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Bilge pump / automatic does not work

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Jmonk

Jmonk

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I have notice last few times out in my jet boat that there was allot of water that I was draining when pulled out of water. When I turn on bilge pump it works, but seems to not turn on automatically.
When I got home I filled the engine compartment with water up over the bilge to confirm it was not working automatically. Did not turn on.

Does the motor have to be running for it to go on automatically?? I did change the fuse and it did not do the trick. Can anyone else give me next step??

Thanks for your help
Jmonk
 
There is a switch inside the pump that turns the pump on when the water gets to a certain level. The best thing is to take the pump out and clean it and check the switch while it is out.
 
How does a person even get that pump OUT?? Grinditout, I have no clue what a new one costs. Should the pump start when the water is high even when the engine is not on??

If the pump works by turning on the switch and not the automatic, the pump needs to be replaced??
 
Google riva seadoo, look thru parts catalog.
should be right beside the pump, match box size, silver with 2the wires.
pull it and use a meter, check for ohms, or continuity.
i would say that it should work with the computer timed out, so if left in water it would bail itself.
but do not quote me.
 
okay thanks for all the information. We are not real techie here, but how are you guys pulling that pump out. How do you get down there. I can hardly even though that pump without pulling muscles. )-: Is there a trick??

Joyce
 
It is beside the pump, young mans game.
i will need to pull the part and test it, will let you know on price.
might be a day or two.
 
The one I have is pop riveted to the mounting plate and then the mounting plate is pop riveted to the hull.
In such a way that you can not drill it, so dremel tool and patience, would be my best guess.
 
I have a 99 GSXL with an OEM Bilge pump. Yes the bracket is riveted but there are snap clips on the side which allows you to remove the pump. It's a Rule 500 pump.
 
The boats use a seperate water level sensor on the 96 it is pop riveted to.
but yes the bilge pump snaps in place.
 
I ended up deciding to bring in my boat and have them replace the bilge pump. They looked at it and told me the bilge that I have in there does not have a automatic in it, it is only turned on by the manual switch. They did find a water leak that they repaired.

Good to know.
 
Jmonk said:
I ended up deciding to bring in my boat and have them replace the bilge pump. They looked at it and told me the bilge that I have in there does not have a automatic in it, it is only turned on by the manual switch. They did find a water leak that they repaired.

Good to know.
Click to expand...
They told you wrong, your boat -all Sea Doo Jet boats utilize the rule pump that is manually switched at the dash and also controlled by the remote low profile water sensor. They do not use internal mechanical float switches as typically found in 2 way pumps which are more commonly used in the vast majority of boat installations due to the fact that water would rise over the starter motor(s) before it would reach a height sufficient to activate a float switch at that level in the bilge.

As another poster trying to sell you something stated, you have a water sensing switch riveted to a mount bracket directly in front of your pump on the floor of the boat and that is what keeps you afloat when underway to remove the water let in from the carbon seal.

It is possible to get down there with a scotch brite pad and some hot soapy water and gently clean that switch, it works simply by sensing it is immersed from water covering both points of contact on the exposed face of the sensor, it is riveted approximately 1" up off the floor and there is very little that can go wrong with it.
 
Riverluvr, thankyou for that great explaination. I thought there was something wrong with that information. I apologize I am not real technical, but not bad for being female. (-: when I pick it up I will try to get down and clean it up as I reread your post over a few times. Thank you. pictures would paint a thousand words. Thank you for your response and I will try to wash it off.. any other suggestions or detailed explainations would be greatly appreciated. Joyce
 
Let me try and take a picture of that switch and bracket for you and see if I can't figure out how to then draw an arrow or something to point to it directly or highlight it. Give me a few minutes please and I will give that a shot for you.

Also, I have some concerns over what that shop said and possibly did replacing the pump. We need to be 100% certain that the sensor switch is still wired correctly and is working as the Jet boats do not have the self bailing features via the jet pump assembly found in the ski's. They are totally dependant on the bilge pump to evacuate water while underway.
 
riverluvr, they did nothing to the bilge pump because they said because it turned on manually that there is nothing wrong with it. So that is good.

Your trouble and time is greatly appreciated!! Thanks a million. A picture would be fabulous.

Joyce
 
Oh good, we don't have to try and figure out a wiring problem now glad they left it alone. Ok, the pics were easier than I anticipated so the two red arrows are pointing to the water sensor mounting bracket and you will notice that there are two rivet heads visible in that picture of the bracket.

On the backside of the bracket where we can't see, those two rivets are holding the water sensor in place which in turn faces downward towards the bottom of the boat.

Anything that you can get slid in back of there like maybe a bottle brush or??? Use your imagination, but there are just two small metal orbs on the backside of that sensor and they are probably coated in the nasty residue commonly found in most bilges. They work simply by sensing that they are immersed in water and then in turn activate your bilge pump.

Also, I attached a picture of the two wire harness and plug in that allows the switch to complete the circuit to the pump, yours should look the same and be plugged in as well. If I lost you anywhere just say so, but the goal here is to get that sensor clean and then install the two transom drain plugs and let the boat bilge fill with water from the hose just to the level of that bracket and the pump should turn on by itself.

watersensorarrows.jpgWaterSensorWiring.jpg
 
Right now my boat is still at the shop, I will pick it up tomorrow (wish it was here) but I will definitely copy what you sent and go to work. My question is how did you get down so close to take the picture. When I look down I only see the top of the pump. now you have given me direction how what to look for. I am struggling trying to figure out how to contort my body to get down so low........:rolleyes:: thank you SOOO much.
 
I'm tall, and have long arms and hurt so bad most of the time anymore I don't give it much thought having to go places the human body ought not to be in.

So, something else to do while you're cleaning is to backflush the pump and that is done by introducing water from the hose at about a third to half pressure or so into the bilge discharge through hull fitting that is indicated by the red arrows in the attached picture I took. Don't mistake the motors threaded back flushing fitting immediately to left for the bilge discharge as that can only have water introduced into it while the motor is already started and running.

That will allow all the gunk stuck in the hose and the pumps lower strainer body that it snaps down into to reverse clean itself and you should see all kinds of garbage come running back out of the bilge pump by doing this. You'll want the drain plugs out of the boat for this and I always use a wet vac to get the crud out of the bilge. I quirt dawn dish soap into the discharge hole before I flush mine.

Here's a Pic of the pump showing the lower strainer basket that is typically screwed or epoxied to the bottom of the boat and you can see the little tabs that snap in place on the pump to secure and remove it from the intake strainer.
Rule 500.jpg

And the through hull bilge discharge fitting to backflush your pump located on the right side of the transom under the swim platform
Bilgeoutlet.jpg
 
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