Grady White Customer Service

[LUNDINROOF]

Some of you might have read about the problems I have been having with the electrical system on my 283 Release that is posted on the "Tips, Modifications and Electronics" forum. It seems that I am getting a back-feed of electricity into my switch panel through the aft bilge pump.

Yesterday, Eddie Rowe(SP?) with Grady White called me to thank me for filling out a "satisfaction Survey" a couple of months ago that I had forgotten I had filled out. In our conversation, I mentioned that I was having a problem with the boat and explained it to him.

Today, as promised, he called me back with their engineer, Todd Leggett(SP?) who explained everything to do to fix the problem. Evidently this has happened before and Todd knew exactly what to look for.

For those interested, Seasick hit the nail on the head when he told me that it was a stuck float switch. Good Job!!!

How many manufacturers would send out "satisfaction Surveys", personally call everyone that responded, and then spend the time to call back to help with a problem like this? Maybe others would, but I'll never know. Not likely I'll own anything but a Grady.

BTW, this engineer also discussed the idea I had of installing a diode in the circuit to eliminate the possibility of back feed. He told me where to get it and to be sure it was rated for the proper voltages and amps. He was very knowledgeable.

Hmmm! Maybe this should be a standard item installed at the factory.

Anyway, the only bad news is that I probably will have a new bilge pump on my American Express bill next month.

Thanks to Eddie and Todd (and Seasick) for helping and saving me a lot of time.

 

[ElyseM]

that's why i'm on number 2!

you can always have a discussion about which brand is the "best", but gw customer service always comes through and it goes beyond just answering questions. i see so many threads on tht about having trouble with brand name boats and the mfg is not helping, but i have yet to see gw fall in to that category. i'm not saying they wouldn't or haven't, just that i don't see it. ron

 

[jaydub]

They are top notch. My boat is 4 years old and I still get help from them. Sure will affect the purchase of my next boat.

 

[grady23]

I had a discussion last spring with an engineer from Grady about why the pick-up in the Aux fuel tank is located in the front of the tank instead of the rear. His statement was it was done that way to avoid the pick-up ingesting any thing like water or debris in the bottom of the tank. I said that was a great idea with the exception that it makes approx 5-6 gals of fuel un-attainable and if that reasoning held true then why wasn't the pickup in the main tank like that. I reminded him that the main pickup is in the rear of the tank about 5 inches from the edge. There was silence for about 30 seconds and then he said "I don't have an explanation". All things being equal, It seems to me that one of the two is installed wrong. An admission he was unwilling to make. Does anyone have any ideas. Other than this one thing, Grady CS has been excellent.

 

[richie rich]

my boat is 20 years old and GW engineering still helps me out....who does that these days??

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Great to hear the news on the float switch lundinroof, just curious was this causing an unusual current draw on the batteries? I ask because I bought 2 new AGM batteries in the spring and by mid summer battery number 1 would only keep a charge for about a week. West Marine Replaced it. I keep the main battery switch to off when I put the boat away. I wonder if something is going on there.

As far as Grady Service goes, they do it top notch. I bought my boat last year as an 08 left-over. The gas tank deck lid was flexing and moving just aft of the starboard fish box. Not a lot, but the caulk seem was broken from it. First I thought it was a screw that perhaps came free from the stringer. I called Grady and without hesitation they said take it to the dealer and they will fix it. They know that brand loyalty is key to survival in tough times and growth in the good times. It is easy to get somebody to buy a product once, the key is to get them to buy it again and again. Quality wins the day every time in my book. Quality products and great service mean so much in any industry, well except for the cable TV industry, the power company, the DMV tag office, local government tax offices, Verizon wireless customer care lines, to just to name a few :lol:

 

[LUNDINROOF]

Yes, there was a major current draw on the batteries, the bilge pump ran continuously and ran down the #1 bank of two batteries. When I got back to the boat Saturday, the batteries were dead so I hooked up my on board charger and within a few seconds the pump started working again. Because this power was coming directly from the batteries and by-passing the perkos, breakers and switches, the only way I was able to stop the pump from running was to remove the main breaker panel where the perko switches are located and cut the wire that directly powers the float switch.

I could have disconnected the battery cables but this would prevent me from charging the batteries, starting the engine from that bank and I also would not have use of the electronics that this bank powers. I needed all this to run the boat from my lift to the nearest ramp to take it out of the water.

Right now the boat is safe in my warehouse where I have all winter to work on this problem, wash and wax and get ready for the spring splashing which will be late February or early March down here in the South.

I pretty much lost most of the season this year because of the oil spill so I am looking forward to next year. Hopefully, no hurricane, flood, oil leak, or offers from Mr. Obama to help me.