2011 Ranger Z520

[gambler1]

Just bought this boat and learning all the function of it so I will be asking some questions as time goes on.
1. On the lower outside transom I have drain plug at the bottom, just to the left is the livewell intake with large plastic screen cover. Assuming there is only 1 water intake for the live well right?
Then what is the unplugged hole on the right side of the drain plug for? Deck drain maybe?

2. On the driver side behind the shift lever is the live well function 3 position dial.
I understand that left is recirculate, center is empty, right is auto - for fill and recirculate. Recirculate and empty work fine but
Testing the auto function with the boat out of the water and live well full of water, the water drains out as if the dial is set on empty.
Do you believe it's the "dial" that is bad or the control valve at the other end?

[Rip Bass]

The 1”( approximately) drain is the live well overflow.If the water drains from the livewell with the valve set on empty,it is working as it should. Empty empties out the well. Recirculate shuts off lake water and the pumps recirculate the water in the well. Fill allows the pumps to pump in fresh lake water. Sounds like you don’t have a problem.

[JR19]

1. As previously stated the livewell has a overflow. The open unplugged hole you described is where water from you livewell exits the overflow and goes back into the lake. To check this theory put your control valve in recirculate and use a water hose to fill it with water while sitting in your driveway. Once the water level gets higher than the overflow water water should exit out the hole you described.

2. The center position is empty. I like to refer to it as drain open because that is what it does. When in empty it opens the drain so all water is drained out of the livewell...Recirculate I like to call closed because that is what it does. It closes the drain valve so no water will exit out the drain. I think the reason its called recirculation is because this is the setting used when you want to recirculate water. You simply close everything and the pumps recirculate water that is inside the livewell...Auto, I am not a fan of this setting because it is common for it to fail and if it does your livewell can be sucked dry of water with a limit of fish in it while your up on plane moving around. Auto allows the flapper to open when the boat is setting still. The theory is as I understand it is water will gravity recirculate on its own via the open flap in the system. Once the momentum of the boat starts forward as you go to get on plane the flapper is suppose to close thus allowing no water to exit the livewell. Here is where I have seen issues so let me explain. In auto you get on plane and the flap does not close with the forward momentum of your boat as you get on plane. All the water is suck out of the livewell as you run down the lake. You stop and hear your limit of fish flopping around in a dry livewell.

Long story short I use two settings...empty or as I call it open or drain. Recirculation which I call closed because that is what it does it closes the system to hold water.

As for pumps fresh water fill simply brings in fresh water. Once the livewell is full it should drain excess water out the overflow like I described in #1. Then you have recirculation pumps. They simply recirculate water you already have inside your livewell...pending water temperature and how deep fish are caught I might use both pumps together or only recirculate or only fill.

[Jeff Hahn]

If the dial is set on AUTO and the water drains out of the livewell, you have crud built up on the flappers inside the livewell control valve or the flappers inside the valve have dry rotted. You can get new flappers from Flowrite.

[gambler1]

Would it be better to change out the valve? All the batteries, charger, pp pumps, jackplate pump and tray all have to come out to do this job right?

[JR19]

Empty opens the valve and lets it drain and re-circulate closes the valve to stop water from draining...as long as those two features work I would not worry about auto. My auto has been broke for about 15 years and I have no issues keeping fish in my livewell.

[RTex]

also, just like when you trailer or lift or get on plane, the empty setting will drain the livewell, empty allows water to fill to level naturally when you first launch, if you like that.

[gambler1]

If I leave the valve setting on recirculate without the pump on will it keep water out of the live well until I'm ready to put it in? I know it will fill to outside level with it on empty but will it fill all the way with pump fill on? and then close valve to recirculate to keep water in?

also, just like when you trailer or lift or get on plane, the empty setting will drain the livewell, empty allows water to fill to level naturally when you first launch, if you like that.

[Jeff Hahn]

Would it be better to change out the valve? All the batteries, charger, pp pumps, jackplate pump and tray all have to come out to do this job right?

You can replace the valve, if you wish. But, there's really no need to. The flappers hang on little pegs and can be replaced in a few seconds. The hardest part if getting the valve in a position that you can work on it. It would be a ROYAL PITA to try to remove the water hoses attached to the valve in order to replace the whole thing.

[RTex]

If I leave the valve setting on recirculate without the pump on will it keep water out of the live well until I'm ready to put it in? I know it will fill to outside level with it on empty but will it fill all the way with pump fill on? and then close valve to recirculate to keep water in?

yes, recirc will keep the water out when empty (or hold it in for actual recirculation when full)

[gambler1]

Thanks

yes, recirc will keep the water out when empty (or hold it in for actual recirculation when full)