Questions for 520L owners

[gsb0824]

I have a Z520L with a ProMax 250 and just can't seem to find a way to like it. I hope there are some current 520L owner's who could help me with a few questions. My dealer hasn't been a lot of help.

1. I have about 5-10 gallons of water coming out when I pull the boat out after a day of fishing. Is this normal? I do make sure the drain value is sealed shut before launching.
2. I have a 25P Fury prop. It is all I can do to get the boat to turn left. Steering even out of the water is hard. It is not enjoyable fighting this boat all day.
3. I struggle to get to 5600 rpms. I can get there, but what I have to do to get there makes the boat impossible to steer, i.e. raise the jackplate and trim all the way up.
4. Manual bilge runs, but does not pump out any water. Auto bilge does pump out water.
5. Cranking battery won't last a whole day fishing. I do run electronics bow and console most of the time, but the ole Interstate battery that came with the boat just can't keep up for some reason. Anyone else experience this?

I love fishing out of it and absolutely love the Ultrex and all the SI and DI electronics. But getting to the fishing spots and back to the ramp is disappointing to say the least. I have probably had about ten Ranger boats in my life and none seem to have the issues this one does. Today I got so fed up I left the lake because I could not get the front pole seat out of its holder. It just seems to be one thing or another. But with this being said, it sure does look good though!

[Matt1212]

Dealer has to make it right. Hate the problems for you. Good luck, keep us updated

[jimsch]

See what size starting battery they put in it. I knew better but didn't look at mine till later. They stuck a 27 instead of a 31. Saved them money.

[gsb0824]

I'll do that and thanks for the input. The cranking battery looks small, especially compared to the TM batteries. When I get down to red dots on the monitor, I basically have to start not using the electronics or at least start the motor and run a little while.

[tswilli]

I have a Ranger not a 520L but my bilge pump was the same way and i found the hose kinked. Fixed it myself but it was not easy. Pour some water in the discharge hole and is should run through the pump into the bilge area if not then the hose is probably kinked. Also you may have water coming into your live wells, it may take a little while for the Flowrite valve to seal, any dust or fiberglass will cause it to leak

[BrianFLA]

I had water coming in from 2 places: 1- the black plastic plate in splash well was not screwed down all the way and 2- those small round black disks that cover the holes in the splash well for the top set of bolts that mount the motor to the transom, one of them was not centered over the hole. Now my bilge in bone dry the last 3 times I took the boat out. Hope this helps.

[22RangerZ520R]

Can't help you with #1 - #4, but guys have complained about the 520L running slower with the Merc 250 ProXS. I don't care about the speed of mine, I didn't buy a Ranger because it was a "go fast boat"...

On #5, I bet you have the stock GARBAGE Interstate batteries that came with the boat and your starting battery is probably a group 27.... Get rid of all 4 of your batteries and get 4 quality 31 series AGM's (NorthStar/X2 or Deka), that will 100% solve your battery issues. I have (4) NorthStar/X2 31 series AGM's and I have zero issues running my two Solix 15's, 360 and starting the G2 at the end of the day.

[Riese619]

As for the batteries I have 31 and still having problems with the batteries all day haven’t noticed the other issues your talking about but try 24 prop . Thanks

[ericm]

1) Usual culprits are lack of proper sealant at rub rail, loose / broken livewell hose connections, (my Z20 had a puncture in it when new from the battery tie-down anchor above. Although this is a dealer issue, I'd recommend spending some time checking things out yourself just to get familiar with the layout.

2) No idea

3) See No. 2 above

4) Just like the leak, spend some time back in the bilge and check out the pumps. First verify the manual pump is running. If so, it may just be rotated up and around to where it is too high and out of contact with the water. Ranger often just zip-ties the pumps to the livewell plumbing and they can and do move around. That happened on my Z20 when new. Again, this is technically a dealer issue but you really should be familiar with the plumbing down there as things will go wrong down there over time.

5) Do exactly what 18RangerZ520 L said. I don't understand for the life of me why these boats get rigged with group 27 batteries. I mean really, it's an 80k rig, it's not like a good set of batteries is going to bump the price point up to where no one will buy them. It's friggin stupid! Now you're stuck with making it right. That sucks!

Hope all works out and you enjoy the rig!

[22RangerZ520R]

Are they AGM's? And what brand are they.....?

As for the batteries I have 31 and still having problems with the batteries all day haven’t noticed the other issues your talking about but try 24 prop . Thanks

[Jasonray]

Are they AGM's? And what brand are they.....?

Have all the same problems...!!! try some electrical tape around the black plate cover...just put it on the edge..where mine was leaking.

also mine will not run about 68-70...always hearing how Mercury detuned the 18s...not sure if the phoenix and bass cat guys are having same problem with their 2018 boats..and speed is a factor for me...i may run 60+ miles one way for a derby...time is money as they say

i switched to a 24 fury.. also make sure your if you have a hydraulic its is raised up enough...i was running mine on 2-4 like my C boat..that does not work for L boat...needs to be 9-12 range



interstate batteries are cheap and not reliable..best deal for ranger though.why they put them in..

never been more disappointed in a new ranger like i have this one...but it still rides good and not much back wash...just not what i expected for the money

[22RangerZ520R]

Correct.

interstate batteries are cheap and not reliable..best deal for ranger though.why they put them in..

[Rangerdawg]

Also mine was leaking cause even tho I had the drain plug closed it wasn’t really closed...needed lube.....try pushing it in with your finger almost guarantee it’s the issue.

[IDCI07]

Cant help with any of the issues because i dont have a Ranger yet, but i am in the market for a 520L, so i am following this.. this reminds me of the troubles i had a few years ago
when I ordered a brand new Legend V20. Nothing but issues.. so I hope you can figure it out, it is super frustrating dropping that amount of money and having that many problems. I know on the v20s they needed to have a hydraulic plate or they were absolutely horrible getting on plane... is this the same with the 520L? I ran a Bobs Hydraulic plate and it was awesome, helped holeshot and top end speed.... just a thought..

[22RangerZ520R]

Yeah, when you turn the lever to closed you have to twist it a tad tighter and you can feel it pop into place. It feels different than the live well lever, the live well doesn't have that extra "pop" when it's in place. It's hard to explain what it feels like, just twist it a little harder when you think you've already closed it....

Also mine was leaking cause even tho I had the drain plug closed it wasn’t really closed...needed lube.....try pushing it in with your finger almost guarantee it’s the issue.

[22RangerZ520R]

I've only had two issues with mine since I bought it back in January. One was the bow control panel fried and the second was a LED light strip went out in one of the compartments. Ranger was awesome about it and overnighted me both parts... My boat has been 100% flawless since.

As far as the hydraulic jackplate, who would drop that kind of money on a boat and not get one?!?! Kinda like getting a $80k+ Z520L with 5" or 7" graphs on it.....

Nothing but issues.. so I hope you can figure it out, it is super frustrating dropping that amount of money and having that many problems. I know on the v20s they needed to have a hydraulic plate or they were absolutely horrible getting on plane... is this the same with the 520L? I ran a Bobs Hydraulic plate and it was awesome, helped holeshot and top end speed.... just a thought..

[gsb0824]

I've only had two issues with mine since I bought it back in January. One was the bow control panel fried and the second was a LED light strip went out in one of the compartments. Ranger was awesome about it and overnighted me both parts... My boat has been 100% flawless since.

As far as the hydraulic jackplate, who would drop that kind of money on a boat and not get one?!?! Kinda like getting a $80k+ Z520L with 5" or 7" graphs on it.....

I have an Atlas jackplate. However, it came with the jack plate but no gauge. I had to get one installed. My biggest beef with the boat is it simply is too hard to steer and is a little lackluster in the performance department. I came out of a Z520 with a ProMax and it had lots of pep and acted like it had power steering. My next effort will be to replace the helm and get a new cranking battery.

[gsb0824]

Cant help with any of the issues because i dont have a Ranger yet, but i am in the market for a 520L, so i am following this.. this reminds me of the troubles i had a few years ago
when I ordered a brand new Legend V20. Nothing but issues.. so I hope you can figure it out, it is super frustrating dropping that amount of money and having that many problems. I know on the v20s they needed to have a hydraulic plate or they were absolutely horrible getting on plane... is this the same with the 520L? I ran a Bobs Hydraulic plate and it was awesome, helped holeshot and top end speed.... just a thought..

Hole shot is fine and I do have a hydraulic jackplate. I can live with 5500 rpms and about 68-69 mph. I can get it to 5600-5650 rpms and about 70 mph but it is very unsafe because I cannot steer the boat like this. It simply will not turn left and even out of the water it is sluggish to steer. I am going to have the dealer put in a new helm under warranty. I will probably go to a 24P Fury instead of the 25P. I will also check to ensure my hotfoot and throttle are set up correctly. Who knows, I may not even be at WOT. I think a prop with a lower pitch will help the steering as well. I will eventually find the leak, lube up the seat holes in the deck so they won't get stuck any longer, get a new cranking battery that is much larger, add about 3" to my legs so I won't be too far from the console even when the seat is adjusted as close as it will get, get a longer kill switch lanyard so I don't keep pulling it off every time I get up to do something or simply move, take the time necessary to learn how to configure the electronics correctly, and I should be good to go :) The one good thing is I installed a SI and DI transducer on the Ultrex myself. The manual said to install a choke on the charger to do this to eliminate interference. I neglected to do this because I didn't want to cut the leads from the charger. On the water, naturally, DI and SI didn't work. I played around with it for an hour and still didn't work. I finally did a factory default restore and magically they worked, and no interference. I dialed them in a little more after that and now from the bow I can see practically anything under me and around me. That in itself was a major milestone.

[jc2bg]

Hole shot is fine and I do have a hydraulic jackplate. I can live with 5500 rpms and about 68-69 mph. I can get it to 5600-5650 rpms and about 70 mph but it is very unsafe because I cannot steer the boat like this. It simply will not turn left and even out of the water it is sluggish to steer. I am going to have the dealer put in a new helm under warranty. I will probably go to a 24P Fury instead of the 25P. I will also check to ensure my hotfoot and throttle are set up correctly. Who knows, I may not even be at WOT. I think a prop with a lower pitch will help the steering as well. I will eventually find the leak, lube up the seat holes in the deck so they won't get stuck any longer, get a new cranking battery that is much larger, add about 3" to my legs so I won't be too far from the console even when the seat is adjusted as close as it will get, get a longer kill switch lanyard so I don't keep pulling it off every time I get up to do something or simply move, take the time necessary to learn how to configure the electronics correctly, and I should be good to go :).

That’s the spirit! Can’t keep a good man down.

[bbecnel]

same performance issues with a 2017 520c. the 25 fury didnt perform, poor hole shot. even with xtra 5/16 pvs holes added.. 5500 rpms, if i trimmed higher, couldnt drive it thru chine went with a 24 fury 4 , still only 5700 or so rpms but way better all around prop on my rig