New Owner of a 2016 242 Limited S

[treeskier]

Today was the day I picked up the 2016 242 Limited S from storage that I had purchased from a good friend last March (he has a new 26 footer). Its been a long spring having a new bulkhead, pier and lift installed. Finally, everything is finished enough to get the boat on the lift (the electrician still has a few odds and ends to clean up). I am sure this will be one of many posts asking for assistance on items that are different from my old '02 LS2000 (still need to change the picture in my signature).

So here is the first question. I have a start battery switch, a house battery switch and a third switch that is I guess a back-up for low voltage situations. When the boat is on the lift the plug is in and I was told all 3 battery switches should be in the off position (I guess that's to keep voltage from draining off and killing the batteries). In the event it rains while the boat is on the lift how will the bilge pump run in automatic mode with everything in the off position ? My guess is it won't run so in that case I need to do something differently?

Thanks - Joe

 

[swatski]

Today was the day I picked up the 2016 242 Limited S from storage that I had purchased from a good friend last March (he has a new 26 footer). Its been a long spring having a new bulkhead, pier and lift installed. Finally, everything is finished enough to get the boat on the lift (the electrician still has a few odds and ends to clean up). I am sure this will be one of many posts asking for assistance on items that are different from my old '02 LS2000 (still need to change the picture in my signature).

So here is the first question. I have a start battery switch, a house battery switch and a third switch that is I guess a back-up for low voltage situations. When the boat is on the lift the plug is in and I was told all 3 battery switches should be in the off position (I guess that's to keep voltage from draining off and killing the batteries). In the event it rains while the boat is on the lift how will the bilge pump run in automatic mode with everything in the off position ? My guess is it won't run so in that case I need to do something differently?

Thanks - Joe

This is such a crazy system, and they keep changing it between models. If you have the water sensing (cycling) bilge pump you will hear it cycle every 5min of so, so if it does that (with all the switches OFF) - that's a proof it works. I'm not sure how else to test that short of filling the bilge with water...

I gave up and installed a secondary bilge pump system, hooked up directly to the battery, fused. I can manually test it, and it works with the boat power off. As long as the batteries are not dead it should pump if activated (by a float switch).

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[treeskier]

Thanks that’s what I thought as well. I’m pretty sure that the cycling bulge pump only works if the house battery switch is on. I’ll check again this weekend when we have the boat out. I’m guessing leaving the house battery switch on when the boat is on the lift is a no no??

 

[treeskier]

Ok back to this battery BS. Used the boat all day Saturday came in late evening did a full cleaning so the boat was wet and wouldn’t dry in time to put the cover on. They were calling for heavy thunder storms overnight so since I’m plug in on a lift I wanted to run the bilge in automatic mode. Start battery off house battery on press sys ctrl for 3 sec connext fires up automatic bilge on....good to go right? Lots of overnight rain so good thing it left the power to the automatic bilge on checked it this am connext says 11.6 v. Came out this afternoon connext is dark and all it’s functions out. Although the boat starts presumably beacause I only killed the house battery? Connext still dark even with boat running .... only ran it a short time ..few sec.

I’m guessing I killed the house battery ... sound right. Anything I should know as I go buy a charger?

 

[swatski]

You will need the DVSR mod. But before - what does your voltage gauge show - aux and start, are the voltages the same? If the dead housebattery reads the same or similar as the start you would have the SPU continuity issue, check @Mainah / DVSR fix posts.

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[swatski]

@treeskier and before you go crazy, do yourself a favor and install that secondary bilge pump. It will really be your primary, and you can leave everything off as far as battery switches.
Here is one way to deal with this:

Secondary bilge pump, IMO.

Here is a quick repost of my setup:

"I don't particularly care for the factory bilge pump set up. I don't really like leaving the boat with battery switches on, if it can be avoided.... So, in my boat I finally got a backup bilge pump installed - the way I like it - direct to the battery (fused).

I use the simplest of all pumps - an automatic with a float switch. Attwood or Rule, doesn't matter, they are all the same. They all get terrible reviews, but I think it is primarily due to installation and maintenance issues.
The Ultra (brand) switch is about the only thing that will not fail - and something I would get if I wet slipped.

Otherwise, they all can get stuck in either "off" or "on" position, but I believe those inexpensive float switch automatics are actuslly the most reliable, if frequently tested and kept reasonably clean. One of my past boats leaked heavily (before I rebuilt the transom) - I had a chance to test various setups over the few years I kept it, lol.

Basically - the cycling ones (like the OEM pump) sense a load, any load - so it could be debris that will keep those on and drain your battery pretty quickly leaving the boat unprotected. Same with the "actual liquid sensing" (conductance, optical or whatever) - those can be fooled/activated by dirt - and stay "on". What is even more worrisome, neither of those two types (or the newer ones that "sense" but then default to "cycling" if they think it is just dirt) will actually pump if gasoline or oil is present...
(I'm all for clean environment, but if my boat sinks....)

Here is my backup bilge pump setup (inside the stern):

The pump's base is screwed and 5200-ed to one of the support beams (for the ride plate underneath the hull) at the bottom of the bilge. This backup pump operates completely independently of the factory bilge pump and is the only device in my boat that is live when all battery switches are "OFF". I have it wired directly to the house battery with a 16awg wire (using ground-black, and automatic - brown, with the brown/white - manual sealed off) running in a loom (top in the picture) - going into the engine compartment inside another large loom, along steering cables. The hot wire is fused within few inches of the positive terminal with a 5A fuse. The drain hose (bottom) is a standard 5ft 3/4" with a dedicated thru-hull outlet fitting installed above/forward off of the strbd rear cleat (don't have a picture).

Oh, I forgot to add - the pump is accessible through the cleanout tray hatch/opening - I can reach it to test the pump with the little dial knob. "

EDIT: Here is a picture of the outlet - the pump ejects a 5ft long stream. When putting this kind of back up together - I think it is very important to have an independent hose line/outlet, a well designed system with a short, clear path is more important than the nominal "GPH" rating of a pump, which is often based on unrealistic circumstances.

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[treeskier]

@treeskier and before you go crazy, do yourself a favor and install that secondary bilge pump. It will really be your primary, and you can leave everything off as far as battery switches.
Here is one way to deal with this:

Yeah the secondary bilge pump was on my list of things to do. I guess that will be a priority now.

 

[swatski]

Yeah the secondary bilge pump was on my list of things to do. I guess that will be a priority now.

It's worth the peace of mind!
As far as the DVSR fix, I had very hard time understanding what to do. I think this is one thread that kind of clued me in on what's going on, and there is another one somewhere on the actual fix by @Mainah

https://jetboaters.net/threads/installing-3-bank-charger-on-2016-e-series.11830/

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[treeskier]

Sorry for all the questions my 12v DC theory and practice is a bit rusty ... or non existent.

Ok I just sent to check out DVSR fix posts and I now have a headache.

Can I just leave the boat configured as is and add the secondary bilge pump with float wired directly to the house battery? This will bypass the switches ... correct?

Can I fix my current issue by just charging the house battery? IDK what voltage it’s at now my meter is temporarily unavailable. Anything special here or just connect the leads and plug it in? I’m considering a dual bank charger so I can charge both start and house at the same time.

 

[swatski]

yes, the only issue is the dual bank charger will charge both batteries together as one without the DVSR fix... (even if connected properly - the batteries will not be separated for charging, will have continuity throught he DVSR). Which can damage the good battery (by overcharging). The DVSR without the fix makes the intelligent dual bank charger dumb.

If you can charge the dead battery separately may be best.


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[swatski]

Can I just leave the boat configured as is and add the secondary bilge pump with float wired directly to the house battery? This will bypass the switches ... correct?

Yes. Just fuse the pump as close to the battery as you can, and use a float switch (separate or built-in) to activate it.

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[treeskier]

yes, the only issue is the dual bank charger will charge both batteries together as one without the DVSR fix... (even if connected properly - the batteries will not be separated for charging, will have continuity throught he DVSR). Which can damage the good battery (by overcharging). The DVSR without the fix makes the intelligent dual bank charger dumb.

If you can charge the dead battery separately may be best.


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Ok so then if I use a single bank charger connected to the terminals of the house battery that should get that one going again? I was just going to use the alligator clips to the “automotive type” terminals since they have nothing in them. As long as the battery switches are off the house battery should be isolated... correct? ( I was told that if both switches were not in the on position while underway the alternator would not charge a battery in the off position) so a switch in the off position should isolate that battery.

I know these are remedial questions I really appreciate the help I’m reluctant to mess it up more.

 

[swatski]

As long as the battery switches are off the house battery should be isolated... correct?

I'm afraid that is not the case, until you cut the "red loop".
I think charging one battery at the time is safe.
I know! believe me.

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[treeskier]

I guess what has me really confused (and worried) is the connext display is completely dark .... it’s just strange to me that the boat could be running but everything else is off. No chance there is a fuse somewhere I need to locate?

 

[treeskier]

Ok now replying to my own post...problem solved? I found an old @swatski thread on the location of the fuses and found the 2 Yellow 20A accessory fuses in the battery compartment. I pulled them to see if either was blown ... they were not however the act of pulling them and replacing them had the wonderful effect of restoring my connext electronic display.

Truthfully after 6 years on the water in my 2002 LS 2000 I shouldn’t feel new ... but I do. I could fix that boat with a zip tie and a pool noodle. On this more “modern” boat I’m a bit lost so I am very grateful for all the help especially @swatski.

 

[seadude]

Dude your boats on a lift - it's not going to sink! (nice setup by the way)
On my 2016 it seems that Connext needs to be powered up and the bilge in auto mode (blue) for the pump to first activate, then switch off Connext but leave the house battery on for continued pump cycling if you wish.

 

[swatski]

Dude your boats on a lift - it's not going to sink!

Well, only if the water all drains out, if it accumulates the weight may exceed lift's limit and get swamped...and yeah a boat on a lift can sink.

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[treeskier]

Dude your boats on a lift - it's not going to sink! (nice setup by the way)
On my 2016 it seems that Connext needs to be powered up and the bilge in auto mode (blue) for the pump to first activate, then switch off Connext but leave the house battery on for continued pump cycling if you wish.

Sinking isn’t really the issue ... I’m sure you know that. The issue is my drain plug is always in because on the lift I can’t reach it to remove it with out going swimming.

The concern is with the drain plug in a heavy rain will flood the passenger seating area and the water (not having any where to go except out the scupper) could find its way into the engine compartment and in a down pour could flood the engine compartment...which is kinda the same as sinking. It’s a similar situation to leaving your plug in with the boat on the trailer. There is also the weight of the water at about 9 lbs per gallon it can add up quickly and exceed the capacity of the lift.

Last but not least I found out last weekend the boat will run even if connext completely out (due to a $4 accessory fuse) however bilge and everything else is dead. So for under $100 I can have a back up bilge pump fused and wired separately.

 

[treeskier]

Well, only if the water all drains out, if it accumulates the weight may exceed lift's limit and get swamped...and yeah a boat on a lift can sink.

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What model bilge did you add there seems to be a variety of choices. Did you tie yours to the existing outlet?

 

[swatski]

So for under $100 I can have a back up bilge pump fused and wired separately.

Do that and you will be able to sleep at night.

If you mount in the bilge, best if you can access/reach it through the oval hatch in the swim deck - to manually test function, periodically.

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