I had a hard time believing that the float switch was bad and I had contacted Sundance to ask what could be the problem. They said that the float switch was in a separate circuit from the battery with its own fuse. They said the fuse was likely the problem.
I found the fuse inside the rear hatch and it checked out good. Next I put more determination to removing the float switch and bilge pump. Since the float switch was hardwired and not easily replaced I decided to check to see if it was getting voltage from the battery through the fuse. I removed the fuse and placed my volt meter across the fuse connector. When I moved the float switch test lever I could see the 12+ volts come across the holder. I figured that the switch was good so I started looking hard for a loose connection and then looked closely at the wire between the float switch and fuse holder. I found where the wire insulation had a nick and the green corrosion was coming from the inside. Over time the wire corroded until it no longer made the connection. I have no idea how the wire got nicked. I haven?t done anything near it nor have I stored anything sharp in there that could have done it. I assume that it could have happened during the manufacturing process or when the dealer who sold it to me ran the transducer cable from the transom to the console. I cut out about an inch and a half of the wire and reconnected it with a water tight wire nut. This is a temporary fix until I can replace the whole wire.
Thanks for all those who made suggestions to my original post asking for help.
quote: I cut out about an inch and a half of the wire and reconnected it with a water tight wire nut. This is a temporary fix until I can replace the whole wire.
My advice is to not do this, because temporary fixes that work often become semi-permanent fixes and inevitable failure again, maybe when you really need that pump. And wire nuts belong in houses, not boats:wink: Just pull a new wire, do it right and be done with it. As my old man always told me, if you aint got time to do it right, when will you have time to do it again:question:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Amen Cracker but it is easyer said than done! I have rigged many things while broken down miles offshore and forgot about it when I returned to port only to remember them on my next trip. I now write it down in my trip log so I will se it before the next trip and do a quality repair!
I agree completely that temporary can become permanent. Especially when I’m the one doing it.
Looks like the wiring is part of the float switch assembly and permanently connected to the fuse holder so I may have to replace the whole thing. Is there a reliable way to splice a wire for marine use?
But…