Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

[stratos92]

I went out today to move the boat and when I tried to raise the outboard (evinrude 150) there was nothing when I pushed the button on the motor or control box (no movement or sound). I thought maybe the battery was dead so I charged it up and still nothing. After pushing the buttons several times the motor raised, but the buttons are only working intermittently and the pump pulsates when going down and is slow going up. Does this sound like a pump problem or an electrical problem to you?

 

[James R]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Sounds like an electrical problem. Does it work in the down mode.
Also it helps a great deal to know what year motor we are dealing with.

 

[Will Bark]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

I have a Johnson 150; when I have this problem it is in the connection of the blue and green wire under the cowl at the rear of the emgine under the tilt and trim relay box where the relays are. I disconect the wires and clean the connctions out with battery corrosion cleaner. Have had to do it once every couple of years. Hope this helps.

 

[boobie]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Does the mtr turn over when you hit the key switch?

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

The motor is a 91 evinrude 150, 60 degree. The down button seems to work ok but sometimes pulsates (bounces the motor) when going down. The up button is not working at all. When I take the hood off of the motor I can hear a clicking noise when I push the up button.

 

[boobie]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

You may also want to swap the relays in youtr t/t control box and see what happens.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Do you have relays, and did they get wet from melting snow maybe?

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

I am not sure about the relays. I will have to go look for them tomorrow. The boat is kept under a carport so it didn't get wet. Where would the t/t control be located?

 

[h_lankford]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

sometimes just tapping on the relays will shake loose a stiff/corroded contact enough for it to start working. Done that before.
If you don't know which one, tap on them all.
Of course, replacement is preferable.
Not sure of your model, but manual should tell you. Probably a black box on/near top of the engine in plain view, several relays inside.

 

[James R]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

I assume you don't have a manual. Go to boats.net and pull up the parts drawings for your motor. If your motor is similar to the 93 model then the relays are mounted above the Port bank of carbs.
If you can hear a clicking when operating the trim switch then the relays are operating. Could be bad relay contacts or bad connections.

 

[stewfish1818]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

T&T runs off the battery 100%. Sounds like your battery could be the problem too. Try jumpers from your car or have the motor running. It could be just barely enough juice to get things moving and struggleing. Distilled water in the top of the battery helps sometimes if you live in a hot climate whwere the battery can cook inside the boat.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Well, I went out this morning and swapped the relays. Now both up and down seem to be working. Not sure what that means but maybe just a bad connection on the up relay. What does in mean if the motor bounces (pulsates) when using the down button? Does that indicate another problem? I think I will probably replace both relays just to be safe.

 

[Will Bark]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Have you checked the fluid level in the cylinders?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Clean all (ALL) of the connections/terminals pertaining to the PTT unit.

The jumping/jerking in the down mode usually indicates that the plunger piston in the center tilt tube is scuffing/sticking within the cylinder.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

This might be a stupid question, but how do I check the fluid levels in the cylinders? This is my first boat and this is all new to me. Thank you all very much for the help!

 

[boobie]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Run the tilt to the full up position and look for a screw on the reservoir. Take it out and add your fluid there if needed.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Thank you all very much for all of your help. I am going to have the powerhead rebuilt in the next few weeks and was afraid when I went out yesterday to move it that it needed a new t/t motor too. I freaked out a little, but it appears that moving the relays made a difference. Thanks again!

 

[boobie]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

Make sure all the connections where the relays go in are good and clean and have no corrosion.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

How do you ensure that the female end (where the relay plugs in) is clean? Since it is an electrical connection is there some type of cleaner that can be sprayed into the recepticle? If so, what type? I am really sorry for all the questions, but you guys have been spot on so far!

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Tilt/trim motor or electrical problem?

An abrasive stick used to clean points and relays might do that cleaning job.