bilge pump

tonythu · **Posted:** Wed May 25, 2011 10:36 pm

my 2007 190h 4.3l gxi volvo auto bilge pump kicks on even when dry, with the power off battery on. checked the float switch, thats doesn't seem to be the issue. turn off the battery or pull the fuse to shut it down. anyone experienced this?

Aussie_Horizon_190 · **Posted:** Wed May 25, 2011 10:45 pm

There should be a manual bilge switch in the dash that overrides the float switch - that's not turned on is it?? :oops:

If not, the switch could also be shorted or defective... maybe pull the wire from it to check.

tonythu · **Posted:** Thu May 26, 2011 8:41 pm

thanks, correction it is the manual pump. i think the switch is bad. i disconnected it at the dash (removed all the wires) and it still runs.

francless · **Joined:** Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:03 pm **Posts:** 38

hello!
Correct me if I'm wrong the bilge pump is run thru a switch on the dash but I think it also runs from power line looped at the connection to the pump from the battery. So it still has power even though you disconnect dash wiring. There just might be something caught underneath the float or a bad switch!
Cap't Zero

Paul I. · **Posted:** Fri May 27, 2011 2:33 pm

francless wrote:

hello!
Correct me if I'm wrong the bilge pump is run thru a switch on the dash but I think it also runs from power line looped at the connection to the pump from the battery. So it still has power even though you disconnect dash wiring. There just might be something caught underneath the float or a bad switch!
Cap't Zero

Yep!!

tonythu · **Posted:** Fri May 27, 2011 6:19 pm

thanks all, i think i'll start with a new switch. anyone know what brand FW uses i'd like to get one that matches the others. also can anyone ID the little rubber bubble switch cover next to the bilge pump switch? it has wires and some kind of plastic back, looks like a switch, yet has no switch under the bubble.

EvilZ · **Posted:** Fri May 27, 2011 7:14 pm

Are you talking about replacing the dash switch? It doesn't sound to me that that is your issue....

Personally, I would start at the pump and inspect the float switch for debris which is keeping the pump running (happened to me).

The pump is constantly running correct? Not cycling on and off?

tonythu · **Posted:** Sat May 28, 2011 12:17 pm

yes constantly running. no debris, checked that. and it is the manually switched pump thats running. ours is a dual setup, float activated one and a manual one.

jvthundercat · **Posted:** Sat May 28, 2011 12:57 pm

You have a bad float switch. Not the one on the dash. They will burn out and just run all the time. It's normal position is on and gets force open to shut off. If it burns out or it can break, it will be on all the time. You can purchase this separate or if it's all in one, you can either add a float switch, or replace the whole pump.

tonythu · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:42 am

problem solved! the dash switch had fallen apart. when i removed it, the back fell off in my hand. a new switch was under $20.00.
side note, the part# on the schematic is not correct i flipped a lid when the part kid told me it was $85.00.
(# was for a dimmer switch)

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:17 pm

tonythu wrote:

problem solved! the dash switch had fallen apart. when i removed it, the back fell off in my hand. a new switch was under $20.00.
side note, the part# on the schematic is not correct i flipped a lid when the part kid told me it was $85.00.
(# was for a dimmer switch)

Glad you found it. I had never considered the value of a working bilge pump as much as I did this past weekend. I happened to be cruising across the lake with my family and I shut the engine off to swim...thought it was odd that the bilge pump was automatically on. Looked in the engine compartment and saw about 4 inches of water in the bilge. Freaked out!...of course, when this isn't expected, a million things go through your head, most of which end up with the boat sitting at the bottom of the lake.

Turns out, the water hose that's used for attaching the garden hose had a slightly loose cap. Loose enough to let water leak while under water pressure. Scared the crap out of me. thank god for the bilge!

Graham R · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:33 am

Not doubting what happened, it must have beeen scary. If it's a VP though, that hose shouldn't have had any positive water pressure in it when the engine is running, as it's fitted on the suction side of the raw water pump. Could it have been syphoning? As standard, the end of that hose is not clamped to anything so it presumably can drop down below water level..

On mine, I've clamped it to the riser so the end can't ever be below the water level ( plus put a ball valve on the end).

Graham

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:17 am

auto bilge pumps are cheap. Wal mart price matches and you can score yourself a Attwood Sahara 500 auto for around $40

Misterbulbous · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:36 am

Graham R wrote:

Not doubting what happened, it must have beeen scary. If it's a VP though, that hose shouldn't have had any positive water pressure in it when the engine is running, as it's fitted on the suction side of the raw water pump. Could it have been syphoning? As standard, the end of that hose is not clamped to anything so it presumably can drop down below water level..

On mine, I've clamped it to the riser so the end can't ever be below the water level ( plus put a ball valve on the end).

Graham

If you're referring to me, yeah, I'm pretty sure that was the problem. Can't really explain why it was acting the way it was, but i think it was a culmination of several days of boating with just a tiny bit of water coming out the cap fitting. I'm nearly 100% positive that's where the water was coming from because the side of the motor was wet from spray. I tightened it up by hand and the problem went away. It wasn't a huge problem, just enough to scare you for a minute or two. Boated for several more days and never had the issue again.

Graham R · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:14 pm

Why don't you fit a quick release (push fit) hose fitting to the end of the hose? I hated the original screw on one that came with my boat, it always leaked when connected to a garden hose, maybe because the BSP thread on UK garden hoses is not quite the same as on the US threaded coupling. That's what I did ( ironically, it would probably have been cheaper for VP to have done the same !!!!.)

Graham

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