Older live well timer issue and replacement

[kmelford]

I have 96 Champion 186. The live well switch stopped working while on the water. I went from Manual to Auto and everything stopped working. I have confirmed that the pump is working well, and the on-off-on switch is working properly.

I found the old timer/circuit board under the dash. I disconnected all three wires, did some minor clean up on it, and reconnected the wires. After that all was working well. To me this is an indicator that the timer/circuit board should be replaced but not sure with what device. I just need to confirm a couple of things before I buy a new timer.

Because nothing worked when I had the issue (manual and auto), this seems to tell me that both wires from auto and manual go through the timer. Does anyone have any insight to this and can suggest what to buy to replace it?

Thank you again for everyones continued help. I have been able to solve a few wiring issues lately with the help of this forum.

[Tx Champ]

I've been wanting to get my hands on one of those timers for quite some to see where the failure is. Sounds like you may have stumbled across one of my theories in that surface corrosion on the board got across 2 or more of the pins of the timer IC. I would take a toothbrush and some vinegar and give it a good scrubbing then wash it with some RO or distilled water then lay it out in the sun to dry. If that is the problem, it will probably be a looong time before it happens again. The only thing I see is that in the Manual position, the timer is bypassed, so I don't know why it wouldn't work before if the pump is still good unless there was some corrosion built up on the switch terminals and you "cleaned" them of you pulled the wires off and put them back on.

[kmelford]

Tx Champ. Thank you for the input again! It's very helpful

Last night I traced down and tested the wiring. You are correct that the wiring in 'Manual' does bi-pass the timer. Now I'm not sure why it didn't run in manual when the timer stopped working as well. My next theory are those old re-settable fuses adjacent to the switches on the main panel just under the shifter (they are the white devices in the image below). When checking the pumps I had to disconnect everything to get access which may have reset the fuses (?). I previously tried resetting the fuses by pushing the button on it but it didn't seem to work. Do you know if these fuses can be replaced?

Thanks again!
fuse panel.jpg

[Champ 2001]

Was the fuse popped out? If so, and you tried to reset the fuse, but would not reset its either a direct short to ground or a weak/ bad fuse. Look on the side of the fuse and try to see what size it is. You should be able to get a replacement. The other option is to get a voltmeter and test for power in, power out. Lastly you can check for continuity through the fuse itself.

[kmelford]

I did test it with a voltmeter and power is coming through it. I may exchange it with another fuse that's not as important (horn) until I find a replacement. The reset button is normally under a rubber covering and can't tell it's actually popped. Thanks

[kmelford]

Here are some pics of the fuse. Let me know if you have any insight on what and where I can buy replacements. Thank you.
fuse 1.jpegfuse 2a.jpeg

[Champ 2001]

If power is going through the fuse, then it should be OK. DO you have 12 volts in and out? Does that fuse have a reset button.
? DID YOU CK for 12 volts at your pump?

[Champ 2001]

Also, you could apply 12 power to the wires from the console going to the pump, instead of bilge diving!

[kmelford]

Yes. I checked it going in and coming out. It makes me think it may be an intermittent issue. I may gave found 5A replacements. Just need to confirm that the spec lines up.

https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-CB4120...s%2C233&sr=1-2

[Champ 2001]

If you have power through the circuit breaker then I don't think that's where your problem is. Possibly swap it out with a KNOWN good circuit breaker. Question! Is everything else on your switch panel operational? I am wondering if you lost a ground on that pump? Sometimes, they use a ground connection for several different pumps, etc.

[kmelford]

Good thought. All other switches and devices are working fine. I also checked the pump and it's wiring and all was good.

I do recall when the issue occurred. The system was running in auto (hear and see the bubbles) and I switched it to Manual and it just stopped working. Both auto and manual would not work. Very weird. I do think something reset when I disconnected the battery, the switch and the timer. Because it worked after I put it all back together. It seems like a one time issue that may continue. I've already replaced the on-off-on switch and ordered a new timer and fuse. I hope the get it done this week and test it over the weekend.

[Tx Champ]

My next theory are those old re-settable fuses adjacent to the switches on the main panel just under the shifter (they are the white devices in the image below). When checking the pumps I had to disconnect everything to get access which may have reset the fuses (?). I previously tried resetting the fuses by pushing the button on it but it didn't seem to work. Do you know if these fuses can be replaced?

Those "resettable fuses" are circuit breakers. If they are tripped, you should feel a click when you push the button to reset them. They are available from many sources. New Wire Marine stocks them --> Marine Circuit Breaker | Fuse Replacement | New Wire Marine. They could become intermittent, but I've never run across one that was. If you replace them, be sure and stay with the rated current. There may be more than one value on your panel. That one is 5A. If the pump motor freezes up, you want it to trip the breaker rather than damage the wiring due to excessive current.

[Champ 2001]

Nice! Good luck and please keep us posted on how it turns out!

[kmelford]

Thank you for the insight. Will keep you posted. Thanks again! This interaction is very helpful and fun to go through the process!

[kmelford]

Update: I replaced the switch, the resettable fuse, and the timer. It worked well for several trips with the longest being about 4 hours. During a night tournament about a week ago the system stopped working again. I had to replenish my water manually for about the last. two hours of the tournament. Fish did well but it was stressful especially because we had a decent bag.

Voltage was good when I tested it at the switches and timer when I got home but the pump still wasn't running (frustrating!). I pulled and tested the pump again and it ran great when connected directly to the battery. I decided to replace the pump and redo the connections in the bilge area. Everything seems to be running through the switches accordingly.

Question - does anyone know if there's an intermediate connection point between the switch board at the console and pump, and if so, where is it? There may be short or something that needs to be corrected. If I can't find it and it happens again, I plan to just install new wires from the livewell switch to the pump.

Fyi - everything else on the switch panel at the console continues to work well (main power, horn, bilge, nav lights).

Thanks.