trim will go down but not up

[panamacitymustang]

hi i got a 1991 mercruiser 454 with a bravo outdrive. the trim will go down but will only go up when i hit the trailer switch. i jumped power to the up solenoid and it worked. does that mean the solenoid is bad

 

[Don S]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Below is a link to the troubleshooting chart. It will lead you to the failed part
It may say Alpha, but it's the same thing you have.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

thanks

 

[tpenfield]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Check the wires leading to the "trim Limit" switch on the outdrive. If they are frayed/broken, then the outdrive will not do up, except by using the 'trailer' button. You may also want to check the condition of the switch itself.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

thanks for the info so if i jumped a wire to the solenoid and it worked the solenoid is still good?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: trim will go down but not up

thanks for the info so if i jumped a wire to the solenoid and it worked the solenoid is still good?

If the trailer switch works, your solenoid is good! Look at the top of Page 1C-15 above.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

That's what I thought I just wanted to make sure thank you

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Could also just be a poor/slightly corroded connection. Take a wire brush and some di-electric grease to all of the connections...including the switch itself.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Thank you all for the help I'll try to tackle this first thing in the morning

 

[stonyloam]

Re: trim will go down but not up

It is best not to mess with the trim switch until you have diagnosed the problem. Your symptoms indicate a faulty trim limit switch, either the wiring or the switch itself. Try this: Near the transom, locate two black wires that go into a couple of connectors, one with a purple/white wire and one with two blue/white wires. Unplug the black wires, and with a short wire jumper between the connectors. Try the trim switch. If it works (I am guessing it will) then you have isolated the problem to the limit circuit.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Ok so got access to my trim up switch and the green wire with white stripe has no power to it at all even when pushing the switch in does that mean bad switch

 

[stonyloam]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Ok so got access to my trim up switch and the green wire with white stripe has no power to it at all even when pushing the switch in does that mean bad switch

You should not be messing with the control handle trim switch! The green/white wire is the down wire anyway. You need to check out the trim limit switch on the outdrive, the blue/white wires are the ones you want to check. Jumper between the connectors as above and see what that does.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Ok I'm sorry I didn't understand before what to jump thank you for clearing that up for me

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Ok just ran the jumper wire to purple and white nothing happened then to blue and white and it went up

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

What I don't understand is the trailer up switch works

 

[stonyloam]

Re: trim will go down but not up

OK are you working with the connectors back at the transom, or with the switch on the control handle? Put the switch at the control back together just like it was and do not touch it. Now find the connectors (with black wires going in) at the back of the boat and jumper between the connectors and try the trim switch. This is how it works: When you hit the trailer switch it sends 12V through the b/w wire to the connecter at the stern with the 2 b/w wires. Voltage travels from one b/w wire into the other then on to the up solenoid. The trim up switch applies 12V to the p/w wire which runs back to the connector in the stern into the black wire, through the trim limit switch and back through a black wire into the connector with the 2 b/w wires on to the up solenoid. So if you unplug the two black wires and jumper between the connectors the trim up switch will work exactly the same as the trailer switch. If you do this I am betting the trim up will work, and you have now isolated your problem to the trim limit on the outdrive.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

ok so i was looking at the wires going to the trim limit switches on the outdrive they look pretty bad how would you replace the wires that go through the transom to the limit switches

 

[Don S]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Put a new kit in it. Comes with trim limit and gauge sender. Fixing wires is a bandaid fix at best, and if you are in salt water, probably only a few weeks.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

Yes I'm going to get the kit. I'm just a little intimated that's a lot of work and I never messed with a outdrive before.

 

[panamacitymustang]

Re: trim will go down but not up

I meant intimidated