Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
    Location
    DFW
    Posts
    7

    1996 - Bilge, Livewell Fill, and Bubbler Questions

    I just bought a 1996 17 ft Champion. This is my first boat and I have been super excited about fixing it up. Last thing it needs is an overhaul of the bilge equipment to get everything running as it should. Forgive me if I am wrong about a few things. I have done a fair amount of research but it is still my first boat.

    Upon removing the fuel tank, I have what looks to be a broken bilge pump (replacing with one i already bought), and a broken livewell pump. I plan on using the hots and nuetrals that are already running to these pumps to wire in the new ones. However, I have a few questions. I want to wire these to my own switch panel which I plan on doing by taking the brown wires at the console out of the stock switch panel and placing them on my new panel.

    1) Does this model have a float switch for the bilge pump? (this is the single console with divided live wells in the back) How does it wire into the bilge and how can I make sure its connected/working? It looks like a past owner has messed with wiring in the past. Worst case, can I just use the brown wire I have at the dash and wire it into a rocker switch on my panel and have it just function manually?

    2) Behind the fuel tank and hatch, there is a wire group labeled "hydra air" that is just sitting there. Is equipment missing here? I dont see a way for a bubbler to connect to the back of the wells even if I bought one. It has a brown/White wire but i dont see this wire at the dash. Not sure where it runs to. Worst case, I plan on just buying a battery bubbler to use when I am on the trailer/going to weigh in (bad idea?) It looks like maybe the boat came equipped for the addition of the hydra air and just didnt come with one.

    3) The livewell pump was initially on a three way switch with "Auto" and "manual"-- neither of which were working. How does the auto work? Is there a timer somewhere? If so, would anyone know how it wires in/where I can find it? Would I just be able to connect my new livewell pump to the brown hot wire in the bilge and connect it to my new switch panel at the dash and have it work manually? That way I can just manually refresh water every so often by turning on the fill and having the overflow leave through the livewell overflow? Or, since its only an on/off switch will it automatically turn on to either manual or auto. I am fine with it working manually I just dont know if there is a timer somewhere along the way that it connects to.

    4) Also, where do all of these nuetrals ground to? Somewhere on the engine? At the dash?

    I basically just want to clean this whole situation up down here and wanted some insight on the best way to do it. This boat is old and wasnt the most taken care of. I just want all my accessories working and on a switch panel that i can assure is working. Please forgive how dirty the bilge area is in the photos. I plan on giving it a good wash this week.

    Any help is very much appreciated. This boat has already seen a huge transformation and its been very exciting. Been wanting my first boat since highschool and finally got it done a year out of college, even though it needs some work. Fixing this thing up has been a blast so far.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. Born on th Llano Estacado Tx Champ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Abilene, TX
    Posts
    20,809
    #2
    Tyler, Champion built two different models of most of the popular hulls throughout the 90s. The Elite models had all the available options as standard equipment and the Tournament or CX models that had the basic equipment needed. Yours appears to be a CX due to no Hydro pump and no float switch on a 2nd bilge pump.

    1) Being you appear to have a CX model, it probably did not have a float switch. It would have been standard on an Elite. The brown wire from the bilge pump should connect to the Bilge switch at the console. A float switch would connect to the brown wire of a second bilge pump through a 5A fuse and connect directly to the cranking battery.

    2) Hydro Air is for the livewell recirculating pump. Again since you have a CX model, it is not standard equipment. A pump would take water from near the bottom of the livewell and reintroduce it near the top via an aerator, typically a Flow-Rite Power Stream Aerator. If the holes are there with plugs, you could probably add the components. You may have a switch or plugged off location for a Hydro switch. It would be wired through the same timer as the Aerate switch with Auto/Off/Manual locations.

    3) The livewell (Aerate) switch does run through a timer on the Auto Position. It bypasses the timer for the Manual position, so that tells me you have an issue possibility with voltage delivery or a bad Aerate (fill) pump. The factory timer is not known for it’s durability mainly due the lack of weatherproofing, so it also could be defective, but you need to get the pump running in the Manual position first.

    4) OK, this is DC circuitry, not AC, so we don’t have neutrals. Neutrals aren’t always at ground potential. These are ground wires. There should be a ground buss under the console, some ground wires from the pumps in the bilge may run directly to the negative post on the cranking battery.

    Having over 40yrs in electronics and RF and working on my own Champions for the last 30 years, as well as helping others, I highly recommend not deviating from the factory wiring. The factory switch panel if broken can be replaced. Mark Majors with Major Manufacturing can 3D print new panels and does very nice work. Check him out. New switches and actuators if needed can be obtained from Rocker Switch Pros.

    I see a lot of guys that buy a boat that someone has modified the wiring or guys that buy a boat then post up “I’m gonna rewire this whole thing”. I can’t help that first guy since there’s no way of knowing what was done by a previous owner. The second guy is going to get crickets from me, cause I’m not going to contribute to deviating from the factory wiring. There is a factory harness in the hull that is pretty safe from these guys. The console wiring plugs into the main harness as does the bow panel. So my suggestion is to repair any wiring and put it back original. I’ll see if I have a set of schematics that would match your boat but need an email to send them to you.

    One last thing … take that nasty bilge to a car wash!

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2023
    Location
    DFW
    Posts
    7
    #3
    Thanks a ton Champ. All of that is very useful information. If you find the schematic that would be very much appreciated. It can be sent to tjanik03@gmail.com.

    And trust me, after digging around in there i wont be touching it until it gets a good wash haha!

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    Posts
    312
    #4
    If you want a wiring diagram, I have one

    So auto/manual bilge, auto is the float switch (constant power from battery goes to switch to activate bilge automatically, manual is thru a switch.

    Do you not have a switch panel already with bilge, livewell (hydro is livewell fill) and aero (aerate)?

    If not you need power going to middle contact of switch, brown going to pump on one side of the switch.

    I'm redoing my wiring after replacing a few pumps.

    I suggest taking a voltmeter and checking to see if you have power at the pump with each of the pumps in question before you replace ones you think are bad

    All the blacks connect together at a certain point according to the wiring diagram. Probably in the gunnel somewhere Haha
    Last edited by RickCamilleri; 03-18-2023 at 07:21 PM. Reason: Added info
    1995 Champion 190 dcx Elite

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    Posts
    312
    #5
    I emailed you the schematics. Check your junk folder. It was sent from my Gmail account

    Hope it helps. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
    1995 Champion 190 dcx Elite

  6. Champion Boats Moderator Lea's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Franklin, VA
    Posts
    48,833
    #6
    Hydro is NOT livewell fill, etc. It is simply a bubbler to add air to water already in livewell, and is an option. "Aerate"(standard equip) switch fills well, and when full, if switch left on either manual or auto, water can flow out overflow into lake, etc.

    If you have Hydro, the pump is on the back wall of the livewell. The Aerate pump is down in the bilge.

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2023
    Location
    Webster, MN
    Posts
    8
    #7
    Tx Champ, I have a 2001 206 Elite I bought from a dealer recently so I didn't get a good run down on all of the controls/switches. I am stuck trying to figure them out. If I am reading your post, the Elites came with an auto bilge on a float. Is there a switch to activate the bilge to run in auto mode, or is it just always ready to pump if there is enough water to raise the float? Also, is that what the second hole is for on the side of my boat next to the manual bilge exit hole? Thanks!

  8. Born on th Llano Estacado Tx Champ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Abilene, TX
    Posts
    20,809
    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Bigredmidwest View Post
    Tx Champ, I have a 2001 206 Elite I bought from a dealer recently so I didn't get a good run down on all of the controls/switches. I am stuck trying to figure them out. If I am reading your post, the Elites came with an auto bilge on a float. Is there a switch to activate the bilge to run in auto mode, or is it just always ready to pump if there is enough water to raise the float? Also, is that what the second hole is for on the side of my boat next to the manual bilge exit hole? Thanks!
    Mike, I have zero experience with the 198/206 wiring, but I can tell you how the 210 is wired and the older Mtn Home boats for that matter. The Auto bilge float is wired directly to the cranking battery via a 5A inline fuse in the brown lead of the float switch. Reasoning is that if the boat is unattended with the plug in, the bilge with come on with water intrusion such as a rain storm. The Bilge switch operates a 2nd pump connected to that switch. On the 210 MegaLink conversion, there is an Auto position which is basically the Off position of the Bilge switch. When the Bilge is On, both bilge pumps run. Hope it helps

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2023
    Location
    Webster, MN
    Posts
    8
    #9
    That does, I will look at the wiring. Thanks!

Tags for this Thread