# Live well pump switch.



## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Not sure where my problem is at this point. Last time out my live well pump stayed on. I ended up pulling the line off the fuse block. Got a new switch but same issue. On -off-on switch which also operates aerator pump. That part works. Could the pump itself be shorted some way ? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks


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## Rodbuster (Apr 14, 2004)

Take a volt meter and see if the switch has power all the time. Sounds like a wiring problem.


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Rodbuster said:


> Take a volt meter and see if the switch has power all the time. Sounds like a wiring problem.


 Thanks, I'm going to trace all the wiring from the pumps to the fuse block when I get some free time. Probably going to take some time as everything is enclosed. Can't figure out in my mind why the new switch didn't cure the problem. I reversed the wiring and the aerator works fine in either position. Doesn't make sense as to why the fill pump won't shut off. It has to be in the wiring some where.Thanks again. Ernie


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Thinkin wiring issue myself. Current has to be getting to the pump from someplace for it to operate. A shorted pump cannot produce its own current to run. Your going to have to find out where that current is coming from.
If you flip the switch off, and the pump still runs, start at the pump testing both the hot and ground wire for power.
If ground is hot, you have ground touching hot somewhere. This is most likely not the case cause your fuse is not blowing...but stranger things have happened and it won't cost anything to check this first.
Then test red(hot) wire. If there is current on that wire(which there will be if the mtr is running), trace that hot wire back up.

Does hot wire go directly to the on-off switch, or does it go to a timer, then to the on-off switch? Is there a timer involved in this system at all?

If it goes directly to on-off switch from pump, test hot wire at where you have it plugged onto switch. If there is current there, disconnect hot wire from switch and test wire. If there is current on that wire, that wire is rubbed somewhere against another hot source feeding back. If the wire isn't hot, test the bare prong on the switch. If it's hot, you most likely have a switch that has a hot post all the time as long as current is coming into the switch. 

You say the aerator works as it should. With switch off aerator doesn't run. But the livewell pump still does. Correct?

If that's the case, I'm assuming on the back of the switch that the livewell pump wire and the aerator wire are connected to different prongs

How many prongs are on back of switch and how do you have it wired? A pic. would be nice.

Again, You may have a switch that has a positive post all the time as long as you have current coming into the switch. If that's the case and you have some vacant prongs on back of the switch, test those prongs to see if the power goes on/off when operating the switch. If you find one that does, connect your livewell pump wire to that prong. If you do not have any vacant prongs on the back of the switch and your aerator and livewell wires are on separate prongs, and your aerator is working as it should, put livewell wire on the same prong your aerator is on.


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Thanks Fastwater for all the input. The switch has 3 prongs on it . The aerator seems to be ok and it is supposedly on a timer. Haven't dug into it completely but will try to this week end. This is on a Starcraft Superfisherman 190 so it's going to be a bit of a job to trace the wiring. I'm thinking a wire is shorted out in some way maybe at the pump. maybe something to do with the timer if I locate it. I don't think the problem is there because the fill pump was not on a timer just the aerator pump. I know it doesn't sound right but like you said weird things can happen with electrical components. Thanks again.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Yes, older boat wiring can be a real nightmare...A few years ago when I ran up my 1985 four winns in the driveway for the first time in the spring it started right up, ran fine until it warmed up and just shut down. Let the engine cool down, starts right up and keeps shutting down every time it warms up.
This was a real bear to troubleshoot but I determined that the temp bulb wire going to the gage and the hot lead to the coil were melted together inside the wire bundle killing the engine when the temp bulb heated up and started to provide ground to the temp gage. Rather than tearing into the hard to get to bundle I cut off the temp bulb wire and ran a new wire to the gage and it's being fine ever since.
It sounds like you have a similar problem, something is providing power to the pump from somewhere!


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

The switch with the three wire connections on the back does it have a power indicator light on it?


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Fishingisfun said:


> The switch with the three wire connections on the back does it have a power indicator light on it?


 No power indicator light. Haven't had a chance to get into it completely but I'm leaning toward a grounding problem in the pump itself. Going to buy a new one since this one is at least 4 yrs old. Then start from scratch and see what happens. Funny thing is I have a little mini garden tiller that won't shut down when I push the kill switch. Even tried a jumper to by pass the switch. Wonder what the 3rd problem will be.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

The tiller should be an easy fix, a magneto shuts down by grounding the primary of the coil. The switch itself is usually grounded so I would check that first, or a loose or no connection to the coil!


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

Try pulling the pump and wire it independent of the boat wiring to see if it turns on and off properly before you purchased that new pump. If it operates properly the problem is in the wiring. Instead of using the pump as an indicator connect a twelve volt lamp in place of the pump and begin checking your circuits to see if your light turns off. As others has said many problems come from bad negative voltage connections in 12 CDC systems. If you are familiar with using a volt ohm meter VOM you can check proper grounds by using battery positive and the negative probe to confirm the grounds at the device are active with a 12vdc reading. The lack of voltage reading indicates an open ground to the device. Good luck.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Fishingisfun said:


> Try pulling the pump and wire it independent of the boat wiring to see if it turns on and off properly before you purchased that new pump. If it operates properly the problem is in the wiring. Instead of using the pump as an indicator connect a twelve volt lamp in place of the pump and begin checking your circuits to see if your light turns off. As others has said many problems come from bad negative voltage connections in 12 CDC systems. If you are familiar with using a volt ohm meter VOM you can check proper grounds by using battery positive and the negative probe to confirm the grounds at the device are active with a 12vdc reading. The lack of voltage reading indicates an open ground to the device. Good luck.


Excellent Fishingisfun!
And FWIW, if you have a continuity tester, you can use it in place of the 12v light and do the same circuit testing on both positive and negative runs.
A continuity tester is an excellent way to find broken grounds and for testing the operation of switches,timers etc.
A continuity tester can also be helpful when testing for wiring that has rubbed from one wire to the next in hidden areas.
Example:
A problem being power on a wire that shouldn't be carrying a load. You have a wire loom that is hidden with no known switches a in the hidden area. Again, You have power to a wire that there shouldn't be power to and the possible cause is that wire has rubbed through to a hot wire.
If you test the continuity with one probe of the tester hooked to the wire in the loom that is hot but not supposed to be, and one at a time, touch the other probe of the tester to the other wires in the loom, when you show continuity, you'll know which wire your wire that is not supposed to be hot but is is shorted against.
Years ago, on friends boat trailer, he kept blowing light fuses. Checked bulbs, light fixtures and their grounds and the obvious wiring I could get to. Ended up using continuity tester hooking probe to trailer frame and testing hot wires to lights. Bingo, had continuity between hot wire to right taillight and frame. Pulled loom out of frame and sure enough, wire rubbed through touching frame.


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

Thanks for all the input everyone. Have to make some room in the garage so I can work on it out of the weather. Wife keeps telling me I have to much junk (  ). Mostly good junk though is what I tell her. Thanks again.


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## BlueMax (Dec 3, 2006)

A bad pump will not run. That is not your problem


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## E- man (Jan 25, 2014)

BlueMax said:


> A bad pump will not run. That is not your problem


 Thanks , haven't had a chance to dig into it. Don't know what the life is on those pumps but I've had the boat 4yrs, just thought while I had everything accessed I'd throw in a new one.


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