Alpha 1 Gen 2, tilt works down and not up.

[mainejohn]

I just purchased a 2001 Vip with 3.0. I have never had a stern drive before. Everyone talks about trailer switch & trim switch. Not sure the difference! !! I think the trailer switch is on the top of the throttle handle and trim is part way down the handle? So the switch on top will let the drive lower but not rise and the switch halfway down will rise it but not lower it. Please help!!!!!!!!

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Usually, the switch directly under yer thumb is the trim button, 'n if ya gotta move yer hand, it's the tilt switch,.....

Odds are, yer trim limit switch on the drive has broken wires, which is why it won't trim up, with the trim button,.....

 

[alldodge]

The switches on the top is the trim switches, they lower drive and will allow the drive to come up just a little from all the way down. This amount of up direction from full down is controlled by the limit switch on the drive, also called trim limit.

The one down low is the trailer switch. This bypasses the trim limit switch on the drive so the boat can be loaded on the trailer. It use to be referred to as the beach switch, so the drive is brought up when beaching to boat on shore.

Boat is on the trailer and is lowered into the water. Push top trim down and lower drive. If ramp is shallow and the drive hits the bottom see if the up switch will bring the drive up. If the up is pushed and nothing happens, the drive is not low enough to start. If it does come up even the slightest, its low enough.

Driving the boat, start with drive full down, throttle up and get on plane, start raising the trim to get max speed and lowest rpm. If rpm starts increasing and boat is not going any faster you have gone to far, prop is ventilating. Lower the drive until speed stabilizes. If speed is increased/decreased the trim should be readjusted. If doing tight or hard turns in most cases it is best to lower the drive a bit to keep the prop from ventilating. You will get the hang of it.

Going to load the boat on trailer, come up slow and use top trim switch to raise drive, how much depends on depth of ramp. Once the motor is shut off use trailer switch to raise drive full up.

Some ramps do not allow to power load (driving boat on the trailer), some do. Either way just make sure the drive is full up before you pull the boat out of the water

 

[poconojoe]

If your switch doesn't work in one direction, you could have a bad solenoid switch. On mine there is one solenoid switch for up and one for down. Very simple to replace and they are around $15. They are located with your trim motor. 4 wires and probably 2 mounting bolts.
I had to replace my up solenoid once. My drive wouldn't go up.
These solenoids have electrical contact points that get corroded especially when not used for periods of time. They are basically the same device that older Ford's had on the fender well which were solenoids for the starter. Basically just a heavy duty switch.

 

[poconojoe]

iboats sells them. I'm not sure if this is the one you need, but here's what they look like:

http://www.iboats.com/Mercury-Marine...view_id.185248

 

[mainejohn]

So the selinoid might be bad if trailer switch goes up but not trim swith? Seems like up is up, but maybe not. Strange one switch works one way and the other switch works fine in the opposite direction

 

[poconojoe]

Oh, I guess I misunderstood you. So, you have up with one switch but no up with the other switch?
If that is the case, then it's not the solenoid. Sorry, my bad.
Could be defective switch or wiring problem.

 

[poconojoe]

Uhg....I guess I had a senior moment!
I re-read your post. Sounds like a wiring mix up.

 

[alldodge]

So the selinoid might be bad if trailer switch goes up but not trim swith? Seems like up is up, but maybe not. Strange one switch works one way and the other switch works fine in the opposite direction

If you can bring the drive all the way down, really all the way down, and the top switch will not bring it up a little (not all the way), the first check I would suggest is the trim limit switch on the port side of the drive.

 

[stonyloam]

OK if you run it all the way down, and the trim switch will not raise it, but the trailer switch does, then it is likely your trim limit switch ( round black thing on the port side of the gimbal ring) is open. Either a bad wire open or the contacts dirty or corroded. Here is how to check: go to the stern, and look for two black wires coming through the transom. They plug into two connectors, one with a purple/white wire and one with two blue/white wires. Unplug the black wires, and jumper between the two connectors with a short piece of wire. Try the trim switch, if it goes up you have a bad trim limit circuit. Let us know how it works out.

 

[mainejohn]

UPDATE!!! Yesterday I lowered the drive all the way down while on the trailer and then I could raise it up part way with the trim switch and all the way with the trailer switch. So I guess its working fine! I think it was in the up position and it wouldn't go up anymore because it was at its limit on the limit switch.