Rewiring Alumacraft Switch?

The 3-way bilge switch on my 13′ competitor is on the fritz. Sometimes it works, but most of the time it does not. I think the wiring may have some corrosion somewhere along the line. When I pull off the instrument panel and look at the back of the switch, I’m at a loss. I can do simple wiring, but this thing has like 4 or 5 wires coming out of it with connections I don’t recognize. I can take pics if needed.

Has anyone tackled one of these? I’d hate to bring it into a shop and not have the use of my boat for god knows how long if it is something I could tackle at home. I’ve run temporary wires from the pump that I can connect to the battery if needed to pump water, but I’d like to get a permanent fix done.

Thanks

Just guessing as it has been a while since I have done one and not familiar with your switch in particular.

Float
Pump
Battery
Negative

this might help. Pin #5 is power in, #7 is ground (if the switch has a LED light built-in), #6 goes to the float, #4 direct to the pump.

Pics of what you have will help.

HRG

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Thanks guys…so I was mistaken, it’s just an off switch, not 3-way. I was thinking of my livewell switch. Anyway here are a couple of pics…not great as there is so much other crap in the way. My finger is pointing to the switch in question.

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Actually, the little round item next to the switch (that your fingertip is on) is the circuit breaker, not the switch.

Is the breaker the problem?

HRG

The breaker has never popped, so I don’t think that’s an issue. What happens is the switch will have power one minute (indicator light is on) and the pump works. The next minute, nothing. Then working, then not. When I bypass the switch and wire the pump directly to the battery, it works perfectly.

My thought is that the switch is fine, but the wiring from the switch to the pump is faulty or corroding.

If your bypassing the switch and everything works then the wiring would be good in the boat and the switch would be the issue.

Stanley wrote:

If your bypassing the switch and everything works then the wiring would be good in the boat and the switch would be the issue.

Yes, this could be, but it could also be the wiring on the way to the switch which I believe to be the case. The reason I think this is that the wiring from the pump did not run straight to the switch. The wiring from each were connected via male/female connectors. Whenever the pump wouldn’t work in the past, I’d disconnect those points, scrub them a bit with a wire brush and then it would work.

So what I initially did was cut back about 2 inches from each of these connection points and attached new connectors….no dice. The wire running from the switch was a bit oxidized even at the point where I cut it back 2 inches…hence my feeling of the wiring being bad.

When removing the wires from the switch, do they just pull out, or are they fixed in place somehow?

If you asking about the switches they have little tabs you have to compress to get them out.

On a side note I completely rewired my 2019 Comp 2015 Tiller with a new switch panel cause the wiring was already failing! My livewell would not turn on multiple occasions. Also, my bilge pumps were wired incorrectly. I have a high & low pump. The low is a auto connected to a flow from the factory. When I hit the bilge switch both came on and when the float triggered both came on! Nothing like always running 1 pump dry!!

https://newwiremarine.com/ is a great place for switches and they do custom ones!

My new console is much better and is perfect for how we fish. It totally opened up the boat. Which was surprising, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but the with the shut down , I thought what the heck. I’ll try it!

I wired it so when the recirc and aerator are on auto the switch light comes on. Not really important but fun to do LOL

Now I know what every wire is connected to! Good by Alumacraft wire birdnest!

Sorry for the blurry picture!