89 Champion livewell operation

Army Vet

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Joined
Sep 5, 2008
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2
Hey Guy's, I really need some advice. I inherited an 89 Champion Mean 15 Bass Boat. I am a little confused on the livewell operation. On the console is a switch for fill/aerate livewell. I put the plugs in both livewells and they fill up fine. However when I turn the aerator on it will keep adding water even over the overflow tubes. It does not appear to go down in the tubes. If I do not shut the pump off it will just keep filling the wells. Also under the throttle there is a cable called livewell controller. It has two settings, open and closed. How does this work. When I take the boat out of the water and pull the drain plugs from inside the livewells, all the water drains including the water in the overflow tubes. Where is the water supposed to go when it goes into the overflow tubes. Thanks for all the help.
 

SpinnerBait_Nut

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Aug 25, 2002
Messages
17,651
Re: 89 Champion livewell operation

Hey Guy's, I really need some advice. I inherited an 89 Champion Mean 15 Bass Boat. I am a little confused on the livewell operation. On the console is a switch for fill/aerate livewell. I put the plugs in both livewells and they fill up fine. However when I turn the aerator on it will keep adding water even over the overflow tubes. It does not appear to go down in the tubes. If I do not shut the pump off it will just keep filling the wells. Also under the throttle there is a cable called livewell controller. It has two settings, open and closed. How does this work. When I take the boat out of the water and pull the drain plugs from inside the livewells, all the water drains including the water in the overflow tubes. Where is the water supposed to go when it goes into the overflow tubes. Thanks for all the help.
The way they are suppose to work, is when wanting to keep water in the livewell, put the cable switch to closed.
If you leave it on open and take off up the lake it will suck all the water back out of it.
When you fill, it should fill to the overflow and go outside the boat.
Depending on where the livewell.
If it is on side, it will go out that side.
Look on outside of boat close to where it is and you should see a plastic hole, that is the overflow.
If no water is coming out there, you might have something up in it.
Insects love to build nest in them things.
Take you some compressed air and blow through it to make sure it's clear.
Oh, BTW, if the cable thing is working right, you should not have to plug the livewell/s up.
 

Army Vet

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Sep 5, 2008
Messages
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Re: 89 Champion livewell operation

Ok now I am really confused. The livewells are not on the sides of the boat but in the middle, one in front and one in back. On the rear deck by the fuel fill there is a rubber plug that water comes out of when the bilge pump is turned on. On the bottom of the transom there are four plugs. One with a screen over it that I assume is the livewell inlet, two that are one inch in diameter that water will come out of that has accumulated inside the hull and another one that is 5/8 in diameter that if I fill the livewells and pull the plugs inside the livewells will drain out this hole. When I take the boat out, I plug the two 1 inch holes on the transom and put a plug in each livewell on the bottom hole. When I get in the boat the livewells are dry till I put the switch on fill. The problem is that they will fill up and even when water goes in the overflow tubes, it will not go down. Not untill I take the boat out of the water and pull the plugs inside the livewells. So I cannot aerate because they just keep filing up with water. Am I not supposed tp put the plugs in the livewells? Does the water from the overflow get pumped out somehow? The first time I launced the boat, I did not put plugs in the livewells and when I parked my truck and got back they were full of water. I have never had a boat like this and do not have an owners manual.
 

Fed up

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 30, 2010
Messages
189
Re: 89 Champion livewell operation

I have a very similar boat...i have one livewell the one that you mentioned in the rear between the driver and passager seats. i do not plug anything when i hit the water...simply let them fill then i will pull the control knob (under the throttle control) then i can airate the well ...
on a side note when i first got the boat i cleaned everything...using a water hose to clear all the tubes....
 
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
1
Re: 89 Champion livewell operation

I also have an "89" Champion boat and I love it. I have some help with this issue and a question myself. I also do not plug my livewells. I open the valve under the throttle and and adjust the two swithes on the control panel that control the run time for the aerator and the run time for the fresh water pump. I have owned my boat for nearly two years and at first, it filled too full and ran over so I turned down the % of fill on the fresh water control and it worked perfectly until lately. Now, my livewell will only fill about half way regardless of how I set anything. I think my water level control switch may be out, but I cannot tell. Something may be stopped up. The real issue is that I do not understand how any of it is supposed to work and I do not have an owners manual. Any help with how to operate would be appreciated. I am currently researching this issue and will post anything I learn. Tx Champ Owner
 
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