Bilge pump fuse shorted

[Wanna Tango]

As soon as I turn on the bilge pump from the dash, it causes the fuse to blow. What should I be looking at? I checked the wiring behind the dash and at the midship bilge pump and all good. In the bilge under the engine, I can’t access it.

I can’t seem to find any wiring diagram for my boat

Any help or direction will be greatly appreciated.

I have a 2000 Seaswirl Stryper 2600. I/O Volvo-Penta.

 

[alldodge]

With it blowing the bilge pump fuse, the first suspect is the pump is shorted and needs replaced

 

[airshot]

Disconnect the pump and see if the fuse blows...probably won't....as already mentioned those pumps don't last forever and need replaced every few years if they get used. My boat has never had a leak so after 32 years the bilge pump still works great.

 

[ESGWheel]

While not familiar with your set up it, based on your description both (mid and aft) bilge pumps come on with the flip of the one dash switch. If yes, either of the pumps could be the issue as well as a shorted out plug that you cannot see (the aft bilge pump plug if there is one).

Suggested troubleshooting technique:

If there is a plug at the midships bilge pump, does it appear to be for only the midship pump? In other words, is there a set of wires that continues to run aft but also have a plug that “Ys” off to a plug that that the midships pump plugs into?

If yes, unplug that. And turn on the bilge pump (with a new fuse). Does it blow? Then the aft pump or the wiring to it is the issue

If it does not blow (and the aft pump runs) then it’s the midships pump (or some issue with the wiring to it).

 

[Wanna Tango]

Thank you gentlemen. I am going to have to find a way to access the pump under the engine and see if it’s the one causing the short.
Once I get back to the boat, will try these options.

 

[mike_i]

I'll go along as the other guys have said since it happened to me. The pump is frozen, either from trash jamming the impeller or just plain seized up due to rust/corrosion. Time for a new pump.

 

[ESGWheel]

Wanna Tango > a couple of follow-on thoughts:
If the signal dash switch turns on both pumps (except the fuse blows), it implies both are powered off the same circuit. And given the pumps cannot be run manually due to blowing the fuse, it also implies that the auto feature of the pumps will also cause the fuse to blow.

• If true you are currently at risk if this boat is in the water.

Post getting the issue corrected, you may want to consider a follow-on project to separate out the pump’s electrical circuits. You could still have the single dash toggle switch but would have to be changed out to a On-Off-On type (a 6 pin 3-way double pole toggle switch). Flip it up, mid-pump, flip it down, eng. compt. pump. In the middle, both off. Even if you have only one 12V system (vs a separate house battery), having the peace of mind of this redundancy is nice to have. If you do have a house circuit then put one pump on house and the other on start. And if you do not have a separate house battery, that could be a fun project in of itself.

Good luck and post how it goes.