Alarm going off and trim up/down problems

[Rob Laz]

Mercruiser alpha 1 gen 2 I/O
SeaRay 2010 17 ft.

1. My trim is stuck in up position. The pump seems to work and I don't hear any clicking from the solenoid. I checked the reservoir and it looks kinda pale but not milky white. The fuses appear good. Could the oil be the problem? The wires on the trim limit and sender appear ok. Any suggestions?

2. I recently changed the gear lube and the impeller on the lower unit. When I refilled the gear lube, I started from the bottom fill hole until I saw lube coming out the vent hole. I replaced the vent and fill screws and filled the gear lube monitor/reservoir. Now whenever I turn on the ignition key, I hear a loud 5 sec alarm then a shorter 2 second alarm every 2-3 min when the engine is running. What could be the problem?

 

[achris]

1. You could have a corroded trim ram end cap that is 'grabbing' the piston rod. UP pressure is enough to overcome the corrosion, but DOWN is not... Try pulling the rear trim ram anchor pin out and seeing which ram moves when you hit the down switch. Alternatively, get someone to stand on the drive while you hit the DOWN switch.

2. You don't mention what the engine is. If it's an MPI, then the beeps could mean something different to a non MPI...

Chris....

 

[Rob Laz]

Sorry it is a Mercruiser 3.0 MPI

 

[alldodge]

I'm thinking your motor is an EC model and would have CATs
Is your serial number 1A something?

Since this just started after changing lube, look for something that became disconnected.

Disconnect one of the lube bottle wires and see if the 5 sec issue clears. If it does, the bottle needs to be cleaned because the float is stuck.

 

[Rob Laz]

My serial number does start with "1A_______".
Stupid question: How do I disconnect on these wires from the lube reservoir? They look welded/glued to the metal connector to the bottle?

 

[alldodge]

They have banana jack connectors at the end of the wires. The wires should be about 6 inches long, and need to only disconnect one of them, doesn't matter which one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercruiser-...-/190511216031

 

[Rob Laz]

Oh ok. Thanks I will try that.

 

[Rob Laz]

I disconnected one of the wires and the alarm still went off. I will check for stuck float next. Anything else might be causing the alarm to go off?

 

[alldodge]

The float isn't stuck, disconnecting the wire verified that. I think your in the area that you need to get the motor scanned for codes.

You can check voltages to see if they show low or high from what they should be.
Alternator running 14.5V
Sensors 5V
Throttle Position Sensor (Battery voltage)

 

[Rob Laz]

Does that mean taking the boat to a marine mechanic? Right now the boat is on a lift and I still have to problem of the drive not going up and down so I don't think I should put it on the water.

 

[alldodge]

Does that mean taking the boat to a marine mechanic? Right now the boat is on a lift and I still have to problem of the drive not going up and down so I don't think I should put it on the water.

I didn't even think about the drive issue because Chris responded. If the drive is up, the ECM is tell you "don't run the motor, the drive is up"

Have a good feeling if you get the drive down you will be ok.

pump seems to work and I don't hear any clicking from the solenoid.

So you can push the trim down, the trim motor runs but the drive does not lower? Is this correct?
Was the gear lube replaced with the drive up?

 

[Rob Laz]

Yes I push the trim down, the motor runs but the drive does not lower. The gear lube was replaced with the drive almost all the way down. After filling, the drive went all the way up when I pushed the trim up/trailer button then will not go back down. Now I hear the 5 sec alarm when I start the motor. BTW thanks for helping me with this.

 

[alldodge]

You have someone that can jump up and down on the drive while the trim button is pushed?

 

[Rob Laz]

Yes I can have my wife push the button while I get on the drive. Will do that tomorrow and let you know. Thanks again.