Help On installing Trim Guage

jammer

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
110
Got a new Teleflex Trim guage. 4 wires on my old one..black, blue, purple..and brown. Colors are close. I disconnected the old trim..and it worked...put on the new one...the lights work..but that is it. So I hooked back the old one. That stopped working. Could I have missed something simple? It appears there's only really two wires the purple and the brown. I would imagine the others are for the light. I check all the fuses they look fine along with any circuit breakers.
 

KaGee

Admiral
Joined
Aug 14, 2004
Messages
7,069
Re: Help On installing Trim Guage

You can go to the TELEFLEX website for a diagram.

Generally speaking:
Blue-panel lamp
Purple-Ign. 12v +
Black- Ground
Brown- Sensor

You should consult your motor service manual to be sure, and a Digital Volt-Ohm meter would be a great asset.
 

jammer

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
110
Re: Help On installing Trim Guage

You can go to the TELEFLEX website for a diagram.

Generally speaking:
Blue-panel lamp
Purple-Ign. 12v +
Black- Ground
Brown- Sensor

You should consult your motor service manual to be sure, and a Digital Volt-Ohm meter would be a great asset.

Yeah I was looking at the diagram from the manual. Just not sure if I hook things back up why it wouldn't work with the old guage. any ideas?
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,771
Re: Help On installing Trim Guage

All we can do is identify what wire is what. You need to check each wire to make sure it is connected to correct terminal on the gauge and that the wire is actually "active". Active means ground should measure "0" ohms to ground. 12V should measure 12V to ground. Light should measure 12V to ground when the light switch is on or the ignition key is in the RUN position if the panel lights are not switched separately. Sense should show some voltage to ground but the actual value will depend on how high or low the engine is trimmed. If you don't get a measurement on one or more of the wires, you have a wiring problem. If wiring is ok and you don't have a sense signal, the trim sender on the engine may be bad. If you don't have 12V on the 12V line you may have blown a fuse. If you don't have 12V on the light wire you may have blown a fuse.
 

jammer

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
110
Re: Help On installing Trim Guage

Silvertip, first thank you so much for responding. This is a wonderful forum. Here's what I have so far. Today I took the boat back to the dealership for them to help me out of my mess. It's all actually my fault. I began hooking up a new Tach which I came to discover the I and S leads changed about 3 to 4 years ago. So they needed reveresed. The speedometer and water pressure guages went in easy. The trim and the gas guages is what did me in today. Yesterday I connected the new guage...the old one worked. I which is puple..and S which is send are pretty easy with the blue for the light and the black for ground. Nothing moved with the new guage. I came home from work early today and grabbed my Fluke 77 meter and installed the gas guage following the exact leads from the old guage. I noticed on the ground was not only a black wire but another one. I still do not know what that wire is but I put it on the new guage as was with the old one. Well now I don't have power to the trim nor to the start. I have nav lights, which I found after diagnosis that the fuses were corroded so I replaced them. The boat is used in fresh water. I checked all the fuses and they appear good. All the cirucuit breaks that I could find..there are three of them and they check out. I can notice power to the dash via the clock. But no start and no trim. If there is a breaker or a fuse I'll be darn if I can find it. You see the ownership of the dealership suggested I could change these out to save myself money. Which is nice; however, I feel dumb. So I took it back to him with all the manuals saying, "I messed up maybe you can get his going." And of course paying for their time.

What I don't get is with this boat...Johnson VRO the wiring is pretty standard...purple for Ignition 12V DC, Send wire..and ground, plus the blue for the lights. Oh and my hour meter never worked since I got the boat in 1987 but I will be replacing that guage with a Lowrance depth and temp guage.

I'll let everyone here know what their mechanic, or master mechanic finds. It may save some.

Sincerely,
 

jammer

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
110
Re: Help On installing Trim Guage

Ok got word from the dealer. The motor has a bad rectifier that caused the tach not to work. And while I was installing the guages I blew the 20amp fuse by the motor. I didn't know it was there. He put the 20amp fuse..and everything he said works but the tach..which I have on order for them to put in.
 
Top