1986 Evinrude tilt and trim issue

backstop13

Cadet
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
19
I have a 1986 Evinrude XP150 that up until yesterday the TT was operating perfect. Yesterday morning I wanted to tilt the motor down and put the cover back on it and hit the tilt switch and all I heard was the relay clicking. Well, instead of leaving it alone I decided to test it so I removed the cover and checked all of the wiring and found no problems. Then I swapped relays and it went down normally but wouldn't go back up. Logic said it was a bad relay, sooo, I picked up a new relay and installed that afternoon, but it still only worked when the original relay was plugged to either up or down. I jumped the wires on the two pin plug going to the motor from a battery and the motor worked normally. Again, logic said it was a bad relay. Ran to the parts store and bought two more relays and came back and got the same result, it would only work with the original relay installed on either the up side or down side. Am I missing something?
 

schematic

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
1,102
is it possible you bought the wrong relays? Bosch style relays are available in SPST as well as SPDT. They LOOK the same...but don't interchange
 

backstop13

Cadet
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
19
Thanks schematic, I did buy generic relays at the parts store, they were 5 pin relays with the same 87,86, 30 etc labels on them. I did borrow one from my sons 1995 Evinrude and it still does the exact same thing. I'm really confused now......?
 

schematic

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
1,102
you must be aware that each relay supplies an electrical path for the motor when operating. This means that the relay that clicks is not necessarily the defective one. Therefore, it can be the quiet relay that is defective...
 

backstop13

Cadet
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
19
Schematic you're the Grand Prize Winner!! I wish I could count all of the mechanics I explained this scenario to and got that "dear in the headlights" look. I stood face to face with a Certified Evinrude Tech and explained the situation and was told it HAD to be in the motor or the switches. I took your advice and replaced both relays, problem solved. AND, I got a valuable lesson in 12VDC troubleshooting, which, if you own a boat you need to be proficient at. Again, thanks Schematic.
 

dehydrated

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Messages
299
glad to see this post, brings some logic to my troubleshooting my trim this summer, i had a loose connection in the harness but switching relays would make it go up or down with switching relays
 
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