Trim gage not reading correctly.

[saurd]

I have a 1990 Alpha I drive. The trim gage on the dash of the boat is not reading correctly. I purchased the new sending unit and planned on installing it myself. Once I realized this requires the complete removal of the outdrive from the transom I am looking for alternatives to getting this gage working correctly if the there is any. I have taken the cover off of the existing one found water has been getting into this and cause the contacts to become corroded. Is there a good way to clean up the contacts? Is there a correct way to line up and index contacts?

 

[RGrew176]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

You are going to need to replace the sensor and recalibrate the unit.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Why do you need a trim gauge? I always go by line of site. To me that is just something to waste your money on, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Where did you buy the sending unit? Is it universal? I am thinking of installing/hooking up a trim gauge on my boat (outboard) and am starting the info search on just how these things work.

 

[AguaSki]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Why do you need a trim gauge? I always go by line of site. To me that is just something to waste your money on, but that's just my opinion.

I agree. Trim is done by feel and not by a gauge. I would look for another cool gadget to put in the newly available space in you dash.

 

[bozzman3]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

My boat has a trim gauge as well that dosnt work.It is a factory gauge.Can anybody help us diagnosis these units?My trim gauge is stuck on up.I have a mercruiser 5.7 with alpha 1 drive.

 

[thrasher]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Trim gauges sit in the up position when no current is passing through them. If the gauge is staying in the up position, then you have either lost the positive supply to the meter, or the negative supply (that passes through the trim sensor) is open circuit. The first thing is to turn on the ignition, remove the wire from the trim sensor (usually plugs onto the back of the meter/gauge) and use a wire connected to ground (negative battery terminal) to touch the exposed terminal on the gauge. Your gauge should move to the other end and read that the drive is trimmed fully down. If this happens then you have a problem with your wiring to the trim sensor, the trim sensor itself, or the wioring from the trim sensor to ground.

If touching the meter with the grounded wire did not make the meter move, mthen you have a problem with the 12volt supply to the meter, or the meter itself is broken. You need to locate the 12volt supply to the meter (Purple wire on my boat) and check if you have 12 volts present. If you do then the meter itself is broken, if you don't have 12 volts, follow the wiring until you find where the 12 volts is getting lost (probably a bad connection or dead fuse).
Remember that the above test will only work with the ignition turned on!!

Gary

 

[bozzman3]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Thanks Gary!!!!!!!! The trim sensor is on the back of the gauge?Whats on the out drive?I would guess some sort of potentiometer?Does anything go bad on the out drive?Thanks agian for the info

 

[thrasher]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Hi Bozzman,

I am not sure what you have understood from my post, the trim sensor is the potentiometer that is mounted on the stern drive, there are only 2 components to the system, the trim gauge and the trim sensor (or pot). There is no trim sensor on the back of the gauge, but I was asking that you disconnect the wire that leads from the trim sensor to the trim gauge (the wire is connected on the back of the trim gauge). You can then connect the grounded lead to the connection on the back of the trim gauge and check if the needle on the gauge moves from fully up to fully down..

Not much goes bad on the outdrive, but the trim sensor (potentiometer) does go bad, water sometimes gets inside, the insulation on the wires goes soft from water immersion and starts to fall of letting the wires short out, etc

Its a PITA to change the senor and its wiring, you usually have to remove the outdrive although someone recently posted that they managed to do it with the outdrive in place (but I suspect it needed a real contortianist!! See if you can find the fault before you start worrying about changing the sensor.

I hope that made it clearer?

Regards Gary

 

[bozzman3]

Re: Trim gage not reading correctly.

Thanks Gary thats real good info.This thread would make a good sticky