2000 Johnson 175 trim/tilt not working

[Jeffth]

2000 Johnson 175hp PLSSC. Trim stopped working completely. None of the switches work. Solenoids click, though, when a trim switch is activated. Swapped them with each other anyway, no change. Assumed a bad trim motor, so put in a new one. Spun fine after wiring it in when I had the motor manually tilted all the way up to work on it. Declared victory and lowered the motor down. Right before it hit the trim struts, dead. Once again, nothing worked. Out of curiosity, jumped the old trim motor directly to a battery, spins like a top. Nothing wrong with it. I'm out of ideas, what am I missing?

[Bighare2]

Without a volt meter you are working blind and just guessing. A service manual will help you also.
the TNT relays control the direction of the trim motor.
the relays clicking indicate trim switches are trying to do something.
what is needed to narrow this down is to get a voltmeter and check the voltage going in and out of the relays.
red wire (red w/white stripe) is power to each trim switch. green out is down and blue wire out is up.
power going into the trim motor green wire and blue wire to ground is trim down. Power going into the blue wire and green wire to ground is trim up.

[Jeffth]

Thanks Bighare. I actually did check the power at the trim motor while the engine was all the way up before wiring in the new motor and I got over 13V with both the up and down switch. On further thought, there's a switch right at the trim motor that appears to be a position switch. I'm wondering if that could be the problem. I'll check the solenoid tomorrow, too.

[ChampioNman]

No switch at the trim motor that's the trim sensor for the gauge. Check the wiring at the trim relay sockets.

[Jeffth]

Thanks! Will do.

[Jeffth]

Progress report, started checking everything coming into the relay block and it kept checking out good. Finally unplugged the lead for the forward trim switches coming into the motor and suddenly everything worked perfectly, at least with the switch on the side of the motor. I'll start checking the console and front deck switches and wiring next. Did have one question, motor goes up fine, but shudders badly when coming down on the big piston. Once it gets down to the smaller trim pistons, everything is fine again. Friend told me to check the fluid level and add fluid. But when I unscrew the plug, fluid immediately starts coming out, so I think that's OK. I have cycled the motor up and down 6 or 7 times since putting in the new trim motor hoping to get any air cleared out. What could be causing it to shudder so bad on the big piston?

[ChampioNman]

Try tightening the large nut on the tilt tube. Takes and 1 1/4" wrench. You can also trim down onto a block of wood and open up the manual release valve a few turns. Run the trim up for a long 5 count (the motor shouldn't go up) then down for a long 5 count do this 5 times and tighten the manual release valve then tilt it up and slowly open the cap on the reservoir and add fluid if needed. Bow switches are bad to go out especially if they get wet.

[Jeffth]

Thanks! I'll try it.