‘18 242x port and starboard ballasts not filling

[Troch1]

Ski locker ballast fills completely. When I change the percentage on the connext screen for either the port or ballast tank, the percentage will flash, then disappear. The port and starboard pumps will not turn on. No error messages. This is actually the first time I’ve ever tried to fill the tanks since new last year. Any advice before going the dealer route?

Thanks

Mark

 

[Julian]

Is the seacock in the engine bay open? It will be under the starboard side of the starboard engine...black with a handle. (I think they put in two seacocks in 2018...the other is in the ski locker if I recall). If there isn't one in there, then this isn't your issue!

 

[Troch1]

Only one seacock that I see under the starboard engine. Following the piping, it leads to all three ballast pumps. The pump for the ski locker bag works fine and fills and empties.
The thing that doesn’t make sense is that the other two pumps don’t even seem to switch on when changing the connext settings or through the pump calibration screen.

 

[Julian]

@tek4fun do you know where there might be a fuse for these pumps? Are they separate per pump?

 

[tek4fun]

@tek4fun do you know where there might be a fuse for these pumps? Are they separate per pump?

While the pumps themselves are not connected to a fuse, the controller itself does have a fuse near the battery switches. It is an ATM 30 amp fuse. Since the ski locker bag is filling and emptying, then this fuse is good.

For a case like this one, I would check the connector for the ballast pump control unit (BPCU). The control unit is located on the starboard side of the engine compartment. There should be 3-4 screws holding it to the side wall. You will need a 1/4 in socket to get the connector off of the control unit. The layout of the connector is shown below and easily readable on the connector.

Port pump - 3A & 3B
SB pump - 3J & 3K
Bow pump - 1G & 1H

These are the positions you should look at in the connector. I suspect some loose terminals and hope there is no real damage to the terminals or the locking mechanism in the connector. These can be a PITA to fix. You can not check the output with a volt meter, because these pumps are PWM types. Hope this helps.

 

[hiss20]

Julian, what was the resolution? I have a 2019 242x and I am having the same issue with the port side filling, but ski locker and starboard ballast pumps won't turn on and fill. I can set the % on connext screen but nothing happens.

 

[tjkellner]

Ski locker ballast fills completely. When I change the percentage on the connext screen for either the port or ballast tank, the percentage will flash, then disappear. The port and starboard pumps will not turn on. No error messages. This is actually the first time I’ve ever tried to fill the tanks since new last year. Any advice before going the dealer route?

Thanks

Mark

I'm curious, did you find the issue?

Would calibrating the ballast help?

 

[hiss20]

recalibrated all three ballast and that took care of issue

 

[Scrodee]

Hey all, I was having similar issues with my port pump earlier this season. Calibrating seemed to help but the problem would always return. It turned out the motor was going bad. I pulled the connector and measured 30+ ohms on the motor, which should be like 2 ohms or less. The dealer gave me a new pump/motor assembly under warranty. Replacement is a bit of a pain because of the location so far aft but you can do it without fully removing the hardware. You just need to loosen the forward set of screws, then slide the mount into the aft mounts and tighten up the forward hardware.

 

[BigAbe75]

Is the seacock in the engine bay open? It will be under the starboard side of the starboard engine...black with a handle. (I think they put in two seacocks in 2018...the other is in the ski locker if I recall). If there isn't one in there, then this isn't your issue!

2 intakes now for the 21' boats. Only 1, still, for the 24' boats.

edit: sorry, just realized that post was over a year old. I saw June, and assumed it was recent.

 

[Brian B]

Had my 16 242x out yesterday and today. Went to fill the ballast with the touch screen and none of the pumps started up. I used the jumper and was able to surf fine then drain again with the jumper. I checked 30amp fuse in line near battery switches, fuse box next to battery switches, fuses in main fuse box behind the starboard engine and fuses near ballast pump controller and found no blown fuses. Dash ballast fill shows arrow going up but does not show blue like when it's filling so I think the screen knows water is not pumping. Water was 60 and air was 58 in havasu today. Any help getting the screen to tell the pumps to run would be appreciated. No rush won't be back on the boat for 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[Brian B]

I know the thread is older but to complete the info. We ended up needing a new starter battery so we pulled it. Came back 3 weeks later and installed the new battery and ballast works fine. Looks like we need a "battery disconnect" restart to get the ballast controller working.

 

[NewBoater]

Mines at the shop right now. Needed a new ballast pump. Warranty was about to expire so got it in right before it expired. They said if one pump is bad then none of the ballast pumps will work. Mines a 2018 242XE. Of course the pump I need has been on back order and I’ve been waiting a month, they keep pushing back the date of arrival for the pump also. It has water in ski locker bag. Couldn’t get it to drain. Is there a way to manually drain it out? As we may be getting the boat back and enjoying it some and when part comes in then I’ll take it back to dealer. Don’t want them holding the boat for months for this one part.

 

[Brian B]

Sorry to hear you need a new pump.but good news is it's covered. I've replaced impellers on the pumps and had the jumper wire for the pumps. That jumper wire is worth its weight in gold to run the pumps if things get weird. Losing a weekend on the water and surfing is way more that 30 bucks of wires.

 

[NewBoater]

There is water in my ski locker bag. Waiting on the pump on order to get everything working again. Is there a way to manually let the water out of that bag that is stuck in there?

 

[Brian B]

You could swap the starboard pump into the ski locker pump spot. The connections are pretty straight forward. If you disconnect the hose into the pump from the ballast it should drain into the engine bay, make sure your off the water or bilge is working so you don't swamp an engine

 

[NewBoater]

Dealer said if one pump is out the whole system for ballasts is out and the other pumps wouldn’t work?

 

[Brian B]

Maybe just pull the hose off the pump and let gravity do the work. Also order the jumper wire on jetboaters here. For the just in case next time.