[235guy]

LOOKING AT BUYING A 1998 MARIAH 280Z AND WOULD LOVE SOME OWNER FEEDBACK ....... THANK YOU

[2 OWNER MARIAH]

I have owned my 99 for only one season, bought it from Marine Max in OK. It was low houred (90) and in very good condition.
At first I thought it was just way to big and I seemed to be overwhelmed by the size and all the features it had. Since I have owned it I feel real comfortable with the handling and the size (wish it was bigger now).
There are some things that you should check, these are 10-12 year old boats and stuff does wear out or quit. Things I needed to replace or fix, cabin radio, 12v inverter and batteries, starter, tachometer (sent to faria to be fixed), global gps map, holding tank for waste had to be fabricated and replaced (see pics), I did also update my tv.
They are a very well built boat with many comforts in the cabin area. If you have any other questions post them, I will try to help the best I can.

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by 2 OWNER MARIAH

(wish it was bigger now).

Dont we all.....

[Scotty]

This will be our 5th. season with our 99 280z. They are great boats for bigger bodies of water and will take where you want to go.However not knowing whether your purchasing from a private individual or a dealer, you should always get a second opinion from someone you trust.(so you don't wind up like we did with a repo.'d boat -- not disclosed by the dealer).
Trust me , repo's can get really expensive.

[phil purser]

hey guys i have just spent well over 18,000 on a new 502. we have not been happy we get towed in almost everytime we go out. what happends is will start up great then we run for an hour or so and tie up with friends. and when it is time to go she want fire up. we check the oil and it apears to be low, is there a sensor, or a oil monitor that is telling the boat not to start due to low oil? it seems the boat is smarter than the service guys and us . any feed back we be great, thanks phils wife sydney

[WetWilly]

Hi Phil's wife, Sydney,

If it's fuel injected, then it may be an oil pressure switch in-line with the fuel pump power. Most injected Mercruisers have it and it's designed to stop the fuel pump if the oil pressure drops below a certain PSI when running but I guess it's possible if it's faulty, it may create your starting situation as well.

If your comfortable with working on the electrics, follow the power lead from the fuel pump and it should run to a oil pressure sensor, next time it doesn't want to start, try bypassing the sensor and see if the motor will start up.

If you still have the same problem, it might have something to do with heat-soaking. How long after you tie-up before you try to restart the motor?

WetWilly

[Z280Bob]

Originally Posted by 235guy

LOOKING AT BUYING A 1998 MARIAH 280Z AND WOULD LOVE SOME OWNER FEEDBACK ....... THANK YOU

I'm an brand new boater and Mariah 1999 280Z owner. I bought the boat from a reputable marina and had a marine survey which revealed a speedometer that didn't work along with a bad helm radio. The marina will repair these two items at their cost. Most people may not consider a marine inspection since it cost me around $330 but I would recommend it for you, especially if you are buying from a private party. There is also a service which I did not try that is like Carfax for cars which will reveal any major damage. I believe my marine surveyor check the service. So far I am extremely happy with the boat which was also bottom painted last year which is another must if you are going to leave it in the water all season like I do.