Sport Nautique 200v ballast pump will turn on then quickly turn off??

[JParry]

I have a 2017 Sport Nautique 200v and the port side ballast pump turns on and then off immediately. When I switch it up with another pump I get the same result. My boat has the analog gauges and rocker switches for each pump. With the situation described above the light on the switch comes on and then goes off when the pump goes off. It is only for about a second or so. Is there relays for these pumps? Where? having trouble finding the info.

Thanks All!

current boat:
2017 SN 200v

past boats:
1994 Pro Boss Ski Nautique

[jpwhit]

If your ballast is controlled by a key on the keypad, then I think it's controlled by the computer logic in the keypad. It's too bad you don't have the screen, because then you could look at the diagnostics screen and it would tell you what's going on. With just the keypad, you're kinda left in the dark to debug it. All I can recommend is to trace the wiring from the pump and see if they go directly to the keypad.

[JParry]

Thank You for your response jpwhit, my ballast pumps are controlled by individual switches for each pump down low by the drivers right leg (below throttle). When I turn one on the pump it comes on briefly and then immediately turns off. The light on the switch corresponds to this. My boat doesn't have the LINC screen...analog gauges.

Thanks again for your assistance.

JNP

[bturner]

Here's a link to a wiring diagram for a 2011 Sport 200. While this is not the same year as yours, I've used this diagram on my 2016 with pretty good accuracy. I'm working off a small laptop so I can't really look at the diagram that well but I do see a connector that calls out an aft rely box that has a connector with the pin out for the ballast system. Hopefully this will give you a clue as to where to start your search. Be sure to let us know if you found the relay box an if this was helpful......

https://www.planetnautique.com/Corre...11Sport200.pdf

[jpwhit]

I don't think the 2011 wiring diagram applies to the 2017 model. Here is the wiring diagram for the 2016 model. I think this one does likely match the boat.

3.02 2016 SPORT200 MAIN HARNESS.pdf

[jpwhit]

I hadn't looked much at how the non-LINC boats are setup. My 200 has the LINC screen. After looking at this for a bit, it looks like even the non-LINC boats use most of the same electronics and computer modules as the LINC boats. At least in this timeframe. In the LINC boats, the ballast pumps are wired to a computerized Power Distribution Module (PDM) that operates as a slave device to the LINC screen. This diagram seems to suggest this is also the case in the non-LINC boats. The diagram has a connector for the analog gauges and also a connector for the LINC screen. But the ballast pumps are wired to a PDM for LINC and non-LINC configurations

Also the behavior that JParry describes matches how the PDMs behave with they detect an error condition with one of its outputs. It runs for a second or two and then shuts off.

At first, I was confused how this could be the case. All of these electronic modules communicate with each other via the CANBus network in the boat. That includes the computers in the Nautique electronic keypads, the PDMs, the GPS module, the depth / speed sensor, and the LINC screen. At first, I was thinking the keypad may be controlling the PDMs when there isn't a LINC screen. But I went back and looked through the PDM datasheets again. Turns out the PDM support a local autonomous mode where its behavior is pre-programed. This is called Local Source Control (LSC). I'm pretty sure that must be how this boat is configured. The ballast switches below the throttle are wired to the PDM, the pumps are wired to the PDM, and LSC is programmed in that PDM to run the pumps and when the ballast switches are activated. The PDM also turns the ballast switch indicator lights on and off.

Without the LINC screen, I'm unsure of the best way to diagnose the problem. I bet a dealer would plug in a spare LINC screen into the connector on the boat to diagnosis the issue. The PDM most likely thinks it's seeing either an under-current or over-current situation.

JParry did you try plugging in a new pump or was it one of the other existing pumps in the boat. The most common cause of PDM errors for the ballast pump outputs are an under-current error when the pump motor is burned out. But in that case the pump doesn't try to run at all. Next is an over-current error when the pump motor is gummed up due to water intrusion from a leaking seal. Much less common is an issue with the wiring between the PDM and the pump.

This is what the PDM looks like. They are typically mounted near the power distribution panels. The wires going into the connector often have pretty good labels and the colors will be the same as the wire colors connecting to the ballast pumps.

[jpwhit]

Stupid question....Are you running the pumps dry? That will cause an over-current error due to the lack of lubrication of the impeller by water.

[JParry]

Well to wrap up this post. Sorry for the delay but the problem got worse and eventually the boat wouldn't start. Unfortunately I only found this out after towing it over the mountain to central Oregon for the start of a two week camping and boating trip. I do want to give a shout out to Lifestyle wake in Bend Oregon. They gave me incredible customer service and did their best to help me in my panic to salvage our vacation.

To get to the point...after everything was said and done the observer seat heater shorted out the PDM. A new one had to be ordered and reflashed. I am going to leave the seat heater unplugged and look at options to wire it separate from the boat central wiring. I think that the switch may have been stuck on. The switch is sticky.

[jpwhit]

Glad they were able to help save your vacation. The PDMs have a lot of self protection features built in to prevent damage in the case of a short circuit or overload. I'm a little surprised the heat seater damaged it. But maybe with the switch stuck on it went through many cycles of overload and shutdown and that just ended up being too much for it.

I think the fact that they had to re-flash the PDM to change the firmware from the default factory firmware likely confirms my suspicion that the boat is using the local control capability of the PDM.

[bturner]

How did I miss the follow up on this one. Thanks for posting your resolution and JP, as always great input!