Aft Bilge Pump issues

[Electricjetman787]

My aft bilge pump is not responding to commands from the helm or by manual activation of the float. The dash light remains on and the breaker does not trip. I have had to switch it off from the main DC breaker panel. So in either position the helm switch light remains on. It’s bizarre & it’s completely dead at the pump end. I had noticed whilst cleaning the bilge the breaker had tripped so I reset it and it stays in but the pump function is nil. I’ve had to manually trip the breaker so the helm switch light goes off. Any ideas please fellow experts?

 

[ttmott]

The brown/yellow-stripe wires are the battery positive from the circuit breaker. Two of them - one to the float switch and one to the helm switch.
The solid brown wire is the switch leg from the helm switch to the pump motor. The float switch leg and solid brown both tie to the pump motor positive lead. The solid brown wire also is the lamp wire.
It appears the float switch is stuck in the on position and ran the pump until it failed.

 

[Jacks-N-Rays]

Great detail ttmott! I have to test mine also. Thanks!

 

[Electricjetman787]

The brown/yellow-stripe wires are the battery positive from the circuit breaker. Two of them - one to the float switch and one to the helm switch.
The solid brown wire is the switch leg from the helm switch to the pump motor. The float switch leg and solid brown both tie to the pump motor positive lead. The solid brown wire also is the lamp wire.
It appears the float switch is stuck in the on position and ran the pump until it failed.

Thank you for your prompt response! I will have to get a new float switch and pump. Those two pumps at the aft look huge and different from the usual ones. I am guessing that is because they are high volume units. Another couple of hundred bucks then !

 

[Lenny3]

I had a similar issue with my 07 310. I found my helm bilge switch or EIM was activating (blue light on) the bilge pump and it ran until the pump failed. I replaced 2 pumps and 2 float switches until I figured it out.

(My boat has the soft touch pad switches that are known to fail)

Now, when not at the boat, I turn off both battery’s. (Bilge still operates on the float switch as it’s hooked directly to 12v)

 

[Electricjetman787]

The brown/yellow-stripe wires are the battery positive from the circuit breaker. Two of them - one to the float switch and one to the helm switch.
The solid brown wire is the switch leg from the helm switch to the pump motor. The float switch leg and solid brown both tie to the pump motor positive lead. The solid brown wire also is the lamp wire.
It appears the float switch is stuck in the on position and ran the pump until it failed.

After your post I had a closer look and it seems the wires were damaged probably by the mechanics who were working in the engine bays for the past 8 days. They seem to be fused together. There is a small vertical incision midway binding both the terminals!