New owner/Fluid in bilge question

[pmh5586]

Hi all-
First time boat owner who just bought a 2004 X10. Have a decent amount of experience behind the wheel of boats, but trailers and the mechanics of boats are new to me (not very mechanically inclined either).

Before I bought the boat I had a 40 point inspection done at a dealership that didn't raise any red flags. I have noticed that my oil pressure gauge pegs out at 80 psi constantly when moving, however I searched and found a thread that said this wasn't too uncommon and led me to believe it wasn't a big issue.

So now for the bilge issue. Took the boat out all day Sunday. Boat performed well with no noticeable problems. Left the boat tied up in a covered slip (not on a lift) overnight and took the boat out about 24 hours after it had initially been put in. Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon and I remembered that I had forgot to pull the plug so I went to do that. When I went to do this I found about 2-3 inches of water (just above the top of the t-shaped plug). In addition, there were some circles of greenish fluid and the water had a very "oily" feel. After draining, both the bilge area and the ski locker (with the center ballast bag) are pretty messy and oily. So...questions....A) This leads me to believe that the automatic bilge isn't turning on for some reason, is the best way to troubleshoot this by just running some water into the bilge area and testing? B) Any idea what the mystery fluid is (oil, transmission fluid, other?), and how concerned should I be?

Thanks for the help!

[bobx1]

1 - you probably have nothing to worry about.

2 - keep an eye on your fluid levels and check your filter for leaks (may not be tight enough) and make sure your dip sticks are good and snug.

3 - it is likely that the fluid you see in the bilge is from the last oil change and/or tranny service if the bilge has seen no or little water since your last service (I still have some fluids in my bilge from my last service as it is hard for it all to drain out).

4 - put some water in the bilge and turn the bilge switch to on and if it turns on (put your hand on it or ear to it) then see if it spits out water (if it does not then it may not be able to prime due to worn impeller blades). If it works, then swtich to auto and see if that works (if it does not, then you may have a bad float switch). Also, it takes a few inches of water in my center locker for that bilge to auto kick. Either way, a bilge pump replacement is cheap, easy and quick.

[broncotw]

Sounds pretty minor and I agree totally with bobx1's assessment..... Good to see a fellow Texan on the boards....