2017 glastron gt185 4.3 merc/alpha drive motor stuck down

[baconfudge]

Just got boat couple weeks ago, first boat, been out two times. Was at the lake yesterday, trim was working, boat doenst have a trailer button so i trim up as i put on trailer and up all the way then shut off boat. been having issues w/ massive porpoise (another story) and the trim gauge is off; off by when i trim all the way down the needle is about 1/8" from the down line on the gauge; wasn't concerned, ok the gauge is off, i know that it's stopped trimming down by the sound and where needle is on gauge so i thought i could live w/ gauge being off.

ruff ruff day on lake, could not get the boat to run flat on plane, barely any chop in morning, lake got abit ruff by late afternoon, trim all down and planes quickly but then just massive porpoise so I'm thinking, to stop the porpoise i should trim down; but it's already down, haven't touched it. i trim up and it gets worse, speed up porpoise is worse to point boats almost out of control, throttle down and boat comes off plane, anyway the trim, im thinking if i need to trim down to help the porpoise issue and the gauge is 1/8" from bottom down line maybe the motor isn't all the way down to start with. like it's 1/8" up on gauge or 10% up trim or something.

so my logic is boats in the driveway, lets lower the motor down and see? it's trimmed all the way up on the trailer, put gf in the boat so i can watch, turn key to right (not cranking motor) and tell her to trim down. she trims it down, i see it won't hit the driveway so have her trim it all the way down.looks good, the arms went all the way in and motor looks like its fully down trim, great!! so just the gauge is off 1/8" no worries. i say ok put it back up, up down nothing, no sound, no movement, just nothing. turn boat off and on, nothing.

so first boat, i know i trimmed the motor up and down at marine i bought from, but the boat was on w/ the water muffs, did i mess this up bad? question 1: should i be able to turn the key in the driveway for battery power and trim the motor up and down? 2. did i run out the battery? 3. i dont have the water muffs to put hose on engine but i can get some, should i start the boat and try to trim it up? 4. did it randomly break? 5. if it's broke i cant move boat, the motor will hit if pull it, wtf i do next? 6. anything info i missed adding or another reason the motor wont raise?

 

[Chadbud]

I know this is a fresh post and I am in no way a veteran boater.. BUT, it really sounds like a trim motor issue.

I know there is a trim sender unit that could be the issue here. I’ll explain from what I’ve read on other posts regarding this issue (I would link to original post but I can’t here with my phone at work)

The right side switch is the trim Sending unit which sends the signal to the gauge on your dash as to out drive position.

The limit switch is adjustable and if it has moved, it could possibly make the system think its all the way down when it actually isn't.

Both units operate on resistance of current flow over a series of electrical strands to determine location. These strands can wear out and give false reading to prohibit movement.

These are sealed pretty well but if water gets in these, don't expect them to work right.

 

[baconfudge]

ive been reading the forums, i think i might just not know how my boat works, i have up/down on throttle and nothing else. read that the up botton is press for trim and like press hard or double click to get boat to tilt, i need to tilt the motor up. i'll try in morning, if anybody knows how a up/down trim button works that doesn't have a different button for trailer tilt up please let me know.

maybe makes sense that i can "tilt" the motor up in water cause the sensor is allowing it to keep raising but in reality i maybe should be using the tilt function after i get on trailer.

 

[achris]

You call it out as 2017, so if the engine is also 2017, then you probably have a trim control system where the 'TRAILER' is just pressing the UP a bit harder. So, problem 1 solved.

The gauge reading 'off'. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. The gauge sender is on the starboard side of the gimbal ring, and has absolutely no influence on anything else. Literally, the gauge and its sender are a completely isolated system, influencing nothing else. The only thing influencing the gauge is the position of the bell housing with respect to the gimbal ring. When I set the gauges up (from new or resetting an older one) I set the drive to be dead level with the bottom of the boat (a 'neutral' position if you like) and adjust the sender so the gauge shows the neutral/level indication.

You also have a trim limit switch on the port side of the gimbal ring, and that maybe (an I would hope it is with such a new boat) connected to the trim pump wiring harness. Now, often the limit switches get water in them and fail, leaving the pump as not operational. I have included a wiring diagram below so you can see how it all works. You have 2 choices if that's what's happened. Do what 95% of people do, and just 'jumper out' the limit switch, and be aware that it's been done, and try to avoid over trimming. Or replace the limit switch. That's not a fun job, and the new switches are expensive.

Chris.......

 

[tpenfield]

What Chris said . . . and I'll add a few comments.

1: should i be able to turn the key in the driveway for battery power and trim the motor up and down? Actually, the trim system should work without the ignition on.

2. did i run out the battery? No

3. i don't have the water muffs to put hose on engine but i can get some, should i start the boat and try to trim it up? No

4. did it randomly break? Probably

5. if it's broke i cant move boat, the motor will hit if pull it, wtf i do next? What Chris mentioned . . . I would guess that the limit switch (on the port side of the outdrive) is either broken or out of adjustment. You can adjust the switch, or short the wires (inside the engine bay near the transom) to get the trim system to work again.

6. anything info i missed adding or another reason the motor wont raise? You don't seem to understand how the trim system works.

 

[baconfudge]

good news. i was just uneducated that the trim up/down was actually a up-tilt/down button, i just reached in and raised the motor this morning. key off.

thanks for the responses, i kept reading all this about jumping over selinoids and faulty pieces was getting worried my ignorance just cost me money but in the end start w/ simple questions and work towards complicated helped me out, thanks again.

 

[JASinIL2006]

It really sounds like you would benefit from going out for an outing or two with an experienced boater. I did that when I first got my boat, and it helped immensely. You sound resourceful and you found iboats, so that's good, but there's nothing like being on the water with someone who understands how all the systems interact to make the boat work properly.

Also, if you haven't yet, please take a boater safety course. There are a number of them available online, or even better, face-to-face, but those courses will not only cover boating safety but also the basics about handling a boat. Easily worth your time, especially if it helps you avoid an accident where your or a someone with you (or someone in another boat) gets hurt.

Have fun with your boat and welcome to iboats!