Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

[300sflyer]

1998 Monterey, twin Bravo 3 drives.

Trailer switch works fine, with both drives going up as they should. When trimming the drives down, each drive lowers with its own switch. [one at a time] However when trimming the drives back up, both drives go up at the same time using either the port or starboard trim switch. Is this normal? Should each drive not go up independently with its own switch?

Thanks!

 

[Pete104]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Depends on your control at the helm. But NO!
Chances are it's not the way it was intended & somebody has given it the old "put it over the curb" trick!

Are you going to troublshoot this or just take somewhere?

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Guess I need to find the problem. Not very easy to tow a 32' boat! I just installed new trim senders, and they are working fine. My feeling is to start at the shifter itself, unless anyone else thinks otherwise?

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I've never worked on that system, but here is a link to the service manual http://www.4shared.com/office/STs1zk2r/11__Bravo_Drives_88-98.html? Section 5C covers the dual trim system.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Thanks Don. I have a hard copy of that manual. On page 5C-5 it shows a control box with relays inside it. Is this where you would start checking? If so, is this box likely to be in the engine compartment somewhere or under the dash well hidden and almost impossible to get at?

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Like I said, I've never worked on one. Have never even studied on how it works or anything else, so I would have no idea where to start.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Thanks Don. Perhaps someone else who has will chime in. Attached is a picture of what my shifter looks like.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I've hunted for a control box both under the dash following the wires from the shifter, and it does not seem to have one there or in the engine compartment anywhere. The wiring diagram shows a total of 11 wires coming from the shifter for the power trims. Mine only has 7, so I am wondering if this is the right diagram?

Thanks to anyone who is able to help.

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Is the trailer switch on the throttle also? If it is elsewhere than that would account for the other 4 wires. The diagram has all 3 switches together. You need to see how the wires are run from the shifter to engine compartment. It may be behind the side wall panel. Check how many wires are coming out into the engine compartment from the front.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

The trailer switch is mounted by itself, however its wires [2] are included in the 7 wires. I can only locate 7 wires both under the dash, and in the engine compartment.

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

If you are absolutely sure there is no control box then all that can be assumed is someone did some creative wiring to elimanate it, or at least try to. If this is true than I would suspect that only having a single trailer switch is whats causing the 2 trim swiths to be connected together. Are your drives going all the way up into the trailer position with just the trim switches or does it stop and have to be raised the rest of the way with the trailer switch?

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

They go up part way with the trim switches until the limit senders kick in. At that point they go up the rest of the way with the trailer switch. With respect to the wiring, it does not appear to have been altered in any way, but who knows... I have only had the boat for 3 months.

 

[Pete104]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I just got done replacing "trim senders, bellows & all the other" on a 2000 32' Maxum. 1 of the things I was supposed to chase was stbd trim switch on the control, didn't work. Fiqured that out prior to do anything else. Bypassed the limit switch & the pump ran. So OK, limit switch is junk. Finished the hole job with no issues.
I'm only comparing this because this unit I worked on, they were independent side to side.
But if you say, they run indepedent going down! I would say that it's working the way it should.

You may not realize it but may be set up with "auto-trim" also.

I don't get why people need all this fancy trimming stuff! Either get in & drive and keep yourself comfortable or leave it in the slip! Trim gauges?

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

This is how I am assuming it is. 5 wires going to the shifter/throttle.
1 would be the hot 12V pos. flowing to the switches.
2 would be UP wires flowing back to the Limit Switches. Usually purple/white, 1 for port and 1 for starboard
2 would be DOWN wires flowing back to the trim pumps. Usually green/white, 1 for port and 1 for starboard

The other wires from the limit switches ,blue/white flow to the pumps for UP when the limit switch is closed.

Your trailer buttom has 2 wires
1 is power 12V pos flowing to it
1 is UP flowing back to the engine compartment

Sounds like they may have this UP wire from the trailer switch connected into the 2 blue/white UP wires running from the limit switches to the pumps. There fore you hit one of your trim up switches it jumps across at this connection and energizes both blue/white wires.

If this is the way it's wired than you could add another trailer switch and wire them to the Blue/white UP wires from the limit switches to the pumps seperately OR you could bypass your trim limit switches, disconnect the trailer switch all together and then your trim switches would raise the drives all the way to the trailer position independantly.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I think you pretty much nailed it. I will do a bit more searching to see if I can find where a control box might have been originally. Our previous boat had the same setup, and each drive went up and down independently with the trim switches.

One thing that still does puzzle me though... The manual shows a total of 8 wires coming out of the shifter, not including the 4 yellow ones at the bottom of it, to disable the starter when its in gear. Mine has just 5 and from what I can tell, there never was any more than that. Perhaps some of them shown on the manual are repeated?

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I've never worked on one of these dual setups before myself but the only reason I can figure for having the control box is so there is only one trailer switch and it keeps it from interfering with being able to trim the drives seperately. Then the reason for only one trailer switch I would think is if your running a tie bar between the drives they need to come up to trailer position together. If not running a tie bar it wouldn't matter. Maybe I'm missing something though.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

I think a tie bar between the two drives, would require the trims to work together both up and down. No idea how that would be wired.

My only other thought was to add a couple of diodes to the up blue and white wires that go to the trim limit switches. Do you think this would then separate the up trim switches?

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

The diodes wouldn't go in the blue/white up wires. The wire from the trailer switch would fork into 2 wires, one going to each blue/white wire, as we are assuming it's doing that some way now. The diodes would go in these 2 wires BEFORE they connect to the blue/white wires.

You realy need to identify the trailer wire coming from the front into the engine compartment and see just how it is wired to be energizing both of the blue/white wires.

 

[picklenjim]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Something else you can check is if the blue/white wires are running from the limit switches to the solenoids on the pumps. If you had a control box they would be running from the control box to the pump solenoids. Also the limit switch wires would be running to the control box.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Bravo 3 Trim Issue?

Thanks for your suggestions! I will look deeper into this later today.