Mercruiser Alpha One will not trim up, no sound

[Stewartwp05]

I recently purchased a very fixer upper boat, the reason I bought it was that upholstery and other cosmetics were in very ruff shape but the outdrive and motor seemed like they worked well. Upon getting it home I lowered the trailer trim to get a better look at the outdrive, I played with all of the trims to make sure they worked, the trailer up and down as well as the trim down worked well, but when I went to trim up it would not even make a sound. If anybody on any ideas of what this may be that would be great thanks.

PS: this is my first boat, I have never been a part of the boating world and I am 17 years old, I am eager to learn anything and everything there is to do with the hobby, any help with this or an DMs about beginner things would be great. Thanks, Stewart.

 

[Scott Danforth]

First, welcome aboard

Second, I always recommend an aluminum boat and an outboard for a first time boat

Third fiberglass boats with trashed interiors usually have hull rot issues

Regarding your trim. Start at the battery and clean every connection until you get to the bow light. By clean, using 320 grit and cleaning the terminals clean enough your grandma would eat of them. Then tighten the connection and seal with marine electrical varnish

 

[04fxdwgi25]

If trim works down and the trailer switch works to bring drive up, then the trim up limit switch on the left side of the drive probably needs attention. Puck could be bad, a wire broken off (usually most common problem) or the whole unit is kaput. See this link for another post on this matter and there are diagrams and troubleshooting documents attached.

Trim position sensor

I am on a quest to have my trim work correctly. I worked through a helm switch issue, trim selonoid issue and now down to the trim sender and limit switch, bravo lll. Both sendors I replaced via another issue and the sender nver worked... Found a good test for the system which starts with the...

forums.iboats.com

The one discussed is a Bravo 3 but it and the alpha trims work the same.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I also have a feeling you will need to read links 14, 15, 18, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b https://forums.iboats.com/threads/how-tos-and-other-great-information.283508/

 

[QBhoy]

I’d guess that if it was working when you went to view it and buy…and it’s now not working up or down or any which way…your issue is likely and hopefully as simple as the battery being isolated. Does anything else work like the ignition etc ?

 

[Stewartwp05]

I’d guess that if it was working when you went to view it and buy…and it’s now not working up or down or any which way…your issue is likely and hopefully as simple as the battery being isolated. Does anything else work like the ignition etc ?

Ignition works, the three other trims work (both trailer up and down, trim down), lights work, and bilge pump works, the up trim is the only thing and it doesn’t make a click at all.

 

[Bondo]

Ignition works, the three other trims work (both trailer up and down, trim down), lights work, and bilge pump works, the up trim is the only thing and it doesn’t make a click at all.

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... As noted above, the most likely problem is the trim limit wires on the trim limit switch on the drive are rotted off,.....

Does it work with the tilt switch,..??

 

[QBhoy]

Ignition works, the three other trims work (both trailer up and down, trim down), lights work, and bilge pump works, the up trim is the only thing and it doesn’t make a click at all.

So if the trim is all the way down, pressing the trim up won’t take it to its highest trim level ? But trailer function will go from all the way down to all the way up ? What remote unit do you have ? Is it a double acting switch you have on it ? As in…first click in (on up button) is the trim and pressing further is the trailer ?

 

[Stewartwp05]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... As noted above, the most likely problem is the trim limit wires on the trim limit switch on the drive are rotted off,.....

Does it work with the tilt switch,..??

Sorry, again new to this, may sound dumb but what’s the difference between tilt and trim?

 

[Stewartwp05]

So if the trim is all the way down, pressing the trim up won’t take it to its highest trim level ? But trailer function will go from all the way down to all the way up ? What remote unit do you have ? Is it a double acting switch you have on it ? As in…first click in (on up button) is the trim and pressing further is the trailer ?

The shifter has buttons on the left and right side of the handle the right side is trailer.

 

[QBhoy]

Sorry, again new to this, may sound dumb but what’s the difference between tilt and trim?

Trim has an operating range of all the way down to only a certain amount up. The prop will stay in the water and is designed to still operate at speed at its upper limits still. Tilt is trailer and will operate from all the way down to all the way up out the water for trailering and out the water

 

[Stewartwp05]

Trim has an operating range of all the way down to only a certain amount up. The prop will stay in the water and is designed to still operate at speed at its upper limits still. Tilt is trailer and will operate from all the way down to all the way up out the water for trailering and out the water

Ok so the trim will not go up at all or even make noise at all but it did go down all the way, the tilt works completely in both directions.

 

[QBhoy]

Ok so the trim will not go up at all or even make noise at all but it did go down all the way, the tilt works completely in both directions.

Ok. So the good news is that the mechanics and relays sound as if they are all ok. Bad news (but least expensive news) is that it’s pretty likely that it’s a fault with your actual trim switch or its wiring. Is there a switch on the transom or somewhere near the back of the boat too ? Any pics of the actual remote control unit you have in particular? Most in the last couple decades and a little more, have a combined trim and trailer switch type. Much older have a separate operation. Perhaps like yours, by what you’ve said. Some older again, even had it completely separate and on the dash console

 

[Bondo]

Ok so the trim will not go up at all or even make noise at all but it did go down all the way, the tilt works completely in both directions.

Ayuh,..... Which again leads to the trim limit switch on the drive, as the most likely problem,....

 

[Stewartwp05]

Ok. So the good news is that the mechanics and relays sound as if they are all ok. Bad news (but least expensive news) is that it’s pretty likely that it’s a fault with your actual trim switch or its wiring. Is there a switch on the transom or somewhere near the back of the boat too ? Any pics of the actual remote control unit you have in particular? Most in the last couple decades and a little more, have a combined trim and trailer switch type. Much older have a separate operation. Perhaps like yours, by what you’ve said. Some older again, even had it completely separate and on the dash console

No picture on the transom, here’s the pictures of the control.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Ayuh,..... Which again leads to the trim limit switch on the drive, as the most likely problem,....

Agreed. When the trim limit switch on the outdrive failed on my boat, the trailer tilt function worked fine, but the trim buttons did not work. The trim limit switch is a round puck-like fixture on the port side of the outdrive.

 

[QBhoy]

View attachment 376608View attachment 376609
No picture on the transom, here’s the pictures of the control.

 

[Stewartwp05]

I opened up the trim limit switch and after watching a few videos on how to clean it I noticed I might be missing a screw in the middle of the copper part, is this correct?

 

[Stewartwp05]

View attachment 376608View attachment 376609
No “switch” on the transom, here’s the pictures of the control.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

I opened up the trim limit switch and after watching a few videos on how to clean it I noticed I might be missing a screw in the middle of the copper part, is this correct?

Yup, there is supposed to be a screw in there holding it rigidly to the insert.