[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by jgreen

Any ideas on where to start the checking would be greatly appreciated.

As described above: Trim limit and/or position senders are apparently most often the culprit. Mercstuff.com has detailed instructions on their adjustment and replacement: Trim Limit & Sender Switch Adjustments (mercstuff.com).

I wonder why it seems it's always trim up that fails?

Btw: Seller told us trim up didn't work on our boat, when we were first looking at her. Said the trim position gauge probably didn't work, either. Well, the trim position gauge did work and, tho trim up didn't work, initially, by the time we returned to the launch to put her back on the trailer, it did.

Jim

[jgreen]

Thanks Jim, My research so far points to the trim position send and limit switch. I'm first going to try to get the dealer to fix it under warranty, if that fails, is this something an average car guy can fix?

[Z 202]

Replacing the trim limit and trim position senders requires complete removal of the outdrive and the bellhousing. The mercstuff link SEMIJim provided will give you the details. You'll need some special tools to R&R the bellows.

My trim gauge quit a couple of years ago. The contacts for the reisistance disc were all corroded, in the process of cleaning things up I broke the disc itself...

The trim gauge itself is more cosmetic that functional IMHO. I usually trim to the best match to the sea conditions, what my tach and speedo are reading, but mostly just by a seat of the pants feel...

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by jgreen

Thanks Jim,

You're welcome.

Originally Posted by jgreen

... is this something an average car guy can fix?

Looks that way, from the mercstuff docs. But I think it was the mercstuff docs that recommended some Special Tools. Could get kinda $pendy. (I haven't researched it, other than to peruse the mercstuff site. I'm crossing my fingers and praying ours doesn't give us any trouble.)

I would probably get the tools and do it myself. Odd thing: I generally don't work on our own cars, tho I used to wrench on cars extensively, back in the day, but I will work on our own boats. I guess I enjoy working on boats . I also think part of it is, doing it myself, I know it's done right. Consider: Your car breaks down and, usually, the worst that happens is you're stranded by the side of the road, on dry land, and a towing service comes and gets you. But when you're out in the middle of a large lake, like the kind we're on, maybe out of cell and VHF range, and something fails, well, that's a whole 'nother story! I think if we owned ATVs or snowmobiles I'd work on those, myself, for the same reasons.

Jim

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by Z 202

My trim gauge quit a couple of years ago. The contacts for the reisistance disc were all corroded, in the process of cleaning things up I broke the disc itself...

There is a pair of products, DeoxIT and ProGold, that are reputed to be very good at removing contact corrosion and protecting contacts from corroding, respectively. Our courtesy lights and bilge pump weren't working, and I found it was fuse/fuse-holder corrosion. I removed all the fuses, some of which were very difficult to get out, treated all the fuse holders with those two products, and now the fuses snick in and out of those fuse holders like new. I wonder if treating the trim sensors would make sense?

Originally Posted by Z 202

The trim gauge itself is more cosmetic that functional IMHO.

Perhaps, but a non-functional gauge would annoy me. I would have to fix it

Jim

[jgreen]

Thanks a lot guys, I'll try cleaning the discs first to see if that clears the problem. After reading the instructions for this, I'll take it in. Not something to do in the Wisconsin woods

[Lunaticutah]

After looking in the repair manual there seems to be a manufacture tool that is needed to unscrew the star shaped trim sending unit located under the plastic trim adjusting cap and bottom. Not quite sure if the problem lays in the plastic electrical component or in the star shaped bolt that screws into the out drive in witch the trim sending unit adjuster bolts over top of.

[jgreen]

Originally Posted by Lunaticutah

After looking in the repair manual there seems to be a manufacture tool that is needed to unscrew the star shaped trim sending unit located under the plastic trim adjusting cap and bottom. Not quite sure if the problem lays in the plastic electrical component or in the star shaped bolt that screws into the out drive in witch the trim sending unit adjuster bolts over top of.

Thanks, I don't have a factory manual yet, hope one comes up on ebay soon.
By "star shaped" I assume you mean a torx bolt. I'll try cleaning and adjusting next weekend.

[WetWilly]

Hi jgreen, consider becoming a contributing member and you'll have access to the literature you seek and more. Click here if your interested.

WetWilly

[Red Rover]

I took my throttle off and found that the wires leading to the back had corroded about a foot back on a connector piece. Hooked it all up and everything works great. Thanks for everyones help.