Mercury Trim

[A-37]

2001 Mercury 150HP Optimax Saltwater: Trim UP works fine from either switch. Trim DOWN does not work from either switch. I have the manual but trying to locate the components (solenoid, relay, etc.) for circuit testing is wearing me out. Help appreciated.

 

[sam am I]

#'s 12 & 13, GL........

 

[A-37]

What does that mean??

 

[Dukedog]

Think your relays are gonna be just a little left of tha bottom of tha starter......

 

[sam am I]

#'s 12 & 13, GL........

What does that mean??

Uhhhhh, I'll try this way.........

 

[A-37]

Thanks for the tips. I removed the lower RH cowl to get to the relays. The DOWN relay needed the contact points dressed. Everything works fine now but I'm going to replace both relays. A cheap fix.

 

[sam am I]

Quite welcome and ty for the follow up, yes mechanical contacts are a/the typical failure. And you took the relay apart??? And perhaps filed it w like your wife's emery file too?

OMG, you're cheaper than me.......LMAO!!!! ......Now that's flipp'n funny!!

I call it resourceful thou, my hats is off to ya Sir.......But, I have done that sooooooooo many times throughout the years, I just said DONE one day and designed solid state replacements I'm sooooo freaking cheap!!!

 

[A-37]

No Title

CPO,

The numbered items on your illustration are different from mine. That's why I was puzzled.

I took the relay apart expecting rough contacts but knowing I'd replace it anyway. I'm a curious guy. Not the wife's emery board but a real points dressing strip!
The Quicksilver OEM replacements are only $26/pair. Too bad solid state aren't available...........or are they?

Removing the RH lower cowl used to be the hard part until I bored a clearance hole in the LH cowl for the 1/4" drive 8mm socket to get to one of the cowl bolts that's down in the abyss. Now it's just a straight shot to the bolt using an extension. The hole is plugged with a neat rubber button plug.

 

[sam am I]

Not the wife's emery board but a real points dressing strip!

ahhhh, I am cheaper then, you spent extra money on that!!!

The Quicksilver OEM replacements are only $26/pair. Too bad solid state aren't available...........or are they?

Not that I'm aware of commercially, no. I made my own, but I suspect soon they'll be out there......

 

[sam am I]

...

 

[A-37]

I installed two Quicksilver relays today. Trim now works fine. I used to have confidence in Mercury OEM parts. Not so much this time; the OEM relays are made in China. God help me when I'm on the water and have to depend on the trim relays........................

 

[sam am I]

Lol....I hear ya man!!

Well, best ya can do is make sure the motor and such are functioning within factory spec's (current draw, lube points and all best ya can) so as not to be prematurely taking out yer new made in China "OEM's" parts and carry a made in China "metric screw driver" to short across it........that's bout it :facepalm:

 

[A-37]

CPO,

Can't jump the trim circuit without removing the RH lower cowl; an impossible task when on the water. I could always tap into the circuit and mount two toggle switches on my instrument panel as a trim back-up.

Maybe you should market your solid state relay. One would think they'd already be available, considering it's one of the most common relays on the market. My John Deere snow blower has two of them.

 

[sam am I]

You got 13 yrs thou out of this set? Not too bad eh? Wonder if the original 2001 you ran this long were also made in China?

Check out /were they Omron? Merc may have burned ya at $26 for Chinese parts , ya gotta watch them guys these days ya know.


Anyway, I think my solenoid types were going out like every 5 or so.......

Yup, mine seem bullet proof thus far, run much cooler then my solenoids did, don't pop/click, use no current to run, run the motor up and down like 2X faster due to super low resistance, but other types of solid states switches do exists out there thou. I just found none w the performance characteristics I/we wanted/need and that fit or were made for our enviro., I'm cheap and got sick of hang'n my butt out over (in) the lake when they went out.



Here.........this might help ya,



$7'ish through Newark.

 

[A-37]

Thanks for the reference. Maybe I'll buy a back-up set.

I'm not the original owner of my 2001 Merc. The relays I replaced were Siemens which indicates the original relays were replaced at least once.

 

[sam am I]

Ahhhhhhh, so at least set number 2 in 13 yrs. Sounds bout right then

And you're very welcome and ty for closing the loop.........GL