Livewell keeps filling up and causing bilge to run battery down....

[sunfish]

I posted this in Electrical, wiring, etc. forum but thought someone here might be able to answer this Cajun specific question: We have a Ragin Cajun 155 that we purchased with a camp recently. It has a livewell that won't turn off (my husband's theory) (or keeps filling up because of a leak - my theory). We had someone look at it and he disconnected what they said was the livewell fuse but it keeps filling up and the bilge goes off quite often...running the battery down consistently which causes my husband to call the boat all sorts of names - POS being the main one used....I searched the web for a manual or fuse diagram but didn't find one.
I don't want to get rid of the boat because my 7 year old and her friends enjoy being towed behind it....Hubby has a war eagle fishing boat and doesn't fish with this boat.....can anyone help me figure this out? Is there a plug, etc. that I can check in the livewell. I'm handy but remember I'm female.....use small words and keep it simple!

[Jonestrollingmotor]

Answered in the electrical forum. John

[DJ from MN]

Also posted in the Electrical Forum:

Well Mrs. Wood, Welcome to Cajun Country. Let me add to the advice the John gave you. His method to find out what is going on is dead on. Here is how some Cajuns are set up.
The drain valve on some Cajun's was controlled by a cable with the control lever by the drivers seat. Don't worry about that, just stick a plug in the bottom of the livewell. You see those Cajuns drained the livewell's back into the bilge area and if your cable is broke or the valve leaks it will continue to drain water into the boat. I dont know of any Cajun's that didn't overflow to the outside of the boat. However, that overflow hose was just a piece of garden hose and could have broken from age or came off the overflow tube.
This next part can get confusing. I'll try.

Cajun's have two switches that control the aerator pump. One is at the steering consol and the other is in the front panel. The one at the front panel over-rides the one at the consol. (for the convienience of the fisherman, he can control aeration without having to get up) The pump will not shut off at the consol if the switch in the front is not in the off position.

The switch at the consol: rocker switch, either on or off.

The switch(s) up front: 3 position rocker switch with a side timer switch.

Rocker switch: Center position = OFF

Rocker switch Top In = ON CONTINUOUS

Rocker switch Bottom In = ON, Timed....The timer switch is the round knob, dial like thingy, numbered from 1 to 60. Those numbers are the seconds of each minute that the pump runs when in the timed position.

There are two other switches up front, one works the tilt/trim motor and the other one turns the interior lights on and off.

My guess is the aerator switch at the front of the boat is on and the livewell dump valve leaks.

Another test: with the boat on the trailer and the rear (transom) plug out, fill the livewell with a garden hose. If it don't hold the water the dump valve is bad and water will drain out of the plug hole. If it will hold water to a little over half full and no water shows in the boat (runs out the rear drain) until you fill it to the top, the overflow hose is broken or off.

BTW, inform Mr. Wood that that POS was one of the "Top of the Line" boats in it's day but like anything else we all need some extra TLC as we get older

[sunfish]

Thanks DJ! I think that gives me the info I need to put it through its paces this weekend to ascertain the problem......I appreciate all your help!

[9204Antom]

Hi John, I am new to this site, have a Cajun 1995 and similar problems as the original poster (sunfish) back in 2009. I cannot find your response no matter how I structure the search. Long shot on my part I know but would you somehow be able to get me to your answer? Thanks for any help, Tony.

[316jughead]

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum. Post up your exact problem and model of Cajun.

[9204Antom]

Hi and thanks. It's a 1995 Cajun 1700 Travis Edition. Livewell at front and back. Switch at front panel and at steering wheel as many of the Cajuns seem to have. Also the valve at floor level (which I am not sure I understand). Boat typically never had the bilge working nor when the plug was removed from the transom any water draining out so always dry. Hadn't used the livewells in years and made an attempt to fill them which didn't happen. I also started getting plenty of water in the bilge area and the bilge pump started working with some regularity (not enough to keep me off the water). Also when I pulled the boat out of the water and pulled the plug (transom) plenty of water drained. When on the water I removed the cover from the access port in front of the engine and saw water actually squirting out of the aerator pump from a hole in the top of it which I assume is where the water is from (that gets into the bilge area). The pump is a Mayfair Marine Model 23701 (potentially the original?). I also don't hear the pump coming on but by reading some of the posts have learned the front switch controls and don't know that I have done things correctly in terms of the switches up front and at steering panel. Hopefully that helps as far as info. I don't understand how the water is getting into the pump and squirting out. So far I have been running the boat with out the drain plugs in each livewell. Thanks for any thoughts.

[316jughead]

Fresh water is pumped into the livewells from a fitting in the transom area. You could just plug it, if your not using the livewells, and pull the fuse or trip the breaker to cut off the electrical, or cut the wire if other pumps are on that circuit, that shouldn't be the case. The pump probably leaks without being on. The pump may also be the fitting at the transom area, it would have a big nut and the threads cut off at the back of the nut. That valve at the floor lever is probably to drain the livewells, they don't usually work for very long, they can be removed and replaced with a hose, then the livewells are drained by pulling the plug.

[9204Antom]

Thanks for the response. I do want to be able to use the livewells so will keep at it. I think you’re right about the pump leaking and am going to replace the pump which is mounted right at the transom level now, currently single outlet with a connector to two hoses, one for the front livewell and one for the back. I don’t believe the hoses are leaking, rear isn’t, will need to remove the floor at front to check those hoses.
Any idea where the fuse(s) would be for this boat?