Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

powrguy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
180
I bought a full set of used OMC/Cobra gauges, and installed them. I have an Evinrude 140HP (1988) outboard.

The Trim Gauge goes FULL scale, and I have NOT connected the sending unit from the outboard trim sender wire yet. Having thought about it, it appears from my searching that the OMC/Cobra trim gauges are listed DIFFERENT than the Johnson/Evinrude trim gauges, and I wondered if the Cobra gauge would work with my Evinrude 140?

What is the difference?



thanks
 

boobie

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
20,826
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

They might be wired bassackwards. All you can do is try it and see what happens.
 

powrguy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
180
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

They might be wired bassackwards. All you can do is try it and see what happens.

The gauges came with pigtails attached, so it was easy enough to connect the voltmeter, fuel gauge, water temp gauge, and tachometer, and the ONLY wire I did NOT connect, was to the S terminal on the trim guage (connection for the trim sender). I put power to the gauges, and they all worked (except the trim gauge), however, it pegged to the top, and stayed there, and I tried applying a jumper to ground to the gauge S terminal, but the gauge didn't move. Then, I tried a jumper to the trim postion sender coming from the outboard, and the gauge STILL didn't move. I don't know if the gauge is different (it's from an OMC/Cobra I/0 motor) from an outboard trim gauge (Johnson/Evinrud/OMC), but the wiring, I think, was correct otherwise.


thanks
 

boobie

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
20,826
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

Is you trim sender working correctly ?? Disconnect it and put an ohm meter across it and move the sender up and down and see if you get different readings. Have you got power going to the gauge ??
 

powrguy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
180
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

Is you trim sender working correctly ?? Disconnect it and put an ohm meter across it and move the sender up and down and see if you get different readings. Have you got power going to the gauge ??


If I understand how the sender works, it's a resistance that varies over the travel of the motor rising and lowering.

When I put a ground on the trim sender (S) terminal on the gauge, I would think that would deflect the meter to one end or the other (full up, or full down?).

Tomorrow, I'll put an ohm meter on the wire from the trim sending unit and check resistance to ground. I expect it should vary as the motor is raised and lowered, then, and some resistance should be measured (OTHER than infinity/open circuit).



thanks
 

emdsapmgr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
11,551
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

I would think the OMC/Cobra designation on the gauge set you purchased would mean it is compatible. Your ohm meter test tomorrow should resolve the issue. [There are two types of trim gauges. They work backwards from each other. I know Merc/Yamaha work backwards/opposite from the OMC's. If these might have been mis-packaged and are actually Merc-they won't work properly.]
 

seahorse5

Rear Admiral
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Jan 24, 2002
Messages
4,698
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

trim gauge probably will not work from a Cobra - not only does it read backwards from an outboard but it needs a sender that ranges from 0 to 200 ohms. An outboard sender reads around 10 to 80+ ohms.
 

emdsapmgr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
11,551
Re: Cobra Trim Gauge vs. Evinrude Trim Gauge

Actually, the Cobra sender is designed to work on a stern drive. Does not mount the same as the outboard version. The outboard version has a movable arm, the cobra sender does not.
 
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