2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

[satnerd]

First of all: excuse my limited English - I'm from Norwayo

I have a strange periodical problem with tilting my engine up. This problem have never happened once I'm running the tilt up. But periodical after a trip out fishing it's not possible to tilt my engine up.
I have read a lot of topics regarding this but still haven't found anything like this:

First of all I checked my 2 relays as stated in most topics regarding this problem. I have four relays inside this box and found out that the tilt function are te two in front on the starboard side. Therefore I tried to replace them with the two located on the back with same result.

Then I tried to messure the voltage on the engine side that are supposed to give 12V to the coil on theese relays.
Had 12V on the lower when pushing down switch and 12V when pushing up switch.

But here comes the strange things:
When I connect the relays again (this time with cables so I could do some messuring). The upper relay didn't get 12V anymore. But again: if I take this relay and switch it with ex. the lower one I still don't get 12V to it.

I was sure that I had a 12V problem feeding the upper relay and started to investigate some more. I guess the 12V feed to the relay are the blue/white cable? But this cable seems to come from the lower side of the engine.....does it go from the tilt switch via a limit switch or something on the tilt pump? Anyway: I couldn't figure out way I got a periodical failure here.

So I decided to get the boat out of the water. So I figured out that I could force the tilt up switching the thick green and blue cable and then use the down switch.
This was a success - the tilt went all the way up.

But here tthings gets really frustating. When I switch back the pump cables to normal - the tilt are are working both up and down again!!
I was using the boat every day for 2 weeks without any failure at all. And then suddenly, same story - coming in form fishing - no up tilt and no clicking on the relay - switching the cables - running the tilt up with down button - and tilt working again both directions.....

It seems like something is happening when I manage to tilt my engine all the way up. If I tilt it just 10cm and then switch the cables again I still can't use the up switch to tilt it.

I haven't checked the fluid on my pump (and I do have some strange noises sometimes - but just sometimes when tilting up).

But for me this seems like an electrical problem - but I can't find it. And since I do not have a diagram I'm out of ideas where to look.

Yesterday I'm sure I was smelling burnt electronic when I was trolling - and 10minuttes later the up switch didn't give ant respons.

I'm sorry for this looooooong post - but was hoping that maybe someone could help me some steps forward here instead of telling me the usually stuff like switching the relays8)

 

[jtexas]

Re: 2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

You've got an open circuit fault, which sometimes makes connection by arcing and sometimes just by coincidental contact between the broken ends of the wire caused by some kind of bump or vibration, especially when the motor is tilted full up. Maybe in a relay, maybe in one of the wires...maybe the switch...maybe ground wire?

sorry it's just a theory...

oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[satnerd]

Re: 2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

You've got an open circuit fault, which sometimes makes connection by arcing and sometimes just by coincidental contact between the broken ends of the wire caused by some kind of bump or vibration, especially when the motor is tilted full up. Maybe in a relay, maybe in one of the wires...maybe the switch...maybe ground wire?

sorry it's just a theory...

oh, and welcome to the forum!

This is my idea to - but I don't know where to search anymore. I don't belive it's the relays itself since it makes now difference if I switch them around. And since I don't have any 12V to the coil on the relay when this problem happens........

But I have tried to pull, stretch, knocked on most wires from steering consoll, inside to motor and even down to the pump itself and I can't manage to bring this fault back once it is working (or oposite if it isn't working).

And since I have a tilt switch both on my engine and on my steering consoll I dont think it is the switch itself......

The engine are only used for approx 100hours before I bought it and has been stored inside for the last 2 years.
And everything inside the engine looks brand new (even inside all contacts) with grease and everything. So I doubt that there can be any corrision here.

My guess is something outside the engine coming in contact with sea water out trolling causing this problem. But what can it be? It can't be the power cables to to pump since the pump are tilting up if I switch the cables and using the down tilt.....
But I have located 4 more wires coming out of the engine together with the thick wires to to pump. I think 2 of them are for ground to chassis. But I'm not sure with the other 2....?

Maybe the 12volt from the switch to the relay are going down the the pump first (end stop or something) and then back up to the engine feeding the relays?

 

[Seasport]

Re: 2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

The blue/white wire controls the up circuit. This wire goes from the two switches (helm and motor) through the tilt limit switch and then to the relay. The tilt limit switch will open when the motor reaches full tilt and thus remove power to the relay. It sounds like you have an intermittent fault in the tilt limit switch or a bad connection there. Check out this switch.

 

[satnerd]

Re: 2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

The blue/white wire controls the up circuit. This wire goes from the two switches (helm and motor) through the tilt limit switch and then to the relay. The tilt limit switch will open when the motor reaches full tilt and thus remove power to the relay. It sounds like you have an intermittent fault in the tilt limit switch or a bad connection there. Check out this switch.

This sounds very like the problem. But where can I locate this switch? Any photos of it?
Last time I had the boat out of the water I was looking for a switch like this.

Does all power tilt have a switch like this?
I was mentioning this earlier for a service man but he claimed that the tilt didn't have any limit switch in the upper position - only on lower.
And when everything is working the pump aren't stopping by itself when holding the up switch. I have to release the switch when I see the motor in upper limit.....

 

[satnerd]

Re: 2002 Ficht Ram 90HK - Strange tilt problem

The blue/white wire controls the up circuit. This wire goes from the two switches (helm and motor) through the tilt limit switch and then to the relay. The tilt limit switch will open when the motor reaches full tilt and thus remove power to the relay. It sounds like you have an intermittent fault in the tilt limit switch or a bad connection there. Check out this switch.

Anyone who could help me locate this limit switch? Maybe with a photo and/or schematic?

Thanks