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Mercruiser Power Trim Tilt pump 2001 Rinker Captiva

rick24

New member
My Alpha one drives raises no

My Alpha one drives raises no problem but when I need to lower the drive it goes down half way but then starts to go back up again while I am still pushing the down button. Is the a problem with the pump solenoid or is it a problem with the cylinders ? Could it be a ground problem on the solenoid ?
 
"So this is making boating a l

"So this is making boating a little challenging I am guessing?

That is weird. It sounds like a wiring issue. Maybe a problem in the trim switch itself. Has someone worked on the tilt/trim system lately?
Sounds like it could be related to the trim limitswitch.

Guy has a trim system checkout that he will hopefully send to you, or you can find it in other recent topics. That may help.

Rod"
 
"Has anyone worked on system b

"Has anyone worked on system before problem?

When it goes up using the trim up switch, does it stop at trim limit position or go all way up to trailer position?

When you push down switch, does it go all the way down before reversing direction? When you take pressure off the down switch, does it stop going up, or continue to go up ? H


It almost sounds like a wiring short or a solenoid that fails to break connection to pump motor."
 
I don't think anyone has w

I don't think anyone has worked on the system at all .I don't think it is the trim switch because it checks out ok with a continuity tester. When I used a jumper on the three wire plug on the pump it did the same thing .

I only have one switch so if you keep holding it it goes all the way up .When you take the pressure of the down switch it stops going up .

I am going check for bad grounds tonight and replace both solenoids.

Is it possible it could be a cylinder leaking or the valve body on the pump ?

Thanks Rick
 
"Below may help; sounds like i

"Below may help; sounds like it may be the valve body under the motor. Pump direction is controlled by the solenoids but the valve body is involved in fluid flow. There is a screen on one finger that can get dirty. Try below first.

How the trim/tilt works

Before you tear anything apart or replace wiring and switches, test it out; first by visual inspection by pulling back and forth on the wires while operating the switches and then test with a meter. At the commander switches, the red wire will always have 12 volts. The green wire gets 12 volts when the trim toggle is held down. The blue wire gets 12 volts only when the toggle is held up or the trailer switch is pushed in. The purple wire is part of the limit switch circuit.

If the switch voltages are as they are supposed to be then go to the trim/tilt pump assy. and make sure the purple wire connector (single wire) and the blue wire connector with two blue wires on one side of the connection are not corroded or loose. These are the trim position and limit switch wires. Pull them apart and inspect; they should be clean and tight; reconnect them. If necessary, trace the wires to the front of the engine near the slave solenoid. One wire is grounded near there and the other is connected to a terminal. If you don't get a voltage reading at the terminal junction, apply 12 VDC to see if the trim gauge moves. If it does, check for voltage back at the trim pump connections. If no voltage there, apply 12 VDC there to check gauge movement.

Next check the three wire connector (RED, BLUE & GREEN) at the pump assy. This plug can vibrate loose and cause your problem. Pull it off and see if the pins are clean and not corroded; reconnect it.

The RED wire in the plug sends 12 volts from the pump assy. to the toggle up/down and trailer up switches. The BLUE & GREEN wires bring 12 volts from the toggle trim/tilt and trailer switches to the two solenoids on the pump assy.

The GREEN wire goes to the DOWN solenoid while the BLUE wire goes to the UP solenoid.

Did you check the switches with an ohmmeter? The trim/tilt switch is a 2-way switch and will show continuity only when it is toggled in each direction between two of the wires.

Up toggle connects the RED wire to the BLUE wire. Down toggle connects the RED wire to the GREEN wire. The TRAILER UP switch also connects the RED wire to the BLUE wire.

The OD trim limit switch will only send voltage to the trim/tilt switch in the upward toggle position if the OD limit switch is below the adjusted trim limit that keeps the OD being out of the water.

To test the limit switch circuit, lower the OD to the down position and slowly raise it with the trim toggle up until it stops. Then measure the distance between the trim cylinder attaching bolts. If the distance is approx. 22 +/- 1/4 inches, then the trim limit switch is adjusted properly and the commander trim toggle switch is working in the up/down mode.

Go to the trim/tilt pump assy. and make sure the purple wire connector (single wire) and the blue wire connector two blue wires on one side of the connection are not corroded or loose. Pull them apart; they should be clean and tight; reconnect them.
Next check the three (RED, BLUE & GREEN) wire connector at the pump assy. The RED wire in the plug sends 12 volts from the pump assy. to the toggle up/down and trailer up switches. This plug can vibrate loose and cause your problem. Pull it off and see if the pins are clean and not corroded; reconnect it.

The BLUE & GREEN wires bring 12 volts from the switches to the two solenoids on the pump assy. The GREEN wire goes to the DOWN solenoid while the BLUE wire goes to the UP solenoid.

Disconnect the trim/tilt assy. wires from the battery and then check each of the nuts and studs on the solenoids for clean and tight fittings. Each solenoid has three wires and the buss bar connected to it. The bases of them have a black ground wire and a small blue wire to one and a small green wire to the other.

On top of each solenoid, the large BLUE wire from the pump motor attaches to a large copper stud with the solenoid that has the small blue wire at the base while the large GREEN wire from the pump motor attaches to a large copper stud with the solenoid that has the small green wire at the base.

The other copper solenoid studs are connected together with a copper buss bar. One of the two studs will also have a funny looking 110 amp fuse attached to the bar. The large RED wire from the battery connects to the 110 amp fuse. This large red wire is the power for this buss bar. A small RED wire attached to the bar stud sends 12 volts to the switches which in turn sends the 12 volts to the solenoids which turns on the pump motor.

Important: if the studs on the either solenoid are dark and not like a clean penny, especially the BLUE wired solenoid, this solenoid is failing due to age and/or a loose bottom copper stud nut. The dark color comes from heat generated inside of the solenoid by the contactor because it is arcing like welding similar to points wearing out. Change the solenoid.

Cleaning Trim Limit Switch & Trim Position Sender

For the trim/tilt problem you are experiencing, if the wires from the limit switch (port side) and trim position sender (starboard side) are in good condition, they (Switch or sender) can be disassembled to clean out the old hardened grease. SCRIBE the sides of each one and the OD for a reference mark before removal. Clean out the old grease and pump fresh Mercruiser 2-4-C grease thru the zerk fittings before reinstallation. Clean the small brass contact points with solvent and a pencil eraser until shiny; repack w/ 2-4-C grease and reinstall by aligning reference marks."
 
I did the above procedure and

I did the above procedure and everything checked out ok .

I think I have a trim cylinder leaking pressure when I am lowering the drive when the drive gets a couples inches from the bottom it then starts to go the opposite direction and raises up all the way .

My thought is that the pump is ok it just can't relieve the pressure quick enough from the leaking cylinder so it sarts to put pressure on the oppisite side of the cylinder and raises the drive.

Tonight I plan on lowering the drive as far as I can and then disconnect the up lines and the try lowering the drive. If oil squirts out of the cylinder I would have a bad trim cylinder .

Please let me know if you think make sense .

Thanks Rick
 
"Rick:

According to the SEL


"Rick:

According to the SELOC chart there could be low fluid,air in the system, pump pressure is low and internal resistance in one or both cylinders. You are on the right track.


I might rule out low pressure since the up side works which takes the most pressure."
 
Fixed problem last night. Line

Fixed problem last night. Lines and cylinders had a huge amount of air in them. My wife held the trim button and I bleed all four lines. Everything works fine now. The pump would not self bleed all the air out.
 
"How did the air get in?
Was


"How did the air get in?
Was the fluid level low?
If not, what would stop it from happening again?

Rod"
 
I got air in the system again

I got air in the system again just from sitting in the driveway. What could be the cause? The only thing I can think of is the valve body for the pump? I think the lower unit may have impacted something before I purchased the boat. Does the valve body have a shock valve or check valve that could have been damaged and is leaking the pressure?

Thanks Rick
 
Do you have a pump over a plas

Do you have a pump over a plastic tank? Is there a fluid leak anywhere you can see? Is the vent screw open?
 
"You may have a leaky hose or

"You may have a leaky hose or leaky trim cylinder seal that is letting air in. This could happen if you left it with the drie leg fully up, as the pump level will likely then be lower than the ends of the cylinders.

Rod"
 
I do have a pump over a plasti

I do have a pump over a plastic tank. It does look like a get a little bit of fluid leak around the top of the tank. Where would the vent screw be located ?

If this helps I only have the problem going down. The trim holds in the up position with no problems.
Would I be leaking fluid if I had a leaking trim cylinder becaue I don't see any extrenal leaks .

Thanks
 
When you bled the air out did

When you bled the air out did you have to add fluid? How much? Did the level of fluid go down this last time? Yes? How much? No? Don't think there is a fluid leak. Perhaps there is still air trapped in the line or cylinders.

Old model plastic tanks have a single screw and "O" ring holding the tank on from the bottom. They are prone to loosening; there is a large "O" ring on the top to seal the top of the tank.

Newer tanks are held on w/4 screws from the top.

On the underside of the fill cap should be a seal w/a vent hole in it or there is a screw type dipstick on the valvebody. It also serves as a vent screw. Snug closed and back out 2 turns for venting.
 
Last night i followed a proced

Last night i followed a procedure to check the shock piston on the cylinder . You extend the cylinder all the way out and lock the cylinder out using trailering kit . Then you hit the down button with the out line on the cylinder disconnected. If oil flows from the out port the shock piston is leaking. When I did this oil flowed out of the out port. I took the cylinders off and dropped them off to get rebuilt . I hope this takes care of the problem .
 
When the clylinders are discon

When the clylinders are disconnected from the boat should they be easy to push in and out ?

Mine don't move real easy .

Thanks Rick
 
"When the cylinders are full o

"When the cylinders are full of oil but disconnected, it takes a firm pressure to move the piston but not a whole lot of force. It they are empty, they can move easier but how easy depends on how long they have been setting empty because the residual oil can dry out and almost glue them solid.
The seals inside have to hold the cylinders from leaking thru when the boat is driving hard down the lake, so do not expect them to push very easy. It is kind of hard to describe over internet and I do not have any factory spec numbers on the pressure test that would apply."
 
I had the cylinders rebuilt aa

I had the cylinders rebuilt aand they still won't go down all the way. They go up not problem .I would guess the problem is with the valve body ?
 
My OD will not go up at all it

My OD will not go up at all it is stuck in the down position. I do not hear any noise from the pump when i use the toggle or trailer switch.I have bare wire showing on both sides of the OD from the limit switches could this cause the pump not to function at all?? Are these switches easily replaced or should a dealer do it?? I have a four foot deep engine compartment and access to the stren drive internal area is difficult.
 
"ryanjosh83:

You should sta


"ryanjosh83:

You should start a new post. Click on TOPICS above, select MERCRUISER and in the dark blue area select NEW...

There should be a 20 amp fuse in-line at the pump; it probably blew. The outside of the stern needs to be removed to replace them."
 
"Rick,
I had the same proble


"Rick,
I had the same problem, the cylinders would go up, but not come down. Check that the down hose is letting oil through the cylinder. Mine did not and the cylinder did not go down, I replaced the down hydrolic hose and it worked."
 
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