Trim Problem

"I have a 1996 bayliner with a

"I have a 1996 bayliner with a 3.0 Alpa One MerCruiser. I am cleaning and prepping it for the boating season and have discovered I can lower with the trim control but I can only raise it with the "trailer setting button" the trim up does not work. I have heard others talk about some type of solenoid going bad any ideas?

Also, I just changed the engine oil all went pretty smooth but am not sure rather I need to change the stern drive oil. Is there a way to check its condition? Thanks again I am new to boat owning and am in my learning curve."

There is a limit switch on the

There is a limit switch on the out drive which is probably bad. The "trailer" button bypasses this switch.

"The gear oil should be change

"The gear oil should be changed in fall during winterization. The motor oil should be changed in fall too. It becomes more corrosive after use andanything in contact with it can be pitted, increasing wear greatly. If there's enough water in the gear oil, it can freeze and crack the gear case. It also rusts the steel components and they're not cheap.

If you try to readjust the limit switch, mark it so you can return it to the starting point in case you change the trim sender- they aren't marked and don't always go on the same way. If you can't raise it even when the lower unit is all the way down, either the limit switch wires are pinched, the switch has water in it (or some other reason it's shorted) or the switch on the throttle is bad. The trim pump should only have two relays, but if you want to swap them, go ahead- they're interchangeable."

Cool thanks. Next question. T

Cool thanks. Next question. To change the stern drive oil. The maintenance manual is pretty easy to follow just one question- how do I get oil back into the drive? I can see it draining out the bottom screw after I remove it and remove the vent screw but how do I "pump" oil from the bottom back into the drive. Gravity is still real... do I need a special pump or syringe?

"You can buy a gear oil pump f

"You can buy a gear oil pump from any decent boat store for about $10. Wal Mart may have them, too. It needs to be pumped in from the bottom and these pumps go into a quart bottle of lube and have a screw-in fitting on the end. If you empty one bottle, you just remove the pump and put it into the second bottle and look for the oil to start coming out the upper vent hole. Put the vent screw cap in and then remove the pump from the bottom, plugging the hole with your finger until you get the plug in. Replace the seals on the plugs - they're only good once and are cheap. They let water into the gear oil if they're re-used."