Trim gauge

Mettaree

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
292
Repowered boat - OMC 115 to Merc 200. Wired trim gauge up but works backwards. Motor up -gauge down and vice versa. Anyway to reverse the gauge? Or just resign myself to putting up with it that way. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Jim :rolleyes:
 

Hooty

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
4,496
Re: Trim gauge

Hey, Jim.<br />Have you tried reversing the wires on the gauge or at the sending unit?<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty
 

Mettaree

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 17, 2003
Messages
292
Re: Trim gauge

Hooty: No way to reverse sending unit - just variable resistance anyway. Will try reversing voltage ( wires ) at gauge as you suggest. Thanks a million for the response. <br /><br />Jim<br /> :)
 

gaugeguy

Captain
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Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,564
Re: Trim gauge

Sounds like your gauge is incompatible with your sender. Merc senders will run an OMC gauge backwards and vica-versa.
 

rickdb1boat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
11,195
Re: Trim gauge

This may help: Try what Hooty said and if it doesn't work, get back to us or if it does work, let us know anyway...<br /><br /> teleflex support
 

Mettaree

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 17, 2003
Messages
292
Re: Trim gauge

RB: Will do. Will try reversing wireing at gauge - little concerned with putting hot on ground terminal - possible short with other stuff under console. If can reach gauge - may just rotate gauge 180 degrees where gauge up is now down. Would look funny tho. needle on left.<br />Later<br />Jim<br /> :)
 

gaugeguy

Captain
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Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,564
Re: Trim gauge

JKW1939, is this the same sending unit and gauge that you had prior to the repowering? Don't go reversing wires at the gauge, it's not gonna help. If the gauge is working backwards it is because it is incompatible with the sender.
 

jsmccasl

Cadet
Joined
Sep 23, 2003
Messages
10
Re: Trim gauge

I ran into the same thing last weekend. My sender had comout of the bracket and was hanging, although still connected. Check how mounted.
 

Mettaree

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 17, 2003
Messages
292
Re: Trim gauge

gaugeguy: Yep its the same unit I had on the Rude. Up is down and down is up with the Merc sender. Will tolerate it for now until can work to get new trin gauge installed - in reality use ears and gps to trim motor majority of the time anyway. Thanks to everyone for your responses.<br /><br />Jim<br /> :)
 

Hooty

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
4,496
Re: Trim gauge

I'm sure there's a reason reversing the wires won't work, I just don't understand it. The sending unit is a varible resistor and the gauge is a volt meter and we're talking dc voltage. Why won't reversing the wires work?<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty
 

Mettaree

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
292
Re: Trim gauge

Hooty: I'm sure reversing hot and ground would work - as you say its just a voltmeter. The trim gauge case would be hot with 12V if reversed polarity. Have to be careful with all else under the console with that situation. Would have to reverse polarity on trim light also to keep from having conflict.<br />Thanks<br /><br />Jim<br /> :)
 

Hooty

Rear Admiral
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Oct 2, 2001
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4,496
Re: Trim gauge

Lights? What lights? You ment dem tings got lights? ;) <br />Thanks Jim, now I be understandin'.<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty
 

gaugeguy

Captain
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Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,564
Re: Trim gauge

Hooty, are you talking about just switching the ground wire and sender wire at the sender itself? That var. resistor will read the same resistance regardless of which wire is connected to ground and sender. If you reverse the hot/sender, grd/sender, hot/grd, all it is going to do is peg the meter in one direction or the other and not move at all. You are right about it being just a voltmeter (a very low voltage voltmeter), it actually moves off of the current flowing from ground through the sender, but even a voltmeter will not work if you wire it up backwards.
 
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