Trim Gauge calibration after new transom install?

R

Royal Lichter

Member
Jan 22, 2018
66
Boat Info
2005 Sea Ray Sundancer 260
Engines
Single MerCruiser Mag 350 MPI w/ Bravo III
Hello - I have a 2005 260DA with a single Mag 350. The local yard just installed a brand new Bravo transom assembly (the old one was bad) as well as a brand new outdrive.

My trim gauge reads down all the time. The limit switch functions as it should and the drive trims properly with the up/down controller on the shifter. I know on the old analog gauges the puck needed to be twisted... but Smartcraft seems different. Is there some adjustment or calibration process so that I can get this thing to register a reading? Or is this a bad ground connection or something?

I checked and the two wires (one is male one is female) that plug into the engine harness are in fact plugged in.

I hope to not have to take the boat out of the water to do this as it's a long trip. They (local yard that did the job) did offer to send someone to the harbor to get in the water and shift the puck if necessary when it gets warmer in a few weeks but if there are things I can check on board I'd like to try.
 
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Ok, thanks, let's hope that gives me some kind of reading. Odd because it shows zero reading.
 
No Ned to calibrate the SC st this point. If it is constantly reading all of the way down- the needle on your 4 in 1 gauge is at the bottom-trim it all of the way up. Do not engage the trailer mode, just trim it to your highest running position. Then loosen the two screws on the starboard side puck and slowly rotate it until the needle moves to the top as well. Leave the key on the ON position so the gauge has power. This is much easier with 2 people.

After you see how this works, you can fine tune it.

Bennett
 
FYI, when you calibrate the trim in smart craft, it will adjust the needle on the 4 in 1 gauge (assuming everything is hooked up properly and no broken wires)

For example, if you want the full trim to be at the 1/2 way mark, you can do that with the calibration and you do not need to loosen and turn the puck on the drive.
 
Espos4 said:
FYI, when you calibrate the trim in smart craft, it will adjust the needle on the 4 in 1 gauge (assuming everything is hooked up properly and no broken wires)

For example, if you want the full trim to be at the 1/2 way mark, you can do that with the calibration and you do not need to loosen and turn the puck on the drive.
Click to expand...
Espos4 said:
FYI, when you calibrate the trim in smart craft, it will adjust the needle on the 4 in 1 gauge (assuming everything is hooked up properly and no broken wires)

For example, if you want the full trim to be at the 1/2 way mark, you can do that with the calibration and you do not need to loosen and turn the puck on the drive.
Click to expand...

According to the people at Mercruiser, you are correct if you have a Smartcraft Transom(DTS). You can tell if you have a Smartcraft transom by how many of the black “pucks” you have. There is only one used on the Smartcraft transom. The other thing is this and I had a tech screw mine up when the engine was pulled and replaced. There are two wires from the starboard puck to the engine. One is a no brainer as there is only one way it will fit. There are 2-choices for the other wire and it should be plugged into the one tagged “Digital”. It will never work if plugged into the one labeled “ Analog.”

You can google the topic and there are numerous videos and instructions. I would check the wires on the back of the motor first.

Bennett
 
Interesting info. Maybe this explains why there is no “trailer” detent on the trim switch on my boat.

It’s just a trim switch, up and down buttons.

I do have smart craft and DTS but there are 2 pucks on my gimble.
 
So right now I have the 'analog' set up installed. There are two pucks. One is connected to the hydraulic pump for the drive and it controls the limit and works. The other is connected to the digital gauge wire and the ground, the wires that come off of the engine harness.

After some reading I see that there are different transom assemblies. Smartcraft vs. not. It appears that I have the analog Magnum Transom assembly and that it came with the analog senders.

It's appearing more and more as time goes on that I will unfortunately need to pull the boat out of the water. I am very confused and cannot get the gauge to work at all.

My attempt to calibrate did not work. I am running out of options.
 
If the switch is original equipment from 2005 it's no doubt toast, whether it was working before the upgrade or not. The wires rot. Merc also has an ohm spec. to set the puck to in the full down position, then you program it from there at the helm.
 
The switch is brand new as part of the new transom assembly installation. The question is whether or not the 2 wire switch will interface with the smartcraft gauge. I'm beginning to think not.
 
Yes it will, my 06 had a similar setup. You could check the ohm reading from the ER. Put your meter between the 2 wires with the drive fully down. IIRC the reading should be between 10 and 20 ohms. If it isn't , the puck will need to be rotated.
 
scoflaw said:
Yes it will, my 06 had a similar setup. You could check the ohm reading from the ER. Put your meter between the 2 wires with the drive fully down. IIRC the reading should be between 10 and 20 ohms. If it isn't , the puck will need to be rotated.
Click to expand...

+1!

My ‘06 was same.
 
So I went through the calibration process again on the Smartcraft gauge - no dice. The marina where I had the job performed offered to send someone to the harbor and jump in the water so hopefully it's just a matter of adjusting it to get it to register on the gauge.

The odd part is that it does not register anything at all but the drive does actually trim up and down just fine.

The reality is I don't even really need the gauge but it's irritating to have it not work.
 
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If the gauge is in fact bottomed out with the drive all of the way up, they are going to loosen the two screws and slightly and ever so slowly rotate the puck. This would be very hard to do without pulling the boat or going for a swim. Not sure where you are, but the water in GA is too cold for me so I would let whomever installed them take the dip. They should have adjusted them anyway.

Like you, I did not need the gauge to properly operate my boat, but they were there and should work.

Good luck and let us know how you come out.

Bennett
 
They will take my boat to a local harbor where there is a loading ramp and do it there. No charge. Good news!

Also spoke with the mechanic who did the transom and outdrive re-fit. I had the two wire pucks initially so you are right they interface just fine with smart craft. Not every day is a bad day for boat ownership!

I will keep you all posted!
 
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