Throttle handle trim switch

Chuck Benslay

Chuck Benslay

New Member
Feb 1, 2019
21
Indianapolis
Boat Info
1996 250 Sundancer
Engines
5.7L Bravo II
I'm looking for a reliable supplier for a replacement trim switch on my 3000 throttle handle. I believe the part number is: 87-18286T34

The drive will not raise with the "Up" button. It will lower fine and it will raise with the "Trailer" button.

Thanks,
 
How is the Up solenoid?
Can you try jumping the two big terminals on it by putting a screwdriver between them momentarily to see if the drive will raise for you?
While the trim switch you describe can certainly go bad it is more common for the solenoids to go bad. Even more common than them going bad is the connectors on them getting oxidized, brittle or dirt enough to not give a good connection.
 
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JVM225 - Thanks for the reply. I was thinking the switch because the drive will go up when I hit the "Trailer" button on the handle. If I knew where the solenoid was I could try that. I just got the boat 2 weeks ago and only had it out once... I'll look into it and try that though.

Thanks,
 
Chuck Benslay said:
JVM225 - Thanks for the reply. I was thinking the switch because the drive will go up when I hit the "Trailer" button on the handle. If I knew where the solenoid was I could try that. I just got the boat 2 weeks ago and only had it out once... I'll look into it and try that though.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

I’m not familiar with the setup on your model but both the up and the down solenoids will be mounted on a bracket next to the trim pump.
Pop the engine hatch, have an assistant hit the Down in the trim switch at the helm (the one you know is good) and you’ll hear the solenoid click and the pump run. Just follow that noise.
The up solenoid will have a blue wire going to one of the big terminals on it and a blue with white stripe going to one of the smaller terminals.
The down solenoid will have a green wire going to one of the big terminals on it and a green with white stripe going to one of the smaller terminals.
To jump the up solenoid with a screwdriver all you have to do is touch the screwdriver to both of the big terminals on that up solenoid at the same time with the screwdriver..
If jumping it activates the pump and raises the drive then you know the problem is not the switch.
I would start by disconnecting the battery, remove all connections from that solenoid, clean them, reinstall and make sure they are tight, reconnect the battery and try the switch again.
Make sure you reinstall the connections exactly the same way they were installed before you removed them.
Either make a diagram or just do one terminal at a time.
If it still doesn’t work then just replace the solenoid.
They cost about $20.00.
 
Found these. Hopefully they’ll help a bit:
4A78F082-EEB8-411A-BBD8-D71BCDD36CED.jpeg
12DC318D-A392-4720-8EC7-58357201744D.jpeg
 
Do you have the transom mounted trim control? If so, Does that work to raise the outdrive?

If you don’t have the transom mounted controls, you could have that installed. I did last year and it’s very convenient to have, and very easy to install and No wires to splice.
 
JVM225 - Thanks for the diagram! It looks like there is only 1 solenoid to move it up. So, if the "Trailer" switch works to move it up, then it probably isn't the solenoid. However, it is definitely worth checking. There may be 2 separate wires to the solenoid and 1 of them is bad / corroded.

Espos4 - I do not have a transom mounted switch. That might be convenient though...

Thanks guys,
 
Could be the trim limit switch - puck on left side of outdrive. They tend to get corroded and eventually short not allows the drive to move at all with the trim button. Trailer button bypasses the limit switch. You can disconnect the wires inside the boat to test it.
 
Chuck Benslay said:
JVM225 - Thanks for the diagram! It looks like there is only 1 solenoid to move it up. So, if the "Trailer" switch works to move it up, then it probably isn't the solenoid. However, it is definitely worth checking. There may be 2 separate wires to the solenoid and 1 of them is bad / corroded.

Espos4 - I do not have a transom mounted switch. That might be convenient though...

Thanks guys,
Click to expand...

Trying to remember back to my twin I/O days but I think that when one of my up solenoids failed the Trailer button still worked to raise the drive.
Pump gets energized differently when the trailer button is pressed.
Easiest way to check the solenoid is the way I described above.
Basically what happens is the smaller blue/white wire on the smaller terminal brings power from the trim switch on the control at the helm to the smaller terminal on the solenoid which activates the solenoid and allows power to cross from one of the big terminals on the solenoid to the other big one that has the blue wire on it.
By jumping from the one big terminal on the up relay to the other big one with the blue wire you should be able to raise the drive as long as that connector on the end of the blue wire is good.
If you are able to get the drive raised that way then either you have a bad connection on one of the little terminals (blue/white or black wires) or the solenoid itself is bad.
Hope this makes sense.
My bet would be bad connection first and solenoid second.
 
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BillK2632 said:
Could be the trim limit switch - puck on left side of outdrive. They tend to get corroded and eventually short not allows the drive to move at all with the trim button. Trailer button bypasses the limit switch. You can disconnect the wires inside the boat to test it.
Click to expand...

His trim switch works in the down direction.
 
It doesn’t matter, the limit switch only limits how far UP the drive can travel using the the trim button. It could be the button, but more common is the limit switch. Very ease to disconnect the wires in the engine room and test it.
 
It will lower fine and it will raise with the "Trailer" button.

Solenoids are in working condition, trim limit is bad
 
Sorry I haven't been on here in a few days. My Step-dad who raised me is in the hospital...

I did not make it out to the boat to look at any of the above. I will look into the limit switch as well. I only wish I had an "engine room" to work in! It's more like an engine closet or better yet an engine cabinet!

Thanks again for all of you ideas and assistance. I'll keep you posted!
 
Chuck Benslay said:
Sorry I haven't been on here in a few days. My Step-dad who raised me is in the hospital...

I did not make it out to the boat to look at any of the above. I will look into the limit switch as well. I only wish I had an "engine room" to work in! It's more like an engine closet or better yet an engine cabinet!

Thanks again for all of you ideas and assistance. I'll keep you posted!
Click to expand...

The trim send and limit switch wires come through the transome assembly at the top and connect with bullet connectors. Just unhook the limit switch and jump the leads together, if the trim works now you have a bad limit switch. Basically the limit switch is a rheostat, as long as it is making a connection the trim works, when it gets to the end of the rheostat band the circuit is open and the trim stops. If it turns out to be the limit switch, it might need adjusting, but likely the wires are old/cracked or the inside is corroded keeping the circuit open. You can try and clean it, but usually a replacement is the fix. Meanwhile you could leave the wires jumped and the trim button would work or use the trailer button to trim - just need to be aware of over trimming. The trailer tilt button bypasses this. This is a quick / easy thing to check before you start replacing switches and solenoids.
 
Did you figure it out I’m having same problem on my 06 280 dancer
 
The drive will not raise with the "Up" button. It will lower fine and it will raise with the "Trailer" button.

The trim limit switch is bad or the wires corroded
Read #16
 
scoflaw said:
Your going to have to trouble shoot the problem, could be a couple of things.
Click to expand...
It’s a brand new transom assembly does that eliminate any steps of the troubleshooting
 
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