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Front Ballast Debug


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I’ve had an issue where on occasion I can’t get the front ballast to fill. I hear the pump kick on, can feel it vibrating, but nothing happens. It will either start to fill eventually if I leave it running or sometimes if I reset the power it will fill.  I was sitting in the boat today looking through the settings and found a ballast debug control page. Anyone know what the numbers under each ballast bug are? The front shows zero and everything else has a number. Again, if I hit the + (assuming that is fill) I can hear the pump kick on but that number doesn’t change. Wondering if that is part of my issue.

 

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I don't know what the numbers mean, but the system uses a variable resistor format for feedback to determine the level in the tank. There is a float on a vertical shaft with reed switches and each one corresponds to a percentage fill level, then there is a delay built in so that any movement (sloshing) is accounted for.

I doubt that the issue you're having is directly related to the programming, the aerator pumps used by default for the ballast systems are very finicky to anything blocking the vanes. The pump may be making noise but not turning the vanes, or the drain pump may be running (based on errant programming). I would pull the block on the screw off top of the pump (stainless screw and blue plastic piece that looks like it came from a Trivial Pursuit "pie") and then unscrew the motor from the housing. Then run the pumps (dry is OK) to see which one is spinning on fill and drain. You may find something blocking the pump vanes when you remove the motor too.

BTW: do this on the trailer or lift or close off the 1/4 turn valves. As soon as you remove the pump motor/core water will flow in to the bilge.

As long as you see the hard tank on the dash display then the level sensor is plugged in and working.

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