Details of Ballast System in 2006 SV211

[MN Ryan]

Ok, then. There goes that plan.

[TechBeer]

REALLY??? I guess they figured out that was a bad idea....

[MTRBTR]

There may be similarities but that run-dry module was unique to 2006. If you go to Nautique Parts you can find it on their website but they are out of stock and no longer available. I believe they went to timers the next year.

[MN Ryan]

Interesting. I guess I'll figure it out when spring rolls around as it's tucked away for a long, winter nap right now.

[fchentz]

Thanks so much for this! I just made a bypass plug for my 2006 220TE and works perfectly.

[MN Ryan]

I tackled a ballast upgrade on my '07 SV-211 TE this weekend, and I can say with certainty that Nautique went to timers in '07.

I disconnected the float sensors, and the pumps still ran and shut off, so I removed the rear hard tanks and replaced with Wakemakers bags. I left the belly tank as-is, and added a few hundred pounds of lead bags to play around with.

I tested it out today, and while I was solo so didn't get to ride, the wave looks pretty tasty (considering the hull). It takes about 3 timer cycles to fill and empty each rear bag.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[TechBeer]

Excellent Ryan. I may do that upgrade as well some day. BTW, I'm working on a solid state replacement for the float sensors (which seem to go bad over time). The design I did is based on waterproof ultrasonic sensors. I have it working in my lab but have not installed it into the boat yet. Would likely only work on hard tanks. I don't think the bags have any allowance for a gauge interface anyway.

[Bizarrosuperman]

I have replaced all of my hard tanks in my 2006 226te with wakemakers bags. Replaced the pumps with new king pumps. Everything worked fine all summer. Then last trip out bot the belly and port pump will not empty. Fills just fine. Takes 3 cycles to do so. I unplugged the starboard pump and used its power source to reverse both the belly and port bags. So all the pumps work fill/drain no problem. Made a three way plug and am just using the starboard switch to drain all three at the end of the day. I have changed relays, changed breakers and even went through slowly every possible combination on the the little plastic switches in the run dry thing under the dash. Still can’t get the port and belly to drain. Even bought a new keypad at $350. Anybody have any idea? I am worried that the starboard switch will do the same and I’ll be stuck full

[TechBeer]

Hi Bizzaro - Are you sure you have the "Run Dry" thing under your dashboard? I guess so since you mucked around with the dials. Let me ask you this: when you pulled out the hard tanks what did you do with the wiring that plugged into the float sensors?? Did you just let it dangle? What does your belly or port switches do when you try to empty? If they blink then it could be that the "Run Dry" thing is getting in your way. If you want the gory background read through my paper attached to the very top of this thread. To test this theory you could just short together the 2 wires that connected to the float sensor on the top of the hard ballast tanks. I assume this connector is still floating around in the transom of your boat. The problem is that right now with this connector "open" the "Run Dry" "thinks" your ballast tanks are always empty which is not allowing the pumps to turn on.

The "cleanest" way to fix this IMO is to build the bypass plug outlined in my write up. This completely bypasses the "Run Dry" thing. Alternately you could short the 2 wires together as discussed above. This should not hurt anything since the PME box is supplying a current not a voltage to the float sensors.

Let me know what you find out.

[Bizarrosuperman]

TechBeer,

thanks for the input.. here’s the weird thing. I bought this boat right at the first part of Covid. Owners in a nasty divorce, and I stole it. 180hrs on it. ZR6 PCM. So when I got it the port side tank had a crack in it and leaked into the bilge. Port filled but didn’t drain. So I would unplug and use the starboard button. Belly tank was already gone, and replaced with a fat sac. It worked great fill and drain. Plug just hanging. Last fall I removed the rear tanks, added wall stiffeners, tuned the motor, replaced the steering cable…etc. found the gas tank brackets completely undone. So just doing maintenance that had been severely lacking. All pumps still filled and drained except the port side. Didn’t know about the run dry thingy under the dash, so I changed port side breaker, relays, traced wire harnesses and on and on. Then last surf day out——-December 20th —-whoo goo— belly and port no longer drain. Starboard does. So swapped harnesses got it drained and on the trailer. Yesterday on a whim, I jumped the old sending unit wires in both the belly and port—-and look at that!!! THEY DRAIN!—tanks are never going back in. So I will cut the wires and tie them together… unless I can just switch the wires on the back of the gauges and make then show full. Easy to get too

[Bizarrosuperman]

Also I thought maybe the key pad was messed up. So I replaced with a new one… it has ballast timers. The other never did. So maybe the run dry isn’t getting anything, and the jumper will fix it all. Like the new panel cause it turns bilge pump on at start up. The 06 panel did not. The ballast now takes two times on each rear bag and two and half times on belly/piggyback bow ballast- full 3500lbs in 9 minutes

[TechBeer]

Similar to my story. I bought the 2006 SV211 about 8 years ago with 50 hours. Was sitting in an airport hanger in middle Georgia. Looked like a museum piece. My biggest issues were electrical connections from just sitting. Anyways if you can short the leads of the float sensors together and your pump run it is the “run dry” thingy. Guaranteed. Again the cleanest solution is the bypass plug but shorting the wires should be ok too.

[Bizarrosuperman]

Mine was sitting in Cummings GA. Will be surfing Lake Lanier in June. Can’t miss a red and white 226 TE with the classic Nautique logos. Only one I’ve ever seen on the lake

[TechBeer]

That is funny. If you are on the north side of Lanier you will find us surfing behind my red and black Nautique. That is a popular color combination around Atlanta between the Dawgs and the Falcons but I have not seen any other ones around my vintage.......

[Bizarrosuperman]

Nice. We got an Airbnb with dock in Gainesville. Pretty much straight across from Pelican Pete’s