Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Alright here goes from the start?I have a 4.3L Mericruiser Alpha One in a ?98 Regal i/o. I took the boat out one day and ran fine, when I went to trailer up, my lower unit would not come up. I checked the inline fuse on the trim pump. It was blown and I replaced it. I used the throttle switch (Quicksilver 3000) and the separate trailer up switch with no problems. Next time I went to take out the boat I tried to adjust trim and nothing at the throttle switch. The trailer up switch still works. I did a little research and was able to diagnose two possible problems?
1. Bad switch?I bought a new one, replaced it, still nothing.
2. Bad trim limit switch. I decided to bypass it?I have a purple and blue wire that connect at the same bullet connector into a black wire that goes out to the trim limit switch and a single blue wire that connects to another black wire that also goes to the trim limit switch. I connected the blue/purp to the single blue by way of the bullet connecter with the jumper in it. Now only the trim up work on the throttle switch. I played around with a variety of wire color combinations, blue to blue?only trim up works, single blue to purple?nothing works, single blue to joined blue/purp?nothing!
WTF is wrong with my boat. I?m at my wits end here and really need some good responses, Thanks.

Also, I am fully aware of the potential danger of not having a trim limit switch functioning on the boat. I am an experienced boater and at this point I?m not concerned with it. I?m going to leave it bypassed until I have to pull the lower unit off to replace the bellows or something.
 

Don S

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62,321
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Go to the Adults Only sticky at the top of the forum and go to the Merc manual section. Download manual #14. The troubleshooting section will guide you through the steps of troublshooting the system.
 

Bondo

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

I played around with a variety of wire color combinations, blue to blue?only trim up works,

Ayuh,...

It's been along time, but I think this is Right...

Are you Sure you weren't mixing the Trim Sender wires into this,..??

I'd Guess that you messed up the trim Down elsewhere, as it has Nothing to do with the Limit Switch...

Best Bet, is to follow Don's advice,+ download a copy of the Manual,...
The Answers are All in there,+ as usual,.. Don's is usually the Best,.......;)
 

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Thanks for that. I printed it out and looked over the wiring diagrams and read through the troubleshoot. I will check the solinoid. My concern is that now that I have gone beyond the manuel by bypassing (or attempting to bypass) the trim limit switch, troubleshooting by the book may not work. I will try though. Is my wiring correct with regard to the bypass? Blue and purple into one end of the connector and single blue into the other.

The origional config was...single blue into black that came from transom, and blue and purple going into one end of the bullet connector connecting to black that came from the transom.
 

Don S

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Take your bypass out, put the wiring back the way it was and THEN troubleshoot it.
 

Bondo

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Ayuh,... No Jumper Wires are necessary to do it Right....

It's just an Unplug,+ Replug kinda Deal....
 

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

One of the wires to the trim limit switch near the the gimbal ring is sheerd in half, I didn't mention that earlier but that is the reason for the bad trim switch. I tried to splice it back together but no luck. - I did this before attempting the bypass.
 

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Ayuh,... No Jumper Wires are necessary to do it Right....

It's just an Unplug,+ Replug kinda Deal....

How is it unplug replug? the two black wires are male bullet connectors and the single blue and the blue and purple are both female. I had to cut the female conectors off to join them together.
 

Don S

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

I had to cut the female conectors off to join them together.

Most people that bypass the trim limit switch, just take a piece of wire and crimp on a couple of male bullet connectors and plug them into the wiring harness instead of cutting everything up.

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pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

I guess Im not that electricaly incline, much more of a mechanical guy. Where do I get these bullet connectors? I went to Ace Hardware and Home Depot, niether one had them.
 

Don S

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

ANY auto parts store.
 

Bondo

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Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Ayuh,.... Napa...




Btw,... I told ya it's been Awhile....
 

pvmtsux

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
90
Re: Trim no workie...PLEASE HELP!

Well, she's running once again! I guess when the trim limit switch went so did the solonoid. I replaced it and bypassed the trim limit switch and all is good. Thanks for the assistance.
 
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