Little bit of water...is this normal?

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Evening everyone. We took the boat out for the whole day and I noticed when we got back that I had a small amount of water at the bottom of the engine compartment. As you can see from the photo it’s not much. Maybe roughly 2 cups. I know the bilge is automatic on the 2019s. Is this normal? Will the bilge automatically pop on when it gets higher? I know this is probably a dumb question. My 2018 SX190 never had water in the engine compartment so I’m just scratching my head over here. Thanks!

 

[Neutron]

Evening everyone. We took the boat out for the whole day and I noticed when we got back that I had a small amount of water at the bottom of the engine compartment. As you can see from the photo it’s not much. Maybe roughly 2 cups. I know the bilge is automatic on the 2019s. Is this normal? Will the bilge automatically pop on when it gets higher? I know this is probably a dumb question. My 2018 SX190 never had water in the engine compartment so I’m just scratching my head over here. Thanks!View attachment 136367

While it looks like 2 cups, is likely much more. Under the engine compartment subfloor is a larger void. Check in the rear compartment under the cleanout port access.

 

[tdonoughue]

Agree with @Neutron , but to answer your question... 'normal' is in the eye of the beholder. For me, no, I'm not considering that normal. Yamaha's view is (we have been told) that some water leakage should be expected. Many have traced leakage to the rub rail and any number of fittings (scupper, bilge plug, etc.). Each may not be sealed properly, lacking a gasket, etc. Tracing it is an art...

That said, if you are out all day and there is a reason for water in the bilge (like, say, a rainstorm, where the cupholders at least that drain to the bilge get filled, or a sub move that dumps a bunch of water into the ski locker, etc.), that may not be all that bad. And it won't sink your boat (as long as your pump is working).

So, what I would recommend:
1) First, check your bilge pump and verify that it is working correctly. You can put the boat on trailer and crank up the bow, filling the engine compartment with water from the inside to ensure that the pump kicks in and pumps it out. When I took delivery of mine new, the pump did not work (turns out it was a faulty circuit breaker).
2) Then, be sure you are pulling your bilge plug after every outing. If that is not part of your routine, it should be. If your accumulation there was from several outings, you may have a very slow leak...
3) If the water is excessive or bugs you, go leak locating. First step is to crank up the bow again on the trailer and fill the engine compartment and bilge with water. Observe from the outside from where water comes out. Be careful you don't put in so much water as to flood the engine. Wherever the water is leaking from, examine that to see why. Second step (to find rub rail issues) is to allow the bilge to dry, then sprinkle baby powder in the aft bilge area. Take the boat out and see where the leaks have created paths in the powder. Pull the rub rail there and reseal underneath.
4) Consider a backup bilge pump. I added a second--it is cheap insurance.

Hope that helps.

 

[zipper]

Agree with both above. There is more water there than meets the eye. That bilge pump is mounted over a hole, where the water is seen. The hole opens up to the real bilge below the engine compartment. That bilge water can be seen from the ski locker drain forward all the way back to the clean out plugs. The other two compartments under your engines have plugs to let water drain there. Do you see water if you look down the ski locker drain? Which is the area of the lowest part of the bilge. Pull the transom drain plug and jack up the bow to get it all draining aft.
You can get some of it out, while out on the water...but you need to raise the bow. Make sure your bilge pump is on, accelerate the boat to a speed just before you get on plane, when the bow is at it's highest and hold it there. Look over the side of the boat and see if the bilge pump is pumping water. The bilge pump will always leave some down there. Draining on the trailer is the only way to get it all out.

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Thanks for all the advice. When I purchased the boat the previous owner had left it out in the rain the night before without the cover. He had pulled all the drain plugs but there was a lot of water under the storage locker and in the boat from that night. I thought I got it all out. Is there a chance I didn’t and this is just coming up out of there since I got on plane in the boat for the first time since that rain?
I’ll drain everything as best I can and take it out later this week to see what happens.

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

After reading the responses this morning and putting some events together I think I figured it out. Basically I'm an idiot. After I got the boat home I drained everything and put the plugs back in. The shipping cover was stuffed into the locker at that time. When I pulled the storage cover out it was filled with water. I unplugged the drain plug from the storage locker and it drained down (quite a bit of water). Thinking about it now, the boat was sitting level in the driveway and all the drain plugs were still in at the back of the boat. That water had nowhere to go until I backed the boat down on the trailer into the water the following weekend. I'm guessing that water that was below the storage locker drained into the engine compartment.
I'll drain everything out but I'm about 99% certain that this was human error on my part. Thanks again for the responses.

 

[Rockfords Fosgate]

It seems normal with these boats but it's not desirable.

Have a look at my post 22 here. There is also a sticky thread that assists in diagnosing leaks. After spending hours on mine and evaluating the possible culprits, I think the jet port access hatch is the #1 offender, by far.

 

[tdonoughue]

@DaytonFlyer1068 , no worries. We have all been there.

Good practice is when the boat is not on the water to have all of the plugs out (the bilge one at the back, the two in the engine compartment, and the one in the ski locker). And raise your bow a bit (crank the trailer up a bit). That way anything that gets down there drains out and doesn't sit (other than a little bit).

Glad you figured it out. We call that a win around here...

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Ok just finished another day on the water. Still have water coming out of rear main plug. I’m just about certain the water is getting in around the clean out plugs. I’ve read to seal up around the tray which I’m about to do. Just out of curiosity since I bought this thing used. Is there supposed to be a plug where my finger is pointing in the photo? Also does that lead down and drain out at the rear main drain plug?

 

[Elliott]

No plug - that is the drain to the outside of the hull. Any water that by passes the clean out plug or washes over from the rear (coming off plane to a stop quickly) will drain to the outside of the boat

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Ok I see that now. Did a little water test. The seal is definitely not solid. I can see whater dripping thru when I open the hatch. Standing water is definitely dripping down. Correct me if I’m wrong but water dripping down here will collect in the bilge?

 

[Elliott]

If the seal around the access hatch is leaking, the water will go to the bilge.

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Alright. That’s definitely the culprit then. I could visibly see it dripping at a pretty good rate. Mystery solved.

 

[jsg73]

Hopefully that is your only leak. That will be an easy fix if you care to fix it.

 

[mark_m]

Alright. That’s definitely the culprit then. I could visibly see it dripping at a pretty good rate. Mystery solved.

Now head on down to Flanagans and get a beer!

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

@mark_m I was always a Tim’s guy. I’ll be back in Dayton for the holidays. Too old to hang out at the old spots these days. Wish I was about 15 years younger!

 

[mark_m]

Never forget my first time at Tim’s. Big black marker X’s on the back of my hands. Meanwhile, walk up to the bar and buy beast (blue team) light cans.

When were you at UD?

 

[mark_m]

Never forget my first time at Tim’s. Big black marker X’s on the back of my hands. Meanwhile, walk up to the bar and buy beast (blue team) light cans.

When were you at UD?

I was a CIS major and graduated in 1996

 

[DaytonFlyer1068]

Class of 2006. Moved to Atlanta 2 weeks later and have been here ever since. Criminal justice major. Far from my days of walking the UD ghetto.

 

[mark_m]

Class of 2006. Moved to Atlanta 2 weeks later and have been here ever since. Criminal justice major. Far from my days of walking the UD ghetto.

I lived on the dark side after my sophomore year till I graduated.