Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

We had some gremlins day and I was hoping for some insight!

I have a 2009 A22 (first gen.), and yesterday everything was operating perfectly. But today when we tried to fill the ballast the front was fine but the rear would not fill, or drain. Also when I switched the rear ballast on to the fill position the Anchor switch light illuminated (but the actual anchor light did not), and all 4 ballast switch lights (left fill and drain, right fill and drain) also illuminated.

I returned to the dock to trouble shoot, and took the Piranha pump out. Nothing was in the pump and when I had it in my hands I had my wife switch it on and it seemed to work fine. It might have seemed a little weak (it just seemed slow, but I've never held it while it was on before). I spoke to a Mailibu Maintenence guy and he thought maybe it was a grounding problem, so I tried to remove and replace all the wires on the switches I mentioned. I also wiggled all the wires on the bus bar, but everything seemed tight.

We then hit the lake again resigned to swim and float but I tried the ballast one more time while under way. The drain worked, so I drained them, then filled and had a surf. It seemed like a more firm press of the switch was what made it work.

Do these switches just crator like that? What about the pumps, do they die slowly or is it all of a sudden?

I was thinking of buying 2 more pump cartridges and 2 more switches!!

Ideas.

Thanks in advance.

That is almost always a grounding issue or an open circuit of some sort. The others are illuminating because the current is finding an alternate path through the circuit.

Thanks boardjnky4.

I thought so also, but I'm not sure where to start the search. Is it weird that after 2 hrs of trying to fix it the issue just vanished?

Do you think the switch might be the culprit?

Could be the switch, I suppose. Check all the grounds at the engine. On my 11 there are a few grounds on the right near the starter and in the same spot on the left hand side.

Thanks I'll do that when I get back to the boat.

We were out today and it filled fine, but didn't want to drain. Same story. I pulled the switches out and removed every wire and I think I have some corrosion on some of the tabs. I didn't have any steel wool, but I'll scrub them next time also. Just pulling them and putting them back seemed to fix it again, so I think I'm close.

Any idea of what brand the switch is, there is 2000+ on amazon!

Thanks

3-Way Carling brand

I believe the cover is universal, just swap it off and put the old cover on

http://bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=1097

http://www.iboats.com/Contura-Switch-Ro ... _id.168259

Update on the gremlins.

The ballast pumps/switches worked perfectly for 7 days, then back to the same situation. With one additional symptom, only the one white LED light at the drivers helm illuminated as well.

So I ordered 2 new pumps, and 3 new switches. I started by trying to swap out each of the 3 affected switches, one at a time. No change. Then I contemplated switching the pumps but they worked perfectly so I fought my way into the foot well between the sub and the fibreglass and started wiggling the ground wires on the main ground bus bar. Sure enough the second one I wiggled turned the pumps on and turned the LED lights off. My hand was pretty much stuck in position so I tightened all the ground and only 3 others were loose.

Made my day, knowing that it's fixed and saved X $$ at the shop trouble shooting. Now I need to install the 2 new pumps I bought with the new switches to speed the fill of the 1100's.

PS. New thread,but I built a suck gate and have been using that along with Joeys Wicked Wake surf tabs and the wave is killer. I take some pictures when I get back.

Thanks for all the help.

right on, I knew you would end up finding a loose ground somewhere.