Bilge Pump...stereo not working.

O

O man

New Member
Jun 5, 2022
13
Boat Info
215 express cruiser 2001
Engines
Merc 5.0
Big question on a " new to me " 2001, 215 Express cruiser.
Bilge pump non functional auto or manual. Stereo nonfunctional.
Both are run from a common line from positive battery post.
All fuses are good.
is Bilge pump or float switch bad ? Bilge pump appears to be under motor block. Who designed THAT !
Trouble shooting is very difficult to say the least. Would appreciate any suggestions on how to proceed.
 
If bilge pump and float switch are both good and powered up, you can lift the float by hand and the pump will run, easy to check. You said it was non-functional, I assume you did that?
 
If you can't reach the float to test it, and boat can be pulled from water, another way is just put the garboard plug in the transom and run a garden hose into bilge. If pump doesn't work, just pull plug and drain it out.
 
Switch doesn't work when manipulated. Pump itself is really inaccessible ... under the motor...for easy testing.
I assume that the switch is shot. Pump / Maybe...maybe not.
The stereo not getting power confuses the issue. Why would one prevent the other from getting power? Fuses are sound. Replaced anyway.
Next move? Replace the switch. What ya'll say?
 
Stereo should not be wired directly to battery and def should not share the pump line. Get a dvm or test light to see where your losing power.
 
Specs say that it is wired this way to accommodate its memory. I have never seen anything quite like it.
 
@O man have you checked the ground buss, might be our old friend corrosion took it out? You’ll need to get a voltmeter and check the voltage in all the wires. Easier to get to item will be the switch. Test that it has 12 Volts DC going in and coming out. Then check the ground wire that goes to it to make sure it’s connected to the 12 volt DC negative buss just to make sure that it’s not just a bad ground keeping the indicator light from turning on. If that tests good next step will be to crawl into the bilge and fine the wire connectors for the pump. You’ll have to determine if it’s a newer pump with a built in electronic float switch or it it has an old school style manual float switch. Then test the three wires going into it. One should have 12v+ always on another only when the manual override is turned on at your switch. The last wire is the 12v- wire. If all three of these wires test okay then the pump is likely bad. If the wires have no voltage then your going to have to trace them back through the boat to find the fault.
 
I feel for you, man, electrical snafus like that will make you crazy.

so here’s my issue, previous owner of our boat installed two (???) amps and some serious speakers around cockpit, two of which I removed last weekend when I took out the extra side bench seat he had built in to accommodate said speakers. Stereo radio worked before, but now after disconnecting two speakers it will not power up!?!?!?

crazy electrical gremlins@$&#*’”$=-d&b
 
Ouch...if we were talking about access like say a car, I would have been doing such from the start. Problem is that I can't reach most of this...without cutting open conduit, making a mess etc. I'm not all that agile.
This is old school, a Rule 40A switch, pump is buried behind it ...can't really see it. I believe I can test the feed to the switch. There are only two wires here.
Admit it does sound like a grounding problem. Thanks.
 
As others have mentioned, it could also be a bad pump. Since it's DC, it won't make any noise if it's locked up to tell you it's bad. Let's just hope that you don't have to pull the engine to get to it! :eek:
@Bill Curtis: a "garboard" plug. Sheesh. Why is it everything nautical has some goofy name for it?
 
If I can get a valid test...I'll know what comes next. I'll move the pump before I panic.
My instincts tell me that its the switch. But the ground fault makes good sense.
In a pump / switch arraignment, the switch will go 1st. Former owner says it was all functional when he winterized. ( Grain of salt added here ) I drop it in water...bingo, no function...so , corrosion should be ruled out before taking action on new installs. We'll see.
 
@O man the two wires on the rule float switch should have one always hot (12v+) from the boats wire harness and the other wire to the positive lead, possibly spliced with the switched (12v+) from your control switch to the pumps positive wire. The black wire should be the ground from the pump to the boats wire harness. You should be able to get to these connectors without going under the engine. If a previous owner did the splices they may not have been waterproof or due to age they have corroded. I would strongly recommend testing for power in these wires first and replace the connectors with proper heat shrink ones. If there is power there than you know the pump is defective. The bilge maintenance contortion maneuver sucks but is doable to get in there and swap the pump if its bad. Worse case scenario maybe you have a friend with a small child that could crawl in there and help in exchange for some candy or something LOL.
 
I can reach the switch. My arms would need to be MUCH longer to even touch the pump. I suppose I will find the splice inside a conduit/wrap. I do not believe that previous owner touched this item. More of a paint the bottom kind of guy. Boat is just old.
Doubt I will get to this in the next 24 hours. Rain is due. Will need to get my hands on some heat shrink connectors before opening this can of worms.
I can use the boat, just need to manually pump. Water is not coming in from anywhere except rain. It rains a lot here on the Chesapeake.
Thanks all.
 
While we are at it, can someone ID these two black "things"? They are forward of the bilge pump switch, both have cables coming from them, appear to be held in place with adhesive and do not appear on any of Sea Ray's spec or manuals. Following the cables is the obvious next step, but if someone can ID them, it could save a lot of redundant effort.

Resized_20220606_163110.jpeg
 
From what I can tell from that picture, those appear to be through-hull transducers for fish finders and/or depth gauges.
 
I’m with @Nater Potater on this, look in your paperwork for whatever depth/fish finders you have mounted to verify that, if you don’t have Owner’s Manuals, check online, most manuals are available from Manufacturers, or if you must, try manuals.com.
 
Both of those are definitely transducers but without knowing what brand make or model a manual won’t help. If they aren’t in the way of anything leave them be.
 
As I am having no problems with the factory depth finder, I will work around them. 1 is loose. I have no fishfinder. I had assumed that 1 might be the depth, but the Sea Ray documentation places it elsewhere. Very little has been where Sea Ray 's documents locate items.
Thanks again all.
 
If you can and do gain access to the pump and switch and find a problem there, I'd replace them both proactively.

This doesn't seem to be something you want to twice or soon. Cheap insurance.
 
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