'86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

[flywoman]

I have posted parts of this problem elsewhere but realized I should have started my own thread...I have updated info on this posting.<br /><br /><br />Here is where I am at. <br /><br />I have a 85 bayliner (trophy bass) with an 1986 Force 125. I have had an intermittant problem with the tilt/trim quitting altogether, but usually it would come back pretty quick. However, Wednesday it never came back. With it sitting in my driveway I can hit the tilt/trim switch and all I hear is a clicking noise in the motor. From another posting I took the idea of disconnecting the blue and green wires from inside the motor and hooking them up to a battery directly--from doing that the motor trims and tilts. There are only those two wires, blue and green.<br />This suggested to me the problem was from the switch to the motor. I took off the switch and connected the wires directly to power and only got the clicking again. This tells me the switch is ok, I guess.<br /><br />I read some more postings and figured there was a good chance the problem was in the relays, so I went to the auto store and got 2 new ones and replaced them both. Unfortunately this only gave me the clicking noise again when I hit the tilt/trim switch. <br /><br />I am going to see if I can check the voltage coming out of the relays...maybe I have a pinched or broken wire between the battery and the switch or the switch and the relay.<br /> <br />I am not sure where else to go from here. Any help (and as detailed as possible since I have used the extent of my knowledge here in this post) would be greatly appreciated.<br />Thanks, Mic

 

[flywoman]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

An additional note here.<br /><br />The relays that I got and put in were not the bosch relays like I took out. They, of course, were out at the auto store and the marina wasn't open. They are supposed to be identical though.<br /><br />I tested the bosch relays I took out to the best of my ability. I checked the ohms on both, testing all of the combinations of possible connections and they tested identically to one another.<br /><br />I also went back to the up/down switch and all was OK there. about 12V for each.<br /><br />I also checked the blue and green wires coming out of the relays and going to the tilt/trim unit. there is continuity between the two of them, but no voltage between the two when the switch is in either the up or down position. The two relays do click appropriately though.

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

Interesting problem, the relays need two sources of 12 volts, one from the tilt&trim switch that controls the relay coils and another 12 volt source from the battery that provides the voltage the relays connect to the T&T motor, I would verify that second 12 volt source is good, it's possibly a blown fuse or bad connection.

 

[flywoman]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

Thanks. I'll work on that. I have fuses under the steering wheel. There wouldn't be any in or around the motor, would there?

 

[roscoe]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

You should have a fuse or circuit breaker on the motor.<br />It is located between the starter relay and the tilt relays.<br />One red wire goes from the starter relay, into the breaker or fuse, and two wires come out of it and supply power to the relays.<br /><br />I say you "should have this, because my manual says "may not be present on all models".

 

[flywoman]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

Thanks Roscoe. I found the circuit breaker and it was tripped. I reset it and now things work fine. What would cause the breaker to trip? Possibly a bad relay? I replaced those, so maybe I am good now.<br />Thanks for everyone's help.<br />Mic

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

It could be an old weak circuit breaker in which case it'll do it again, or maybe the T&T switch was held up or down too long after the boat engine reached the end of travel and the motor stalled, drew too many amps and the breaker tripped. When I rewired my T&T I use a push button switch to activate the T&T motor relays, barring an electrical malfunction there's no way it can stay running,

 

[flywoman]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

Well...it does continue to trip. Not all the time, but once or twice per outing.I have noticed a clicking noise coming from the relays when there shouldnt be. Could it be I have a short in the switch that is causing it? and would this cause an occasional short?

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

Sounds like you have a handle on it, the only thing that should activate the relays is the switch, if they click by themselves I would suspect the switch too. It could be defective or corroded internally, the bouncing of the boat could be what's activating the switch intenally. It could also be a intermittent short to ground problem with the wiring from the T&T switch to the T&T. If the T&T self activates in the down direction when you're out boating you'll never hear it and this would overload/stall the T&T motor and trip the breaker. Before I replaced it I would lower the O/B and then disconnect the T&T motor harness from the relays if it's easy and possible, then go boating, when you return reconnect the harness and see if the T&T works or is the breaker tripped.

 

[wajajaja]

Re: '86 Force 125 Tilt/Trim

reminder DO NOT FORCE THE MOTOR UP against the hydrolics if it fails, there is a relief valve to use in emergency to raise the motor manually or you will break the system.