Supra Ballast System Bugging Out

[Jmm137]

2016 SA 400 - So this weekend we were surfing on my profile (bags almost 100% full) with everything working as it should. I then switched to one of the girls profiles (bags around 50%) and this is where it went haywire. It drained the rear left bag completely, drained the rear right bag down to 50% like the profile called for and then immediately filled it to 100%. As this was happening, a 'Manual Override Enabled' message popped up on the screen. None of the manual ballast switches were on or being used at the time. Manually drained the bags using the switches but the right rear bag would not drain. Turned the boat/battery switch off, let it sit for about 10 minutes and started it back up. I was able to now manually drain the right ballast but when you activate any of the profiles, the front and right rear bags will fill but the left rear does not. On the screen it shows that the right rear is filling, but no water is being pumped into the bag. I just had the pump impellers changed at the end of the season last year so I wouldn't think that would be my issue.

I spoke with my servicing dealer, the main tech has only seen this one other time and it was because of a bad battery connection. Also said to check fuses/breakers. I'm heading out to take another look at it after work but wanted to see if anyone else has ever encountered this?

Thanks,
Justin

[Jmm137]

This is the Manual Override Enabled message that popped up on the screen.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210719/a7014a65800ad4f21cb5c83de904bf22.jpg


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[Jmm137]

Little update, spoke to SC and they had me check/clean some connections. Now I seem to have all of the pumps working, however they are not pumping water. I hear them turn on, shows on the screen that the bags are filling but the pumps sound like they are just gargling water and not pumping water into the bag. Just had the impellers changed at the end of the 2019 season so I have one summer plus 3-4 weekend outings this year on them.

I was going to pull the boat out of the water this weekend to check the impellers as well as the intake for these pumps - can anyone tell me where to find the pumps and intake for it?

[larry_arizona]

Is your intake grate clogged?


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[Jmm137]

Is your intake grate clogged?


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That's what I am unsure of, the boat sits on a lift all summer under a canopy. I am heading out this weekend with the trailer to pull it and check it. I'm assuming I should be able to get to it from under the trailer.

[larry_arizona]

That's what I am unsure of, the boat sits on a lift all summer under a canopy. I am heading out this weekend with the trailer to pull it and check it. I'm assuming I should be able to get to it from under the trailer.

Should have 3 intake grates, at least the 6 pump boats have 3 intakes for ballast.


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[Jmm137]

Should have 3 intake grates, at least the 6 pump boats have 3 intakes for ballast.


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Looking at the manual it shows the water intake between where the driveshaft comes out and the paddle wheel, doesn't really give much info on it. This is only my 3rd summer with this boat/a wake boat so I'm still learning my way around it. The ballast pump trouble shooting chart basically just says to check for kinks in the lines, make sure the ball valves are open and if that checks out - replace impellers.

[KnoxMojo]

Something you can try is what is called priming the pumps. Get out on the water, go a little above idle speed, hit fill for about 10 seconds, then drain for about the same, then fill and let it go. See if that helps any.

[jcarter20]

We had a weird issue like this last weekend on our Moomba. Assuming you do actually have all the pumps running, then yours sounds a little different. Here is my experience just in case something in here helps.

I filled all bags too 100%. The starboard side bag was not full so I hit the switch to run it a little longer. Nothing happened. No drain, no fill. How we the screen showed the bags were filling or draining when the pumps were no actually running. I have the 6 pump system, and just replaced all the impellers. I assumed it was a fuse since it would be too Coincidental for both pumps to quit working at the same time. However, to make a long story short, we traced it down to the power wire connection that came from the pump set on the port side of the boat. The connection was just slightly loose. I pushed it back together a little bit and the pumps started working again. What I found interesting is there was no dioletric grease and they didn’t really appear to be marine connectors. I am going to squirt some in mine just to protect against moisture. That wasn’t the issue, but maybe it will help prevent corrosion in the future.

So my only tip could be that if SC is having you check connections, it could be something similar.


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[Jmm137]

We had a weird issue like this last weekend on our Moomba. Assuming you do actually have all the pumps running, then yours sounds a little different. Here is my experience just in case something in here helps.

I filled all bags too 100%. The starboard side bag was not full so I hit the switch to run it a little longer. Nothing happened. No drain, no fill. How we the screen showed the bags were filling or draining when the pumps were no actually running. I have the 6 pump system, and just replaced all the impellers. I assumed it was a fuse since it would be too Coincidental for both pumps to quit working at the same time. However, to make a long story short, we traced it down to the power wire connection that came from the pump set on the port side of the boat. The connection was just slightly loose. I pushed it back together a little bit and the pumps started working again. What I found interesting is there was no dioletric grease and they didn’t really appear to be marine connectors. I am going to squirt some in mine just to protect against moisture. That wasn’t the issue, but maybe it will help prevent corrosion in the future.

So my only tip could be that if SC is having you check connections, it could be something similar.


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Thank you for info! When I initially talked to SC about the the surf system bugging out, they said it sounded like a ground issue or something maybe shorting out. Had me confirm the satellite antenna was working and the other common thing to go out and cause this is the paddle wheel. I don’t have a way to unplug it and check that however after disconnecting both batteries, cleaning those connections, checking the connections on the bus bar under the dash and checking the ground cable on the engine, everything seems to be working minus the pumps moving water. The only thing I found that stuck out during those checks were two loose wires on the bus bar, they were still in contact but I could move them back and forth with one finger.

Fast forward to today, after talking to SC about the pumps running and not moving water, he recommend checking the three intake ports for the pumps to make sure they are not clogged, if they are clear he feels the impellers have to be the issue even though I just had them replaced not long ago.

He also recommended having the dealer reinstall the software if it keeps bugging out like it was. Hopefully I make some headway with it today or it gets pulled and hauled 4 hours to the closest dealer.


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[Jmm137]

Something you can try is what is called priming the pumps. Get out on the water, go a little above idle speed, hit fill for about 10 seconds, then drain for about the same, then fill and let it go. See if that helps any.

Gave that a shot this weekend with no luck. Even tried disconnecting the lines from the bags and filling them with water to try and prime them and that didn't work either. It would push a little bit of the water I poured into the line into the bag and then just air. Pretty much exhausted everything SC, dealer and folks here said to try so I pulled it Sunday and made the 8 hour round trip to the dealer to drop it off.

Everything points to the impellers but it just seems odd to me that all three pump impellers would go at the exact same time without warning. I'll report back with what the dealers figures out.