I think you might be on to something. I didn't think about that as I'm used to seeing spare wheels mounted on the side of a trailer rail mostly.Spare tire hold-down?
The boat shouldn't have to be running, and in my case, I don't think I need the key on.The outdrive on the boat is in the up position. I connected a 12v battery to the boat, turned the key on, and tried the tilt switch on the control handle, and I can't get the outdrive to move. There is power to the dash and lights.
This might be silly, but what am I missing or doing wrong? The boat doesn't need to be running, does it?
Some good news for me, and a confirmation that the PTT pump/motor are working! I managed to lower the outdrive following your instructions, but bypassed the solenoid and went directly to the motor.Normally you can trim the motor with the ign key off. That is if the wiring is original. You will need power to the dashboard. So if the blower works, you likely have power to the dash.
You need to check the power to the PTT pump/motor. The battery is connected directly to the PTT solenoid secondary (larger) posts. Power from the engine harness energizes the solenoid primary windings. Some PTT pump/motors have a circuit breaker on them. There is usually a reset button.