tracker livewell pump not working...

[NJfishinGuy]

ok my tracker 175s livewell pump is not coming on. i dont know if its the pump or something else. the switch on the console doesnt even light up when i push it like it should. i checked all my fuses and they look ok. if a pump is bad wouldnt the switch on the console still ligh up? any ideas

[Bad Fish]

Bad connection? bad switch?

[Sam]

I accidently hit the livewell pump button on my control panel and burned out the unit last year.

I did it when putting the cover on the boat and dragging the cover over the steering wheel.

Talk about dumb.  

Had to have it replaced and I would think you are facing the same problem.

Other than for a bad fuse, all I can suggest is having your Tracker or local boat dealer check it out for you.

[Splat]

You need to get a cheap multi meter, or at the very least a test light. without your just guessing and replacing parts that may not be needed.

If the switch dosen't illuminate anymore this would lead me to believe one of two things, perhaps three, no wait four.

1. The switch could be bad, causing no power out, which would also cause the light to not work

2. You lost source power. Where ever the switch ties in for power is faulty, could be a broken wire, bad fuse(need a ohm meter, just looking dosen't work) or just a loose corroded connection.

3. The ground could be bad. Illuminated switches need a ground for the light to work. Faulty ground can reek havoc, and bea a real mess to trouble shoot. Further more if the switch and the pump ground to the same circuit this could aslo cause the no go on the pump.

4. The pump is bad, and the light is just burnt out on the switch.

Invest in a meter, you can find an ultra cheap one like this which allthough not super accurate, it will certainly do it's job for small electrical jobs.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92020

If you want to go over board you can get into a good quality true RMS Fluke meter like this one that I carry at work every day

http://www.tequipment.net/Fluke179_1AC-II.html

But there's really no need to do that.

Bill

Edited to add could be a bad motor that drew  too much amperage and caused the contracts in the switch to fry, creating a combination of both 1 and 4

[bassassasin260]

remove the pump, hook it to a battery, if the pump moves but is straining and not pumping, its cloged up. if it kicks fine then you have a wiring issue. first thing you need to do is check if the switch is bad, you can use a multi meter and use ohms to check, or just disconnect the wires and touch them together, if the pump worked when you touch the wires, the switch is bad. and if all that checks out to be ok, then one of your ires has worn through and is grounding out somewhere. having and knowing how to use a multi meter could make this a 10 minute job to figure out, without one, plan on spending hours lol.

[HPBB]

now I do not know if yours is the same. but on my 2005 tracker PTX 175 to pump out the livewell. you need to push the head of the recirqu sprayer in and it opens a valve to pump water out. pull it and it returns to recirqu.