question about bilge pumps

[johnmr12]

I have a 2001 ranger 520vx that I bought in 2002. The guy I bought it from said it came with an automatic bilge pump. Well, my pumps never came on automatically but I never saw it as a big deal. I would just manually activate both pumps periodically to empty the bilge. But now the auto pump is blowing fuses so I am going to replace it. First of all, there is a 2 wire connector going from the motor to the wiring harness back to the console. Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't it have to have a direct connection to a battery? Second, I see nothing that would activate the unit when water filled the bilge. I expected to see a float switch but it looks exactly like the manual pump. So I am thinking it was never capable of auto function. When I buy a new one with the auto feature, does it come with 2 sets of wires? One to go to the manual switch at the console and one to go directly to the battery?

[mikesxpress]

Pictures of pumps installed in your bilge?

[gonnabe]

The pump doesn’t mount on a float switch it should be down there somewhere. The pump should have two quick connect wires.

[wmitch2]

Doesn't sound like you have an automatic pump. There should be something to activate it, like a float switch of some sort. You might try dumping a 5 gal bucket ogf water in it and see if it comes on. The auto function has to get power directly from the battery, turn of the breaker, unhook the plug to the pump and test it for power. No power=no auto function.

[bassboat1]

If you're blowing fuses, the impeller could be jammed on an old bait or a loose screw.

[johnmr12]

Both pumps are identical. Neither has a float switch. They both have two wires that go to a white plastic connector. The manual switch at the console is the type that you press once and it activates pump number one, press a second time and it activates pump two while pump one continues to run. There are indicator lights on the switch showing they are running. When you press the button a third time it turns off both pumps. My fuse panel has a 5 amp fuse marked manual bilge and another one marked auto bilge. The auto bilge fuse was blowing. Here is where I need help. I am replacing that pump that is blowing the fuse but the new pump has a float switch contained within the pump assembly so it will actually Be an automatic bilge pump. So the new pump has 3 wires. I am planning on splicing 2 wires to the existing plug so it will perform like the original pump when I activate the switch. That third wire is going to control power to the pump through the float switch. I can simply run that third wire to the battery and I assume it will turn on automatically when the float activates. But I want to be sure it is fuse protected in auto mode so I don't start a fire if the motor seizes up. Am I fuse protected if I install that third wire directly to the battery or am I supposed to route the third wire somewhere else? I am able to find info online that show how to install an auto pump using a 3 position switch but nothing that shows how to install it into an existing circuit that only has a manual switch.

[Rob4AU]

Some of the auto bilge pumps Do Not have a separate float switch and come on for couple seconds at 2.5 minute intervals and if no water is detected turn off if water is detected they pump until the water is removed. Most do have a manual override so they can be activated with the switch. Your pumps should be wired at the switch so they will either be fuse or breaker protected is why both wires go into the harness.

[johnmr12]

My pumps don't come on unless I manually activate them with the push button at the console.The fact that the auto bilge fuse blew tells me its wired through that circuit somehow. I just dont know how. I got in there and looked closer and I have 4 pumps, 2 for bilge and 2 for the livewell. All 4 have a black and brown wire going to a snap on connector, then all 4 black wires are crimped together into a splicer and only one black wire comes out the other side, so they all use a common ground terminal which I assume is on the ground bus under my console. The brown wires coming out of the livewell connectors are 2 colors but the bilge wires are both still brown. I have a fifth plastic connector that has nothing connected to it and just one brown/orange wire going into the bundle that goes to the circuits in the boat. Im wondering if that wire is used to control the float switch. Does anyone know where I could find a schematic for the wiring in my year and model? I tried calling Ranger but they were no help.

[jc2bg]

Did you look under the back/bilge lid for a wiring diagram?

[johnmr12]

Yeah, I didnt find anything but I put a volt meter on that brown/orange wire and it has 12 volts sitting on it. I have a feeling it's for the float switch wire.

[johnmr12]

I got the new pump today and it came with a black, brown, and red wire. Pretty obvious black is ground, brown is manual and red is auto. I spliced the black and brown to the existing connector and turned it on and it ran. I spliced the red wire to the brown/orange wire and tipped it upside down and it ran. So what I have concluded is when I bought the boat the salesman most likely said it is wired for an automatic bilge pump, not that it came with it. The boat is built for 2 bilge pumps so it has the 2 water output holes on the back, but it has 3 separate circuits. Two circuits are wired to the manual button at the console, which is how mine were installed. Then it has that hot wire sitting alone in a plastic connector in case you want to upgrade like I did.

[berwickbasser]

I have a 2000 520. I auto bilge switch on console is it supposed to be on on position mine didn't work the fuse was not there put one in and it constantly ran