Wiring wizards?
 

Ok here's my problem, actually I've got several, not the least of which is the worst access to the bildge area ever designed by man. Months ago, my float switch got stuck up by some wires, killed the battery, which is an old story. So I was fixing electricall problem, trailer wiring, trolling motor batteries, connections; all that good stuff associated with owning a boat. So I two gray leads off the float are loose, I run one to the brown off the bildge pump and put the other to the positive of the battery. Note that prior to, I could turn the console bildge switch on and pump as needed.

Now I go and pull the float up and the bildge pump winds up and sounds good, put it down and the bildge pump isn't cranking; but it's still turning. So I take the float out of the equation again and I can run the bildge pump again from the console switch. Ok is the float bad or is it getting just enough power from somewhere else to run the bildge?

I hate boats, wiring, salt water, love fishing thou so it's a problem I'll likely die with.

u keep your boat on the trailer,,yes? dump the float,, nothing but trouble, no matter who makes them,,,they freeze up, short out, chitt the bed in no time,,some in 3months,6. only had one last a year, died in the spring. get in the habbit of turning the switch on from time to time when your in the boat.

Probably a bad float switch. I'd replace it. Too much riding on you're remembering to hit the pump switch every so often. My experience with float switches isn't bad mine have averaged about 3-4 years.

You must have read the bildge pump thread,,,it jinxed me and it was a installation and wiring nightmare. I'm still sore from trying to be a contorsionist!!!

I found once it worked from the manual switch, I had a dead battery lead to the float switch.

Try this..it worked for mine..
Find the 2 wires (near the pump) that feed the pump by the manual switch, put the meter on them and determine the 12v+ and 12v- . Run a NEW wire (disconnect the old one) directly from the battery (+) through a fuse and through the float switch to the (+) wire to the pump. The pumps ground wire will take care of finishing the circuit.

Both manual and auto should now work ( I said should).
Good luck.
Wait til your done to drink beers!!

My float is a sure bail, and is still the original (8 years) its a blue square box with the float inside.

When you say it wasn't cranking, but turning - you mean like it was just getting very low voltage.If so I would say replace the switch it must be leaking some voltage across when it's closed, although I've never seen that.
I've had a switch on mine for a few years with little problems except the occasional pieces of debris that gets into it and keeps it open. This year I hinged a big hatch on mine so I could get good access into the bilge for the switch, batts, x-ducer it works out great.
I like an auto switch even in a trailered boat, because sometimes I do get a chance to bum a slip for a few days.But more importantly, if you do start taking on some water while running the pump will kick on and let you know you have a problem before you would otherwise notice it.
One thing I noticed though is that when I pull the boat and drive say up a hill, the water goes to the stern, pump goes on, and gives the car next to me a little squirt - some people don't appreciate that :D
Bill