Bilge Pump Switch

[BobFino]

Having trouble with the helm switch that operates the fwd bilge pump. The pump it self works as it should when I lift and lower the float or turn on with the manual switch on the float. Looking at the wiring under the helm, I believe a wire is missing from the switch. Under the helm there is probably 10 or 12 wires maybe more not connected to anything, I assume these are part of a wire harness for other models or old wiring the prior owner did not remove. Out of the 10 or 12 only 4 would reach the switch but none of these seem to work. I attached a picture to hopefully help with what I am trying to explain. On the switch, the connection terminal on the bottom is open, this is where I believe a wire should be. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Chip S]

There should be a wire coming from the bilge pump for manual operation. See what color that wire is and then see if you can find the same color wire behind the helm. You can even trace the wire from the bilge pump to the helm if you get real ambitious.

Also check the fuse/breaker. My manual bilge pump switch didn't work when I bought my boat. The PO had put a 3 amp fuse in which was blown. The bilge pump had printed on it 3 amp draw, 5 amp fuse. I put a 5 amp fuse in and it worked fine. The start up draw of an electric motor is more than the running draw which is why it needs a 5 amp fuse.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Following wires on a 55' boat with 12,000 feet of wiring is a bit more challenging than on a 20' boat However, after making sure all power is off, an inexpensive DMM set to Ohms can be used to find the correct wire... along with a new length of wire used to extend one of the leads.

BUT... bilge pump wiring is brown. You most likely (should) have a brown and a brown w/red wire for each of those switches. It looks like the aft switch has at least a brown w/red? Are any of those "loose" wires brown w/red? I wonder if there was an issue with the switch and a previous owner simply disconnected it. Check voltages at each pin with and without the switch being turned on.

Here's another thing that can cause problems trying to figure this out... I see multiple types of connectors being used... which usually means someone has been in this area messing around before. That can sometimes present challenges to figuring things out.

 

[TNT8808]

Following wires on a 55' boat with 12,000 feet of wiring is a bit more challenging than on a 20' boat However, after making sure all power is off, an inexpensive DMM set to Ohms can be used to find the correct wire... along with a new length of wire used to extend one of the leads.

BUT... bilge pump wiring is brown. You most likely (should) have a brown and a brown w/red wire for each of those switches. It looks like the aft switch has at least a brown w/red? Are any of those "loose" wires brown w/red? I wonder if there was an issue with the switch and a previous owner simply disconnected it. Check voltages at each pin with and without the switch being turned on.

Here's another thing that can cause problems trying to figure this out... I see multiple types of connectors being used... which usually means someone has been in this area messing around before. That can sometimes present challenges to figuring things out.

I don't know if this matters but it appears there's a jumper going from the fwd bilge to the blower, and there's definitely a brown w/red wire connected to the accy.

 

[BobFino]

Thank you for the information. I did look at the wiring schematic for the boat and it does list a brown with red stripe wire for the bilge switch. However, the loose one under the helm does not reach the switch, so I know I shouldn't have, but I assumed it wasn't the right one. The jumper to the blower switch goes to the LED on the blower switch. I will recruit some help to listen down in the bilge and with the switch in the on position start making contact to each one with a jumper. I noticed all the different connections as well. Definitely meaning somebody was under there and making some changes. Update to follow. Thanks again.

 

[ttmott]

Thank you for the information. I did look at the wiring schematic for the boat and it does list a brown with red stripe wire for the bilge switch. However, the loose one under the helm does not reach the switch, so I know I shouldn't have, but I assumed it wasn't the right one. The jumper to the blower switch goes to the LED on the blower switch. I will recruit some help to listen down in the bilge and with the switch in the on position start making contact to each one with a jumper. I noticed all the different connections as well. Definitely meaning somebody was under there and making some changes. Update to follow. Thanks again.

It looks like someone has changed quite a bit of the wiring based upon your photo. The brown with red stripe is the +12VDC from the circuit breaker. The solid brown wire goes to the pump.
Your switch should have the brown with red stripe on the #2 terminal of the switch and the solid brown on the #1 terminal.
The black should be the -12VDC (ground) for the switch lamp and on terminal #7
There should be a jumper between the solid brown wire on terminal 1 (the wire to the pump) and the switch lamp terminal #8.
Note that many of the Carling switches that SR uses have an internal jumper between terminal 8 and terminal 1.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I noticed all the different connections as well. Definitely meaning somebody was under there and making some changes.

Wouldn't it be nice if a previous owner took a few extra minutes to at least LABEL what they did?


Good luck - I know what it's like to not only have to figure out the problem, but to FIRST figure out what the heck someone did previously!

 

[BobFino]

Well all is back as it should be, both bilge pumps work. I cut several wire ties and found the brown and the brown with the red stripe that where not connected. Not sure why, other then the prior owner was under there and made some changes. The sad part and shame on me is I must have never tried that switch. I did check the pumps to be sure they worked automatically quite often but not by the switch. The accessory switch from what I can tell does nothing. I tried everything I could with the switch off and everything powered up, so where all those wires go will remain a mystery, at least for now. Thanks again for the help.

 

[Lazy Daze]

So the wires were there, but they were purposefully removed and tucked away? And when you reconnected them the switch now acts as it should? Very weird.

 

[BobFino]

I agree, my guess is when some changes were being done they wrapped the wires and forgot to reconnect these to the switch.