Tracker PT175 live well question

I recently acquired a 2004 Tracker PT175 bass boat. So far it's been very nice, but I'm trying to figure out how the live well is supposed to work. There are 2 switches on the dash that I think have to do with the live well, one says Aerator, the other Recirculate (I think). Both have auto and manual settings. I can get water to pump out of the live well with the recirculate switch, but I can't figure out how to get water to fill the live well. The aerator switch doesn't do anything that I can tell, so I'm guessing that something is not working. Can anybody tell me how these are supposed to work? Thanks.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Anybody?

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Hey Tracker Dave, Went thru same issues trying to figure mine out (2000 Tracker Pro Deep V 17).. I am forwarding reply i received JIGNGRUB.....May help, not sure how your setup is, If not, at least I answered


If your livewell and baitwell is the same as mine it will have a stand pipe in the center of it that plugs into the bottom, you put the pipe in to fill the wells and pull it out to drain them. My livewell switch is a toggle type, push it in at the top and it is recirculate, middle position is off, and push in at bottom is fill. There are white 1/2" pvc pipes at the top of both wells, these pipes have caps on them with 2 slots cut into them. Screwing the caps in will turn off the incoming water and screwing them out turn it on, you may want to check those if yours is the same. Another thing you may want to check is the livewell fill pump. It's located at the transom with a round black access hatch that screws in and out at the splashwell. Your fill pump may be burnt up. Mime went out and all I had was recirculate. The recirculate pump is located on the livewell with an access panel under the steering console.

I really don't understand how you're getting water into your wells with just the recirculate pump. Maybe they changed the design.

Do you have or can you take any pics of your livewell and the outside bottom of your transom?

This is a pic of the outside bottom of my transom.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Thanks for the reply shurt, but I think my setup is different. I don't have a standpipe, and the white pvc pipe at the top of mine looks like a fill pipe with no cap. I'm guessing that my fill pump is shot, and there is no access hole so changing it is going to be a pain.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Dave,
I have just bought an 05 PT175 with the same setup and problem. The only water I get in the live well comes half way up the recirculate pickup hole at the bottom of the live well. When I manually fill the tank it drains back out through the recirculate pickup at the bottom of the tank. When I turn on the recirculate pump it pulls the water out of the tank and discharges it out the discharge pipe out the back of the boat. My aerator doesn't work either. If I get it figured out i'll reply back and let you know what I found.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Sounds like exactly what mine does (and doesn't do). You can manually fill it by putting the plug in the bottom hole, and adding water, but I would like for it to work properly. I haven't had much time to work on mine since the boat is 200 miles away at our camp, but I may go up there this weekend, and if I get a chance to fiddle with it, I'll let you know what I find.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Have you checked the aerator pump to see if it is working? Can you hear it humming when you flip the switch? Those things go bad/die after a while, they're about $30 at Wal-mart.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

i also just bought an 04 pt 175 that the aerator and live well is not operating right, does anyone have any good thoughts all my pumps make noise such they are working. if i add water by a hand bucket the pump empties the well but the fill is not filling and no water comes in through aerator.
On the back wall of the well overflow drain hole and there are two threaded pipes one white one black

also the aerator bar is located on the back wall
also a plug hole on the bottom for manual drain
there is 2 rocker switches on the dash for aerator and fill operations

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Tracker Dave said:

Sounds like exactly what mine does (and doesn't do). You can manually fill it by putting the plug in the bottom hole, and adding water, but I would like for it to work properly. I haven't had much time to work on mine since the boat is 200 miles away at our camp, but I may go up there this weekend, and if I get a chance to fiddle with it, I'll let you know what I find.

Click to expand...

Dave,
I had a chance to fool around with my livewell last weekend. I haven't got the aerator to work but a new pump will fix that. I have the recirculator pump working though. I still have to fill the livewell manually until I get the aerator to work. The recirculate pump has two functions on my livewell, it recirculates and pumps the water out of the livewell. The way you get it to do that is pulling or pushing the nozzle in or out for the recirculator. On my livewell this nozzle is on the top right side of the livewell if you are standing by the steering wheel and looking toward the motor. This nozzle is red and white on mine and is fairly stiff so you have to give it a good pull or push. Pushed in it pumps the water out of the livewell and pulled out it recirculates. Hope this helps.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

501677311 said:

Dave,
I had a chance to fool around with my livewell last weekend. I haven't got the aerator to work but a new pump will fix that. I have the recirculator pump working though. I still have to fill the livewell manually until I get the aerator to work. The recirculate pump has two functions on my livewell, it recirculates and pumps the water out of the livewell. The way you get it to do that is pulling or pushing the nozzle in or out for the recirculator. On my livewell this nozzle is on the top right side of the livewell if you are standing by the steering wheel and looking toward the motor. This nozzle is red and white on mine and is fairly stiff so you have to give it a good pull or push. Pushed in it pumps the water out of the livewell and pulled out it recirculates. Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Thanks, that does help! I'll see if mine has the same setup, but it probably does. Sounds like the aerator pump takes care of the filling operations and mine is not working. I am going up to the camp this weekend, so if I find out any more information about mine I'll let you know.

Northernman, you may want to check yours to see if that nozzle pulls out for the recirculate function.

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

I have a 2001 175 Tracker. I cannot get the water to drain from the live well. My setup is thus: toggle on the dash with auto/off/manual. The pump comes on in both the auto and manual positions, and there is a timer that works on the automatic. Filling the live well is not a problem. there is also a lever switch beside and behind my motor shift box mounted to the right of my seat. It says "auto" and "empty". I ordered a new valve to put under the pump that should have allows the water to come into the live well, but I cannot get the water to drain out. My live well has a spout at the top/middle that fills up the live well. It has one overflow hole at the top starboard side of the live well. There is a drain hole at the bottom. I have pushed a hose through the overflow hole and water comes out of it strong from the fitting under the boat. I have put an air hose into the drain hole and taken the hose loose from the pump and blown out the drain hose. Air and bubble comes out, but still the water either is so slow to drain or doesn't drain at all. I have tried the "auto"/"empty" position in both modes and to no avail. This weekend, the live well had water in it from two weeks ago....

I am frustrated as well. The drain hole at the bottom of the live well is very small, but not so small that the water should not come out. I am obviously doing something wrong. With this kind of set up, does anyone have any suggestions?

501677311 said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Dave,
I have just bought an 05 PT175 with the same setup and problem. The only water I get in the live well comes half way up the recirculate pickup hole at the bottom of the live well. When I manually fill the tank it drains back out through the recirculate pickup at the bottom of the tank. When I turn on the recirculate pump it pulls the water out of the tank and discharges it out the discharge pipe out the back of the boat. My aerator doesn't work either. If I get it figured out i'll reply back and let you know what I found.

Click to expand...

I can't help Dave I am having same problem. I think I can help you. The reason why your water drans back out is probably because you are missing a stand pipe. The stand pipe pushes into the drain hole it is about 8 inches long and od as near as I measure is 7/8. Sounds like we have the same ser up, my pt175 is a 2005. I have a bilge switch left of steering wheel and three switches right of steering wheel L - R Recirulate, has auto and manual, Aerator, also has ato and manual. The auto is atimer

501677311 said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Dave,
I have just bought an 05 PT175 with the same setup and problem. The only water I get in the live well comes half way up the recirculate pickup hole at the bottom of the live well. When I manually fill the tank it drains back out through the recirculate pickup at the bottom of the tank. When I turn on the recirculate pump it pulls the water out of the tank and discharges it out the discharge pipe out the back of the boat. My aerator doesn't work either. If I get it figured out i'll reply back and let you know what I found.

Click to expand...

shurt said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Hey Tracker Dave, Went thru same issues trying to figure mine out (2000 Tracker Pro Deep V 17).. I am forwarding reply i received JIGNGRUB.....May help, not sure how your setup is, If not, at least I answered


If your livewell and baitwell is the same as mine it will have a stand pipe in the center of it that plugs into the bottom, you put the pipe in to fill the wells and pull it out to drain them. My livewell switch is a toggle type, push it in at the top and it is recirculate, middle position is off, and push in at bottom is fill. There are white 1/2" pvc pipes at the top of both wells, these pipes have caps on them with 2 slots cut into them. Screwing the caps in will turn off the incoming water and screwing them out turn it on, you may want to check those if yours is the same. Another thing you may want to check is the livewell fill pump. It's located at the transom with a round black access hatch that screws in and out at the splashwell. Your fill pump may be burnt up. Mime went out and all I had was recirculate. The recirculate pump is located on the livewell with an access panel under the steering console.

I really don't understand how you're getting water into your wells with just the recirculate pump. Maybe they changed the design.

Do you have or can you take any pics of your livewell and the outside bottom of your transom?

This is a pic of the outside bottom of my transom.

Click to expand...

501677311 said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question



Dave,
I had a chance to fool around with my livewell last weekend. I haven't got the aerator to work but a new pump will fix that. I have the recirculator pump working though. I still have to fill the livewell manually until I get the aerator to work. The recirculate pump has two functions on my livewell, it recirculates and pumps the water out of the livewell. The way you get it to do that is pulling or pushing the nozzle in or out for the recirculator. On my livewell this nozzle is on the top right side of the livewell if you are standing by the steering wheel and looking toward the motor. This nozzle is red and white on mine and is fairly stiff so you have to give it a good pull or push. Pushed in it pumps the water out of the livewell and pulled out it recirculates. Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

I can't help Dave but I may be able to help you. I have the same set up as you. I am having same problem as Dave

501677311 said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Dave,
I have just bought an 05 PT175 with the same setup and problem. The only water I get in the live well comes half way up the recirculate pickup hole at the bottom of the live well. When I manually fill the tank it drains back out through the recirculate pickup at the bottom of the tank. When I turn on the recirculate pump it pulls the water out of the tank and discharges it out the discharge pipe out the back of the boat. My aerator doesn't work either. If I get it figured out i'll reply back and let you know what I found.

Click to expand...

I can't help Dave as I have same problem but, I think I can help you with your fill problem. Sound like your missing or not using your stand pipe in your drain hole. The stand pipe is 8 inches long, about 7/8 od, you push it into the drain hole so water won't drain till it reaches the top of the stand pipe, it keeps the water at that level so it doesn't overflow the live well. I attached he'd a picture of mine. My manual says to use the manual setting on the aerator switch to fill and then switch to auto when in reaches top of stand pipe but my manual doesn't include anything about my recirculation swirch, I would think I would have to use the manual side of the recirculation switch to fill, can I ask if that is how yo AR pumping water into your well?

jigngrub said:

Re: Tracker PT175 live well question

Have you checked the aerator pump to see if it is working? Can you hear it humming when you flip the switch? Those things go bad/die after a while, they're about $30 at Wal-mart.

Click to expand...

When the cheap 12v aerator pumps go bad, I just buy a 110v aquarium pump and a 12v inverter. The inverter cost about 15-20 bucks and an aquarium less than 10 bucks. Same money but the aquarium pumps much more air and my setup has lasted for 15 years and still going strong. The cheap 12v pumps barely pump air and only last a few years. Use this same setup in my minnow bucket, never have had to replace it...

Tracker Dave said:

I recently acquired a 2004 Tracker PT175 bass boat. So far it's been very nice, but I'm trying to figure out how the live well is supposed to work. There are 2 switches on the dash that I think have to do with the live well, one says Aerator, the other Recirculate (I think). Both have auto and manual settings. I can get water to pump out of the live well with the recirculate switch, but I can't figure out how to get water to fill the live well. The aerator switch doesn't do anything that I can tell, so I'm guessing that something is not working. Can anybody tell me how these are supposed to work? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Dave, I believe my boat has the same system, mine is a 2005. I have the manual and it says to drain the live wellyou pull the stand pipe out of drain hole water will drain to the level of the water outside the boat, the pump does not pump out, only in, when boat is out of the water all will drain but for an inch and that has to be bailed out. Your aerator problem sounds like a blown fuseI am also having a problem, my manual side of my aerator switch is not working but I think I have a wire problem. Can I ask if you could take out the 3 screws that hold in th switches pull that panel out and send attach a picture so that I can see which color wire goes where?

Tracker Dave said:

I recently acquired a 2004 Tracker PT175 bass boat. So far it's been very nice, but I'm trying to figure out how the live well is supposed to work. There are 2 switches on the dash that I think have to do with the live well, one says Aerator, the other Recirculate (I think). Both have auto and manual settings. I can get water to pump out of the live well with the recirculate switch, but I can't figure out how to get water to fill the live well. The aerator switch doesn't do anything that I can tell, so I'm guessing that something is not working. Can anybody tell me how these are supposed to work? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Tracker Dave said:

I recently acquired a 2004 Tracker PT175 bass boat. So far it's been very nice, but I'm trying to figure out how the live well is supposed to work. There are 2 switches on the dash that I think have to do with the live well, one says Aerator, the other Recirculate (I think). Both have auto and manual settings. I can get water to pump out of the live well with the recirculate switch, but I can't figure out how to get water to fill the live well. The aerator switch doesn't do anything that I can tell, so I'm guessing that something is not working. Can anybody tell me how these are supposed to work? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Dave I replied to your problem but messed up when I was trying to add something. I was trying to say that it sounds like a fuse. Does the light on your switch light in the manual position? Does it light in the auto position, in the auto position it will go off when the timer runs out. If the light comes on but pump doesn't you could have a bad pump if the ligh does not come on check fuses. There are fuses in the fuse panel on my boat and also in the battery fuel tank area. Hope this helps you.

Tracker Dave hasn't been on the boards in nearly a decade. Let's not resurrect old topics.

Never saw the date