Trim gauge not working still......

[jones56]

89 searay 4.3 merc outdrive... My trim gauge in dash and trim up switch on throttle wasnt working but the trailer switch and trim down switch work good. I adjusted the trim sender on the port side of outdrive and the trim up swich now works but the trim gauge doesnt work... What do I need to check??

 

[dubs283]

Re: Trim gauge not working still......

check the wiring for the senders, 95% of the time they're broken or chewed by 'skrats

otherwise check the connections at the engine be sure the bullets are seated, then you can check guage operation by grounding the sender wire and watching guage operation

 

[zx9rstv]

Re: Trim gauge not working still......

This is assuming the sender wires are all good, or the senders are new. Also the trim up switch will not work if the trim gauge sensor is not hooked up or has broken wires. It's a pretty big job to replace the senders. The drive, gimbal housing, and bellows need to come off, then 2 bolts 7/16 size wrench to loosen the bracket and pull the wires through.

I had replaced both senders on both outdrives on my 280 sundancer. I was able to adjust the trim sender on the port motor by just loosening the screws and turning it while I had someone at the helm telling me when the needle was all the way down. On the starboard side was a little different. Even though I installed the sender the same as the port side It didn't matter when I turned the sender after loosening the bolts. It still didn't register with the gauge. After switching the wires and still not getting any movement. I Pulled the sender and turned the line mark on the ratchet wheel 180 deg from the mark on the housing. Then It started to read on the gauge. So You have to have someone at the helm to help you read the gauge as you turn the dial on the sender. There is a mark on the dial and a mark on the housing of the sender that the directions say to line up before you install it. Try turning the mark on the dial 180 deg and see if you get a reading on the gauge.

 

[ni7irs]

Re: Trim gauge not working still......

I had this problem too and bought new senders, but decided I didnt want to take everything off. When I looked at the units, I saw that a wire had broken off at the sender. The wires right at the sender seem to corrode and break so check there. I unscrewed the sender and there is a screw where the wire goes in, take that off and you should have a stub of a wire left. I took a butt connector, removed the insulation and crimped the wire back together. I then soldered it, put the sender back together and coated it with liquid wire tape. The guage is working again and hopefully it will last until the end of teh season when I will replace the bellows and do everything at once.

 

[Doernuth]

Re: Trim gauge not working still......

Great advice, I have dual drives and the trim limit senders on the port sides are fine but the indicators on the starboard side don't work on either drive. Will check the wiring and see if I can repair.