Trim motor

Trike rider

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Aug 13, 2020
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Checking the trim motor and found the motor has three wires one is the ground. Found that the motor runs constantly and there is power at the ground
 

Trike rider

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Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
10
Checking the trim motor and found the motor has three wires one is the ground. Found that the motor runs constantly and there is power at the ground
It's a mercruiser 5.7 sterndrive. It will work if you put power to the up or down wires
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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motor has two windings. you apply green for down, blue for up. that is what the control relays do.
 

Chris1956

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Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,911
A 3 wire PTT motor will use solenoids instead of relays. These solenoids work the same a starter solenoids, that is, when energized, they supply power to one winding, and leave the other winding open.

Relays ground the winding, when not energized, which is bad for 3 wire PTT motor windings.

So check to make sure that you have solenoids, and that power only goes to one of them at a time, when the trim buttons are pushed. Also make sure the black wire is well grounded.

Sometimes when PTT motors are replaced, 2 wire PTT motors replace 3 wire PTT motors, and the solenoids are replaced with relays. That means that both types of motors could be available. Maybe the PO replaced a 2 wire PTT motor with a 3 wire PTT motor, and left the relays wired in?
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
49,766
A 3 wire PTT motor will use solenoids instead of relays. These solenoids work the same a starter solenoids, that is, when energized, they supply power to one winding, and leave the other winding open.

Relays ground the winding, when not energized, which is bad for 3 wire PTT motor windings.

So check to make sure that you have solenoids, and that power only goes to one of them at a time, when the trim buttons are pushed. Also make sure the black wire is well grounded.

Sometimes when PTT motors are replaced, 2 wire PTT motors replace 3 wire PTT motors, and the solenoids are replaced with relays. That means that both types of motors could be available. Maybe the PO replaced a 2 wire PTT motor with a 3 wire PTT motor, and left the relays wired in?
relays are a coil wound contactor that is used for switching power
a solenoid is a coil wound actuator that is used for mechanical movement
 

Trike rider

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Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
10
Would both solenoids be bad if power is going through both at the same time. Motor checks out
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,911
If power to both solenoids at the same time, likely the switch or wiring is bad. If power going thru solenoids when switch is off, I suppose both could be stuck, although I have never seen that.

That is not good for PTT motor either.
 
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