Trim/Tilt Switch Sticking?

[cpinkert]

Hello,

I have a 1996 Champion 191DC-Elite with a 1996 150 Merc EFI. Last August on the way up to Lake of the Woods the motor went up while driving down the road. When I pulled over the trim/tilt motor was running like someone was holding the up button on the switch. I was able to override it with the switch on the outboard. Over the course of the next couple months this happened a number of times, but wasn't predictable when it would happen at all. Sometimes it would happen on the trailer when I hadn't touched the boat for a week, sometimes it would happen while fishing a spot with the trolling motor, sometimes it would happen after I trimmed the motor up while motoring around, and sometimes it would happen when going full speed across the lake when I hadn't touched the switch.

When the motor would raise up while I was in the boat I could get it to stop going up by holding the down button on the switch at the console, but the only way to get it to actually go down (and stop trying to go up) was to use the switch on the outboard itself.

My boat spends the vast majority of it's time under a cover due to the fact it has to sit outside. My theory on what is going on with the trim/tilt is that the switch on the throttle at the console is sticking or is going out. I think this because I'm unable to override the problem with that switch, and there were a number of times the motor would go up soon after I touched the up button on the console throttle.

Anyone have any ideas on whether my suspicions are correct and/or what I can do to fix the issue? Should I just replace the switch on the throttle lever?

Thanks for any advice!

-Chris

 

[reel clownz]

Re: Trim/Tilt Switch Sticking?

well it may be sticking, but i would also check all you wires inside you throttle. A grounded wire can do funny things. The switch is always powered. You only direct the power when you move the switch. If for some reason you have a solenoid ( spool valve with springs assisting the travel of the spool in one direction or another) sometimes it may be a dcv with only one spring assisting and the spool is always in either the open or closed position if the wire is gounded together it maybe putting power inadvertently to the up solenoid . You say this happens sporaticly right? They may no be touching now but if you hit a bump and the wires touch...blam you motor goes up. I would check to make sure nothings bare inside the throttle and nothing has a chance to rub against one another. Hope this helps. hydraulics and electrical problems sometimes can be a nitemare.

 

[cpinkert]

Re: Trim/Tilt Switch Sticking?

So, I ended up cutting the switch off and the problem happened again...so it's not the switch. I then pulled the relays out to take a look (probably should have done this first...) and one of them had some rust on all 5 prongs and other parts of the relay. Guessing this is the problem. Hoping, I should say.