Trim Pump Solenoid ????? 2002 SeaRay 220SD

[makes1]

Have a 2002 SeaRay 220SD & apparently the Down Side Solenoid has failed me . Engine will trim up but you really gotta play with the trim switch a while to get it down . Have to go on the trim switch on the stern and mess with it . The pump is way in the back with a very small Access . Are these hard to replace ? Do I need a professional to do this ? I have the boat in my in water slip now & am thinking I will just use it thru the 4th & not trim up because I'm afraid it may not go back down at some point . Any ideas or suggestions appreciated

 

[Steve Craig]

Just had the same problem on mine, yesterday.
Easy job but access to the job can be a pain.
I crawled thru the battery access hole a few years ago to raise the trim pump off the deck with flat washers. This helps keep the water away from the underside & will prevent rust.
I'm 6'-1" @ 220 lbs.. Came out of there with every inch of my torso scraped, gouged, bleeding etc..
My mechanic is about 150 lbs soaking wet & about 5'-8", skinny as a bean pole.
No brainer for me, had him do the job yesterday. Taxes in cost was $109.33.

 

[Lazy Daze]

If you do want to tackle it yourself - and yes, you do need to be a bit of a contortionist to access areas like this on most boat - remove the bracket's hold-down screws. You can do it pretty easily by feel. This will allow you to move the entire assembly to a more accessible location to work on it. Granted, it may not make it "easily" accessible, but it will at least be easIER. Often times, I even remove the hydraulic lines and disconnect the wiring. Then I can take the assembly to the workbench. It probably takes all of about 2 minutes to remove the lines, about 3 minutes for the wiring.

Remove the negative cables on your battery before doing this work. Just in case.

 

[KevinC]

Have you fully determined it is the solenoid?
The first step in diagnostics is check the voltage at the helm switch.

Test the voltage coming of all terminals of the switch
The center two pins are positive and the top and bottom are both momentary (when pushed).

When my tabs failed it turned out to be the switch even though the solenoid gave all signs of being bad (no click).
I now have a spare solenoid "just in case"as it was the switch was the problem.

You should get about 12-14v coming off all the top and bottom terminals.
In my case I was getting 13.5,13.5,13.5 and 9v.
The 9V leg was the culprit.

If it turns out to be the solenoid it is a quite simple fix once you reach it.

BTW, I took apart the Carling switch and the corrosion was clearly evident inside but not outside.
Since you say you have to "play with the switch" that is where I would bet the problem is.

-Kevin

 

[makes1]

You may have a good point , I assumed it was the solenoid since it goes up at both the switch on the stern & the gear shift but won't go down . When you try to lower it you can hear the solenoid clicking but the motor isn't running .. I've got it in the down position now so I'm not going to do anything with it until after the 4th , lot of activity on the lake this week . I'm just going to be very careful to avoid shallow water & not pull skiers or tubers . Afraid if I have to trim up it may not go back down & I sure don't wanna hafta reach back there & by pass it

 

[KevinC]

Just wanted to mention my notes referred to my trouble shooting of the trim tabs not the stern drive trim but the concepts are pretty much the same. If you hear the solenoids clicking they should be fine and since you have to play with the switch I would bet it is there. See if you can jump out the switch to eliminate that first.

Also you probably have the trim in the throttle control not a dash mounted switch which made my diagnostics a little easier.

-Kevin

 

[Lazy Daze]

FYI, solenoids can audibly "click" but still not fully function. Basically, you can hear the noise, but there is not enough contact being made inside to pass enough current to activate the pump. I've seen that many, many times. If you're hearing the click, the problem won't be your switch. If you aren't hearing a click it could be any number of things (although the solenoid is still the major culprit).

 

[Steve Craig]

This is almost the same issue as the slave relay mounted on top of the engine, just behind the TBI. You may hear the "click" on turning the key but no crank. Contacts become pitted/corroded over time & won't make good contact. I carry a spare relay as it's a very easy fix if you get caught on the water.