Help with water in bilge - 2019 SX190

[Rushfan67]

Hey Everyone... need some help please.

On Saturday while coming back to the marina as I came off plane I noticed the bilge kick on and dump maybe a 1/2 to a gallon or so of water out. What made it strange is the in the year and half of owning the boat I do t recall this ever happening. So it’s been driving me nuts thinking about it and trying to figure out what’s going on. I read all the threads here on the board of what it might be.

Well today I went to the marina and asked them to take it off the rack so I could at least look at the hull and inspect for damage. After a thorough inspection no damage at all. Next he put it on a work rack for me and I fired it up. No water coming from anywhere. I kicked on the bilge for the heck of it and sure enough about another 1/2 to 1 gallon of water. Let it run and watched the bilge in front of the motor... no water.

I then took off the clean out cover to the right of the clean out plug and it was very wet in there... I have never see it wet in that area. So in looking around I found this and also the silicone basically missing in this spot. Could the water be coming in there? Also on the white nut.. it’s the same size but that is around the inlet to hook the hose to for rinsing out the motor. Last thing.. should the drain near the bilge be open or closed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Scottintexas]

I don't know what that nut is for,
in the lower pictures
left - I don't know
middle - is that large white thin piece sticking in the drain plug ??
right - definitely looks like silicone is missing there and could cause a leak,

when I boat I have all the interior plugs in to help isolate areas of the boat, when I'm done I open all the plugs so water will drain,

your best bet is to probably the next time you go out look down the manhole before you put the boat in the water to make sure it's dry and then while docked and then after idling and then again after running at wide open to asses when it might be getting wet,

 

[Rushfan67]

Pictures 2-4 are all of the same area... picture 4 is after I pulled the silicone because there was nothing left of it around the bottom so I just pulled it off.

 

[Dean P]

The nut looks like it's from the back of the quick disconnect for flushing. Is that fitting loose?

The pictures are too close to really see what's happening. Can't tell what I'm looking at. Sorry...

 

[JDRacing]

So, that white nut looks like the one that goes on the bottom of the drain that sits under the hatch where the clean out port/plug is. I'm not sure what the SX-190's look like, but on the newer 212's, that drain piece (plastic) has a plastic nut, like your white nut, holding it in place. The bottom of the drain tube attaches to a plastic hose/tube, the other end of which attaches to a through-hull fitting and exits near the jet. I can't really tell from your pictures, but is that piece in #3 the bottom of a drain, the top of which is under the clean out plug hatch? If so, it looks to me like the hose fell off, then the nut fell off. Is there a hose with a loose end laying under it?

If the above is true, that would also explain the bilge pump issue. Water is getting forced up that hose from where it goes through hull when under way, and is spilling into the bilge.

I run all my drain plugs open (except the one at the rear, of course). Lots of debate on that topic, and lots of people doing it both ways, without a problem.

Jeff

 

[Rushfan67]

So, that white nut looks like the one that goes on the bottom of the drain that sits under the hatch where the clean out port/plug is. I'm not sure what the SX-190's look like, but on the newer 212's, that drain piece (plastic) has a plastic nut, like your white nut, holding it in place. The bottom of the drain tube attaches to a plastic hose/tube, the other end of which attaches to a through-hull fitting and exits near the jet. I can't really tell from your pictures, but is that piece in #3 the bottom of a drain, the top of which is under the clean out plug hatch? If so, it looks to me like the hose fell off, then the nut fell off. Is there a hose with a loose end laying under it?

If the above is true, that would also explain the bilge pump issue. Water is getting forced up that hose from where it goes through hull when under way, and is spilling into the bilge.

I run all my drain plugs open (except the one at the rear, of course). Lots of debate on that topic, and lots of people doing it both ways, without a problem.

Jeff

Jeff,
Once I unscrewed the access panel where the clean out plug is, should I be able to gain access to this?

 

[JDRacing]

Again, I'm not sure you need to unscrew the access panel at all--you said you removed the cap on that already (I think that cap is what you are calling the "clean out cover"). Again, I'm not sure of the 190's and am just assuming there's a drain under that hatch like on the larger boats (where the clean out ports are).

Look at your middle picture in the bottom row in your original post. What is that black thing hanging down that looks like a small black cylinder with threads on it? Isn't that the bottom of a drain, the top of which sits under the hatch where the clean out port is? If so, you're already in there by removing what you called the "clean out cover". Is there a hose below it that came disconnected from that small black cylinder? Does the white nut screw onto that small black cylinder?

Please take a picture of what this area looks like from above--lift up the hatch and take a picture from above, without unscrewing the access panel. I may not be understanding what you are talking about, so let's start from there.

Where did you find the white nut?

Jeff

 

[Rushfan67]

Again, I'm not sure you need to unscrew the access panel at all--you said you removed the cap on that already (I think that cap is what you are calling the "clean out cover"). Again, I'm not sure of the 190's and am just assuming there's a drain under that hatch like on the larger boats (where the clean out ports are).

Look at your middle picture in the bottom row in your original post. What is that black thing hanging down that looks like a small black cylinder with threads on it? Isn't that the bottom of a drain, the top of which sits under the hatch where the clean out port is? If so, you're already in there by removing what you called the "clean out cover". Is there a hose below it that came disconnected from that small black cylinder? Does the white nut screw onto that small black cylinder?

Please take a picture of what this area looks like from above--lift up the hatch and take a picture from above, without unscrewing the access panel. I may not be understanding what you are talking about, so let's start from there.

Where did you find the white nut?

Jeff

Jeff,
The boat is in the marina and I don’t have access to it until Thursday at best. So I found a picture on the internet that kinda shows what I’ll talking about. Do you see the oval piece to the guys right. If you pull that panel you can see down in the hull... the white nut was directly straight down lying next to the drain plug that you screw in and out to let the water out when you pull the boat out.

 

[JDRacing]

OK, that access panel is what we are talking about, just under the hatch which is flipped up in the picture. Somewhere in that area is a drain (at least that's the way it works on the larger boats). Can't see it in the picture, I'm guessing because the guy is blocking it, or the image isn't clear enough. On the underside of that drain is that black thing I think you are seeing in image 3 (center bottom) above. I think those are threads. The white nut goes on those threads to hold the drain in place, I believe. Then there is a tube/hose which attaches below the nut which goes down to a through-hull fitting at the bottom and into the lake.

The water you are seeing in the bilge, which is activating the bilge pump, is coming from two places I believe: (1) up through the through-hull fitting and into the tube that is now not attached to anything on the other end (it is supposed to go to the bottom of the drain) and (2) Water often forces its way up past the clean out plug and into the area where the hatch is. That's what the drain is for--it lets water flow out that drain and back down the through-hull into the lake. Your drain is disconnected, so it's flowing into the bilge, and turning on your bilge pump, I believe.

At this point, you need to go see the boat and try to figure out if this is in fact what is happening.

Jeff

 

[Rushfan67]

OK, that access panel is what we are talking about, just under the hatch which is flipped up in the picture. Somewhere in that area is a drain (at least that's the way it works on the larger boats). Can't see it in the picture, I'm guessing because the guy is blocking it, or the image isn't clear enough. On the underside of that drain is that black thing I think you are seeing in image 3 (center bottom) above. I think those are threads. The white nut goes on those threads to hold the drain in place, I believe. Then there is a tube/hose which attaches below the nut which goes down to a through-hull fitting at the bottom and into the lake.

The water you are seeing in the bilge, which is activating the bilge pump, is coming from two places I believe: (1) up through the through-hull fitting and into the tube that is now not attached to anything on the other end (it is supposed to go to the bottom of the drain) and (2) Water often forces its way up past the clean out plug and into the area where the hatch is. That's what the drain is for--it lets water flow out that drain and back down the through-hull into the lake. Your drain is disconnected, so it's flowing into the bilge, and turning on your bilge pump, I believe.

At this point, you need to go see the boat and try to figure out if this is in fact what is happening.

Jeff

The area in the picture is a cable - thought it was the throttle cable... maybe wrong, but that cable had silicone all around it and part of it was missing today. I peeled it off because it has to be re-done and that is what you see in the last picture after I took the silicone off.

 

[tdonoughue]

Looks like your steering cable to me. And the nut could be from there (but I have no idea how it would get off and be loose). Missing silicone could cause a leak, but usually not that much. The silicone in the bilge is not usually the operative part. The operative part of silicone is usually shoved in the gap between the hull and the fitting...

I would pull the boat, raise the forward part and put a hose in the bilge. See where water comes from... (don't put so much as to cover the engines, obviously)

 

[JDRacing]

The area in the picture is a cable - thought it was the throttle cable... maybe wrong, but that cable had silicone all around it and part of it was missing today. I peeled it off because it has to be re-done and that is what you see in the last picture after I took the silicone off.

I don't think we are talking about the same thing in picture 3. Anyway, I will be interested in what you find when you get back to your boat.

 

[Maccam26]

Here’s a couple pics of my 19 SX190, for sure the steering cable is where your silicone got loose. Water intrusion from there is certainly possible. The white nut I’m not sure what size it is but my scupper valve had one against the stern. Only other white piece in my bilge is the bucket cable seems to have silicone over a white piece but doesn’t look like a nut.

 

[Betik]

If you have a trailer put the boat on the trailer and go to the ramp. Submerge just enough were the ransom is under water but the boat is still on the trailer. Then take a good good flush light and see if you are getting any water intrusion.
Unscrewing the entire tray around the clean port is a really easy job. So if I were I would do that so have more access.

 

[Rushfan67]

Just wanted to let everyone got the results yesterday. First want to give a huge shoutout to Charleston Power Sports! I had gone to speak with them about what it could be and they said “ get the boat here and we will get it back to you by the weekend” this was on Tuesday. They called yesterday and said it’s done, come pick her up.

So it was both drain plugs in the stern. Both were leaking due to debris from the factory messing with the O’Rings and causing them to leak. Covered under warranty!

For anyone in the Charleston area, go see James or Caleb at Charleston Power Sports, they are awesome!

 

[2kwik4u]

Just wanted to let everyone got the results yesterday. First want to give a huge shoutout to Charleston Power Sports! I had gone to speak with them about what it could be and they said “ get the boat here and we will get it back to you by the weekend” this was on Tuesday. They called yesterday and said it’s done, come pick her up.

So it was both drain plugs in the stern. Both were leaking due to debris from the factory messing with the O’Rings and causing them to leak. Covered under warranty!

For anyone in the Charleston area, go see James or Caleb at Charleston Power Sports, they are awesome!

next time this happens......and it will because Yamaha leaves a lot of construction debris in the bilge......While in the water, you can remove the plug for a short amount of time (say 30-45 seconds), and the in rushing water will "clean" that debris away and reseat the O-Rings. You get a little water in the bilge, but it's not bad overall.

Also, find some Hot Tub O-Ring Lubricant at your local home center, or order online. Put this on the O-Ring and it will help it seat properly. I apply 2-3 times a season.

 

[tdonoughue]

(or pool silicone gel--for pool gaskets--same stuff; both available at any pool store, too)