Trim will go down but not back up

[Saebin333]

I've tried searching for other threads on this but have failed in finding one to match my problem. I have a 95' Bayliner Capri 2050LS and for some reason, the trim button on the throttle will allow me to put the outdrive down but not back up.

Now this is the weird part. I have a "Trailer" button below the throttle handle that will allow my outdrive to go back up, but it will not do so with just a push of the actual up button. I've heard from someone that it probably won't go up with the "up" button until the outdrive is all the way down since I don't have an actual trim guage. They said that this is a way for you to know when the drive is all the way down. Now I said this is BS but thats why I'm starting this thread.

So, with all that being said, I need some help on knowing what the true problem is and why the heck would I have a "Trailer" button when I could just use the up button on the throttle (if it worked)? I personally think that its maybe an electrical issue in the switch but I wanna know what everyone else thinks it could be and why the "Trailer" button compared to the "Up" button?

 

[wolfantry88]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

i had same problem, all i did was cut both the trim down and trailer wires and switch them. its worked great ever since. dont know why it was like that but an easy fix.

 

[wnaplay]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

Weird but my boat does the same thing. My dads is just the opposite, one button works everything.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

Trailer button works, trim up does not = trim limit switch is bad.

Actually the switch is probably good, but the wires feeding it are long past thier usefull life.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

So, with all that being said, I need some help on knowing what the true problem is and why the heck would I have a "Trailer" button when I could just use the up button on the throttle (if it worked). I personally think that its maybe an electrical issue in the switch but I wanna know what everyone else thinks it could be.

Not too hard to understand, I will try to explain. You have three trim functions: Down, will lower the outdrive (trim down) from any position. Trim up, a little more complicated: The trim up button allows you to trim the outdrive up, but since if you trim up too much while underway you could damage the drivetrain, the amount of trim up is limited by the trim limit switch on the gimbal ring. Basically without going into too much detail when you trim up to certain point the trim limit switch turns your trim off (if above that limit to start with the trim up switch will not work). Trailer is a function designed to be used when the engine is not running and is used to raise the outdrive all the way up for transporting. In your case the trim limit switch is probably not working (open circuit) and thus the trim up does not work at all.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

shabah said the same thing much more efficiently. If I understand correctly: trim down and trailer work, trim up does not. Here is how to check it out" In the stern look for two black wires going into a connector with a purple/white and two blue/white wires. Unplug and jumper from one side of the plug to the other. Try trim up. If it works your problem is either the trim limit switch (round plastic switch on port side gimbal ring) contacts are bad or the wires are shot.

 

[Saebin333]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

shabah said the same thing much more efficiently. If I understand correctly: trim down and trailer work, trim up does not. Here is how to check it out" In the stern look for two black wires going into a connector with a purple/white and two blue/white wires. Unplug and jumper from one side of the plug to the other. Try trim up. If it works your problem is either the trim limit switch (round plastic switch on port side gimbal ring) contacts are bad or the wires are shot.

Thanks everyone, especially Shabah and Stony! Shabah, you gave me the quick and simplified but I do appreciate Stony's in-depth explaination. It really helps me understand why the hell Bayliner put a trailer button on their shifters.

I will have to check all of these wires out and see where I stand. Is a trim limit switch expensive and hard to install? I was just going to follow wolfantry's suggestion and not worry about the trailer button anymore. but if the up button has that limit on there for a reason then I would probably like to do it the right way.

I just dumped a lot of money into the boat because it had a cracked block. It had a 5.0L Merc in it at first but I figured since it was coming out anyways, why not upgrade to a 5.7L Well the engine is in and its running like a champ but I still have this problem with my trim going back up with the actual up button and not the trailer button.

Does anyone think that I just can't use the up button until my outdrive is all the way down? Since I haven't put it in the water yet after the engine was replaced, I have yet to get the drive to go ALL the way down. It will hit concrete before I get to that point. I was hoping that it was something so simple but knowing my luck, not at all...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

Does anyone think that I just can't use the up button until my outdrive is all the way down? Since I haven't put it in the water yet after the engine was replaced, I have yet to get the drive to go ALL the way down. It will hit concrete before I get to that point. I was hoping that it was something so simple but knowing my luck, not at all...

That is a distinct possibility, but it doesn't have to be "all the way down", it just has to be within the trim limit switch's "limit". You can check by lowering the outdrive down as much as you can, measure center to center on the bolts that hold the trim cylinders on. If less than 21 3/4 inches (alpha 1) or 20 3/4 inches (gen II) trim up should work. It is a major PITA to change them out, but you might be able to disassemble the switch and clean the contacts (need to mark everything and take photos so you can put it back together in same position), also look for bare wires coming out of the switch. Guess I do tend to ramble. Good luck.

 

[6meter]

Re: Trim will go down but not back up

Your up switch might not be doing anything because your outdrive is up to high, past the trim limit switch. It cutting it out. The trim up and down switch is for adjusting your outdrive while under power, Trimming up gets the bow out of the water, more speed. Trim down keeps the bow down, slower and lees bounce. If the outdrive is trimmed up to far the prop will cavitate and over rev the motor, hence the reason for a trim limit switch.