trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? whaa?

[65fordguy]

just bought this boat a few weeks ago... 97 VIP, 4.3 Merc....no problems, knock on wood... and yesterday took it out... all was great.. got to where I was going to load it on the trailer and hit the up button and nothing.. nadda. and I got the idea to hit the trailer button like I'm supposed to.. and it worked.. so, I know the hydraulics are good. Do these buttons go bad? the Down works fine... whats the story?

Thanks
Josh

 

[jimsheila1996]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

65,
I had a Searay Seville that had the same issue,you should first look at the trim sender on the side of the out drive (there is a round housing on either side of the out drive a little bigger than a oreo cookie, I believe the trim sender is the one on the port side and the trim position sender (tells the trim gauge where it is.on the starboard.

With the boat not running either in the lift on the trailer or in warm water, loosen the screws on the trim sender and rotate it slowly through it's travel while some on holds the up button. It should make contact and allow the button to work. You would need to fine tune from there but it will be evident what you need to do if that is the problem.

The wires to the sender through the transom assm are good candidates for being corroded and broken too (if the sender doesn't cure it.

As they say my $.02

 

[seabob4]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

Josh,
Sounds like you're going to have to take your side-mount shifter apart and do some trouble-shooting to see why the "up" direction of your trim switch isn't working...

Push the throttle only button in and hold it. Move the shift lever to full reverse. This will allow you to pull the throttle only button out, which reveals the screw that secures the shift lever. Remove the lever and start trouble shooting...get your meter out and check for voltages...

 

[65fordguy]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

I just read on here from one guy, that this is an issue of the wires getting pinched inside the shifter.... sound about right?? I assume there is no 1 answer though.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

the one simple answer is that you have an broken circuit. Since your trailer switch works and your trim down work the pump and power to the switch are both ruled out..... what is left are the circuit between the up contacts and the trim pump which includes the trim limit switch and it's wiring..... 9 times out of 10 that's where the problem will be....

I am assuming that this a mercruiser and advising as such.... others will be similar bur mmay not be the same...

find the trim limit wires... they will be two wires with bullit plugs connected to the trim pump and comming from between the engine and transom.... unplug them and test for continuity with drive in the down position... I bet you won't have it.... if that is the case you can either pull the drive and bellows and such to replace the switch and wires or you can make a simple jumper and bypass the limit switch

 

[jimsheila1996]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

Smoke,
Has the right terminology, trim limit switch is what and where I meant check that first.

 

[65fordguy]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

so, Im reading up on this switch... seems some people say its difficult.. talking about removing bellows and bellhousings and such... others say its a 15 min job just use a snake to pull the wires through transom... and seal up the new grommets with marine grease or sealant.

whats your story? It does appear to be a simple fix... Im not looking at the back of the motor or transom... but, seems it wouldnt be that big a chore to run a snake through the hole and pull the new wires through??

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

the first story is the correct one..... go to the i/o section and look at the adults only sticky.... download the correct manual.... If this is indeed a mercruiser then there are two small bolts that you need to get to.... one is VERY dificult to get at even with everything removed...... if you want to do it in 15 minutes then you need to either bypass the switch and just pay attention to how far you trim up or (I don't reccomend it) you can drill a hole in your transom to pass the new wires through and seal with 5200

 

[65fordguy]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

ok.. question for ya.. I just read that when the trim limiter switch fails the trim gauge does not operate... my trim gauge works fine? so begining to wonder if it isnt in the throttle assembly.... IF I bypass the switch this means I lose my trim gauge??

I got out and looked at the thing, good grief... could they of made it any more inconvenient.... Im a do it yourselfer... and If I can do it with out taking everything apart.. I will do it.. but Im not ripping that thing apart..

Any of you ever paid for this to be done?

how much did it run?

 

[180shabah]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

I just read that when the trim limiter switch fails the trim gauge does not operate...

Common for them to die about the same time, but they are completely independent of each other. The function of one does not effect the other.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

what he said^^^

trim limit limits trim and trim sender sends a signal to the guage...

I already told you how to test it above.... just do that and you will know if the switch is bad

 

[65fordguy]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

Appreciate it... Im just waiting for the weather to clear up so I can go out and test it. Hopefully this weekend. I think im still in denial... I havent spent alot on the boat yet.. but I am beginning to see what people say boats are a hole in water you pour money into...o well. Its worth it.

 

[texomatom]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

Standing behind the boat, the limit switch is on the left and trim indicator on the right. It's not uncommon for one to die before the other. My indicator died five years ago. I pulled it apart and found just rusted remanants of what was Looked like water intrusion (and some sandy/muddy "goop". My limit switch is still working fine. You should be able to easily pull the cover off the switch and see if everything looks ok.
I can live without the indicator, but the limit switch I consider a necessity.
HTH
Tom

 

[indy440]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

I'd bet money its the wires that have turned to junk... very common.

You can buy the new switches as a set on here for like 70 bucks I think I paid.

 

[180shabah]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

$70.19

 

[indy440]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

damn, I remembered and I replaced mine a year ago...

 

[65fordguy]

Re: trim button on my 97 VIP... goes down but not up. trailer button works great?? wh

so, took the boat out... havent had a chance to fix the thing... was just going to use the trailer button... all be dang if the trim up started working.. worked fine the whole trip. maybe it was just pinched?