Hi, We took delivery of a new SPX190...

[sparke15]

Hi, We took delivery of a new SPX190 sterndrive on the 1st April. We have under 40 hours on it and started to get a warning sound at the weekend. We contacted the dealer who checked it and said we were out of gearbox oil and low on power steering fluid. I wouldn’t have expected to have had to top either up so soon. Does anyone have any advice on how often these need topped up? Thanks.

[WaveDancer]

When we took delivery of a new SPX210 sterndrive in December the dealer told us it very common to use gear oil when new. I had to add a little in the beginning but it has been fine since.

[MoparBob]

I would add but monitor. You should not need to add any significant amount after everything is run in a few hours. Low gear oil in an older unit usually is the result of a leaky seal, but that should not be the case for a new unit. The comment about air is not entirely correct. When gear oil is added it gets pumped in from the drain and up into the gear lube monitor. That is done specifically to eliminate any destructive air in the system.

[gypsmjiminc]

I've owned boats for over 50 years and have NEVER had to add gear oil on ANY engine, whether brand spanking new or a 60 year old antique. Seals are a PM requirement.

[LOCALTOURIST]

I top it off every 6-8 months. I have a 260 SunDancer

[sparke15]

Thanks for the advice everyone 👍🏻

[Sun_Sport_290]

If it was properly topped off, you should not be using either on a routine basis. check every time you go out but if you are using any, there is an issue