XRS Bilge Pumps Question

[blazer202]

My 2015 21xrs has dual 1100 Sahara bilge pumps with 2 outlets on driver side. I noticed soon after I got it, that the bilge pumps do not operate with panel power switch in the "off" position. All boats I had previously had a direct wired bilge pump with float that would operate anytime the float activated it and turned off automatically.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, my aerator pump went out and I am going to take out the tank and replace aerator and fill pumps as well as repair my livewell drain shutoff.

Should I rewire the existing pumps (or one of them) direct to the battery or should I leave as is? Pumps should be okay because they have had much less use than the livewell pumps.

I have til now just turned the bilge on/off manually until it emptied rain/backwash water but come to think of it have never noticed if they would turn off automatically when the bilge is emptied. Currently, do they have a float switch in place to turn off automatically with the power switch in the "On" position?

Just wanting to make sure what is going on while i have the tank out. Thanks.

[Sleepy111]

Your bilge, at least 1 of them, should have an automatic float switch already. If not then I would replace one with one that has it to avoid what your dealing with now.

[blazer202]

Went out to the garage and turned on the power and then turned on the bilge. The plug was out on a 2 hr drive home last time I used it and has been sitting in the garage with the plug out so I know there is no water in the bilge. Pump came on an ran with no indication of turning off. It is either wired this way from the factory or something has the float jammed in the on position. Guess I will find out when I have time to pull the tank.

[Dan21XRS]

I checked the Bullet website and they don't have anything listed on there about any pumps, live well or bilge. Call the factory they should be able to give you the low down... Report back on what you find out, I'm interested now... Dan

[blazer202]

Pulled the tank today and found that the 3rd wire out of the bilge pumps(brown wire) was not connected on either pump. I also found 2 red wires not connected in the bilge. The brown wire is the float switch wire which is supposed to be hooked to a hot wire. Looks like somebody did not connect the automatic switch wires at the factory. Any reason they would do this and just leave the bilge pumps manual only?

Also very disappointed in the wiring in the bilge area. All connections were the cheap butt connectors which were not even the waterproof heat shrink type. Several connections had raw wire showing on either side of the butt splice.
My aerator pump had not failed as I first suspected but found the negative wire had pulled out of the crappy butt splice. All in all very disappointed in Bullet for letting this sorry wiring job out of the factory. I am going to redo all of the splices in the bilge and replace the pumps. I may also add a 2nd aerator pump and nozzle and wire it to the accessory switch on the dash panel so I will have a backup if the main pump fails again.

[Dan21XRS]

Thanks for the update... Although not very encouraging... Hopefully they did a better job with the newer additions... Dan

[blazer202]

Just as I speculated in the post above, when I connected the 2 red wires I found loose in the bilge to the 3rd wire from the bilge pumps (which were both unstripped and laying in the bilge) both pumps now work automatically by float activation with the console power switch on or off as you would expect them to work. Both still activate manually when the bilge switch is flipped on.

I installed new cartridges in the aerator and fill pumps and wired them in with waterproof splices. If I can figure out a suitable location, I am going to drill holes thru the livewell wall and install a new aerator pump and nozzle and wire it to the open accessory switch at the console so I will have a backup if the main aerator pump fails.

I will redo all of the many wire splices in the bilge and replace with waterproof splices.

Next I will replace the livewell drain valve which had broken at the arm on the valve.

I will probably give Bullet a call and tell them what I found. I am sure they can check the build records and see who worked on my boat and hopefully have a talk with them.

[opaleski]

I just purchased a new XRS. This is not to encouraging!! I hope Bullet helped you out on this problem?? Makes me want to pull my tank??

[Bullet_10]

All bilge connections are Deutsch Electrical Connectors other than Livewell lights .

[blazer202]

Spoke with Teresa and Tom at Bullet and found out some of the early boats were built before a XRS specific wiring harness was available. That may explain some of the wiring problems found in my bilge as if might have caused some confusion to the guy wiring it. As Tom stated above, the connections in the bilge on the newer boats are high quality waterproof Deutsch connectors so you guys with newer boats are probably good to go.

Also found out the livewell valve is no longer available and they are no longer being produced, mostly because of the lack of reliability. They are going to simple straight pipe drain with plug in the livewell on the newer boats.

I found the parts at Flow Rite to install a bottom drain in my livewell. I am going to drill a hole in the bottom of the livewell in the flat surface just to the left (looking toward stern) of the current "valley" in the bottom of the livewell and install at flat drain with removable plug there. They have several options for hoses and components for building your system however you want. Just run the drain hose to the current livewell outlet in the transom. Will still have a small amount of water to deal with after draining, but should be less than now.

In the old hole where the bottom drain was located, another aerator pump fits perfectly there and I will run a hose from the new aerator pump to a new spray head. I will wire it to an open accessory switch on the dash panel. That way, if the main aerator goes out, I will have a backup.

Should have the parts from Flow Rite early next week and be able to get the tank back in and go fishing soon after.

[crank68]

Tom at Bullet ask me to post a couple pics...
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