeller changed every other year, so you're not left with a boat that overheats.

[shanestiehl]

Well I dug in and got out my volt meter and checked everything.To start with there is a small bus bar that holds all the grounds on a copper bar with about 6 screws on it. Three wires had bad grounds. I removed it and cleaned the copper bar up as well as the steel plate that is bolted to the boat that the copper bolts to. shortly after this I found the fuse panel behind the stern bow head rest. Here I found the problem which was corrosion once I clened this up everything came to life..the one switch is the blower and the 3 way switch is for the bow and stern lights..one way runs them both and one just runs as a anchor light. As far as the gear oil mine used quite a bit when I took it out.about half a reservoir and then I noticed to that it was down half again and I have not run it sense i refilled it..so Im baffled..No oil slick was in the and there is no gear oil any wear on the ground or on anything..I pulled the plug on the foot for a few seconds and the oil out of there looked ok so I'm stumped at this point unless someone serviced it before I got it and did not refill it in the proper manner they my have trapped air in it that is way it is slowly creeping down and I don't see any traces of it any were or traces of water in it either..Care to share your thoughts here. I will replace the water oump though so maybe I will see it then.