2000 Merc 200hp trim not working.

[ThomW]

Hey guys. I am still in the process of rigging up a "new to me" Merc 200hp to my tri-toon. My newest problem is with the trim system. When I press the trim up and down buttons on the actual motor, the relays just click, but the trim motor doesn't move at all. When I press the up, one relay clicks, and when I press down, the other clicks. I have taken a battery and tested the actual trim motor and it works. I can hook up wires from a battery to the trim motor and get it to raise up and down. Both batteries in the boat are fully charged. I know relays are pretty cheap, but what are the chances of both going out at the same time? The guy I bought the motor from said trim was working when he tested it at the shop. What could be causing the switch to not activate the motor? The wring from the motor to the relays and switch all seem to be fine. Grounds appear to be clean and well connected. Any thought?

 

[ondarvr]

Check the wires that go down to the pump motor, just fixed this a on friends Merc. The wires go through a small loop to retain them, in acts like a hinge point and the wires breaks. It could be a loose or corroded connection too.

 

[ThomW]

The wires going down to the motor are okay. I know this because I used a battery and tested the trim motor, and I connected the battery to those wires where the connected inside the motor cowling. If there was a bad ground somewhere, would the relays still click?

 

[ondarvr]

Yes, the relay will click even if no power is going to the pump. Did you check for 12V on the pump side of the relay when you push the button?

 

[Dukedog]

both? not common but.............. clicky, no movement, move with direct connection.. replace both of 'em.

 

[ThomW]

I have not checked for 12V after the relay, while pushing the switch, but will tonight.
If there was 12V after the relay, wouldn't the pump work if it works with a direct connection?
I will also double check all the grounds to ensure clean contact. I guess at $10-13 each, buying new relays would not be a bad idea. If I replace them both and still only get clicks, does that mean there is a short in the wiring somewhere?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Always include the model# when posting???
The click is the solenoid/relay.
​If it makes noise that doesn't mean it's good.
​Test light, check the output side of the solenoid/relay.

 

[ThomW]

Hey everyone. So with some more trouble shooting I was able to isolate and fix the problem. Using a meter, I was able to see that I had power at the trim motor, but only when I hit the down switch and not with the up. I thought it was a bad relay, but when I swapped the two relays, the problem didn't go with the relay. Okay. I kept testing the wires. I had power going from solenoid to the up trim relay--check. I then saw I had power coming from the up relay towards the trim motor--check again. However, about 2/3'd of the way down the wiring from the up relay to the motor, that reading dropped to 0. Pulled off the coating on the wire, and sure enough, there was a small split/fray in that wire. Fixed it and the trim works perfect! Thanks for the help again everyone!