TILT/ TRIM FAILURE

[matt400TDC]

model # j225stleud
ser # g 04149909

Made a long hard run back to the ramp lastnight. Upon pulling in the no wake zone I went to trim the motor up a bit and noticed nothing happened. No hum, buzz, sound at all coming from the motor. After wrestling with the manual release for an hr. in the water with no luck. I bit the bullet, put the boat on the trailer and pulled her up just till the skeg bumped the ramp. let all the water drain from the motor and attempted the release screw one last time. Started turning much easier now. GOT IT!!! that thing would just not release in the water. Thank God, I had a strong ex-marine/now army buddy to help me lift the motor and my gf to stick the transom saver under the motor.

Anyone have a clue? I'm sure it's probably the motor or the relays at least as there was no sound coming from motor at all and felt like it had some compression on the cylinder still as we lifted it.

is a motor rebuild very expensive?

Would love to get back on the water in the next week, my buddy is leaving for afganistan in a week or so and has gotten bit hard by the bug and i wanna get him on the water as much as possible before he leaves

Thanks guys
Matt

[dlewis10]

Matt,

I had a relay go bad on me early in this past spring. Just like your experience - no sound what so ever. The only difference for me was that I still had the trim down capabilities, just not up. I had no clue at the time, and ended up doing what you did at the ramp - manual release and a strong friend to lift it up. After a post here, someone advised to swap the two relays, and if I then had trim up but not down, then that would diagnose the one bad relay. It could be possible that both of your up and down relays went bad at the same time ?? Or it could be something totally different ?? Don't know if that info helps at all. I'm still a pretty much a novice with this being my first bass boat. I'm learning as I go.

[ELGIN]

Don't forget the tilt limit switch, will it trim down?

[matt400TDC]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ELGIN &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't forget the tilt limit switch, will it trim down?</TD></TR></TABLE>

no, it would not trim up or down. It was just stuck there until we manually released it. everything seems to be fine at the battery and nothing looks loose or unhooked outside of the motor.

[ELGIN]

Swap the relays and see what happens, then find the wires from the trim motor, blue and green big wire, connect one to a hot and the other to a ground and see if it will trim, no luck with that the trim motor is done.

[matt400TDC]

if both relays are bad will this still work though?

[ELGIN]

They will fail on one side when you swap them the will usually work, if so, replace them both anyway, keep the old ones for spares.

[matt400TDC]

got the day off tomorrow. so this will be the first thing I do when I wake up.

[DoferGofer]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matt400TDC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if both relays are bad will this still work though?</TD></TR></TABLE>
In addition, make sure that all of your electrical connections are clean and tight. I had a similar situation once and it was dirty loose ground wire, not the battery ground cable, but the ground in tilt/trim wire harness.

Regards,

Melvin

[ELGIN]

Hello MR Hatcher, how are you this evening Sir?

[DoferGofer]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ELGIN &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hello MR Hatcher, how are you this evening Sir?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Good morning to you my dear young man. I am doing absolutely marvelous this morning. Peetie-pie is still asleep I am up making her coffee, while sipping out of my moonshine jug and just being as happy as a crow sitting on a plow handle.

It is always good to hear from you.

Regards,

Melvin

[matt400TDC]

maybe I'm blind or it was too early for my day off but I could not locate the relays. could neone give me some idiot proof directions to find them. thanks.

[DoferGofer]

http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/...bfb70

[matt400TDC]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DoferGofer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/...bfb70

</TD></TR></TABLE>
Thanks Mr. Hatcher, I actually found them a couple of min. after i left that last message. swapped them and nothing changed. so I'm guessing the motor possibly. where is the ground wire that had become non conductive on yours

[DoferGofer]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matt400TDC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Thanks Mr. Hatcher, I actually found them a couple of min. after i left that last message. swapped them and nothing changed. so I'm guessing the motor possibly. where is the ground wire that had become non conductive on yours</TD></TR></TABLE>
Your engine is much newer than mine. Therefore I am not sure where your ground would be located. Mine was located behind the box that contained the relays. I will defer you to my adopted son Elgin on the proper location of the all of the grounds.
Be patience, You "WILL" get the proper info on this board.

Best regards,

Melvin

[matt400TDC]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DoferGofer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Your engine is much newer than mine. Therefore I am not sure where your ground would be located. Mine was located behind the box that contained the relays. I will defer you to my adopted son Elgin on the proper location of the all of the grounds.
Be patience, You "WILL" get the proper info on this board.

Best regards,

Melvin

</TD></TR></TABLE>

sounds good. yeah my relays were just behind a panel held on by 3 screws

[DoferGofer]

Remove the panel and see if there is a ground wire behind it?

[ELGIN]

Thank You MR. Hatcher for the kind words.

The relay panel is on the port side just above the lower motor cover which you have found.

See the fat blue and green wires?
Disconnect that connector and use jumpers to connect one to the battery hot lead and the other to ground, make sure you are on the trim motor side of the harness.

If the trim motor does not run now its in need of replacement, there is a step by step post at the top of this forum to explain replacing the trim motor on a fast track midsection (John/Rude tips).

[SEAHORSE]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DoferGofer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I will defer you to my adopted son Elgin ...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Was that a voluntary adoption or a court-ordered foster care arrangement?

[DoferGofer]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SEAHORSE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Was that a voluntary adoption or a court-ordered foster care arrangement?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Voluntary, he is special to Peetie-pie and me. He has saved us a bundle with his advice on keeping our old XP afloat. In addition, I cannot leave the ChampNman out either, both have been very helpful. I consider the whole gang here at BassBoat Central family because that is the way we are treated.

Best regards,

Melvin & Charmaine