90 hp johnson won't trim down

[bare foot wader]

I have a 1997 90 Johnson, yesterday I was drifting with the sock out and came into some shallow water, sand bottom, I touched bottom but not very hard at all, drifting at maybe 0.5 from a weed flat into sand

 

I trimmed up and started the motor, got out of the shallow water and it wouldn't trim down? I made the mistake of trimming full up, so now my motor is locked up at max trim...it was a long putt back to the dock with the little honda 8 lol

 

whether using the trim on the remote or on the port side of the outboard i can hear the pump running when I press trim up

 

when i press trim down it is dead silence, nothing is happening

 

I really don't think running into shallow sand damaged anything because I was drifting so slow....from some reading i've read so far I think it's an electrical issue, otherwise I would hear the solenoid clicking??? the pump isn't getting any current?

 

I'm far from a mechanic but can figure most stuff out, hoping somebody can point me in the right direction

 

it's on a 17' lund vhull, have had the boat 6 months now, first issue, the owners manual didn't give any info on how to trouble shoot trim problems...the boat is used 50/50 fresh and salt water...so I'm thinking corrosion on a wire somewhere?

 

on the plus side the pike fising was on fire, caught a chunky 39" on the first cast....thanks for any advice.

[DRIFTER_016]

Dig out a volt meter and check your voltages on the power trim relay pack.

Follow the power trim wiring back from the trim unit into the motors cowling.

The unit they connect to is the relay pack.

There are two relays inside the pack and it sounds like one is not energizing.

Check the wiring for tightness and corrosion and also check the jumpers on the relay for corrosion. I just replaced the pack on my buddies boat because of a corrosion issue.

 

You can test the power trim motor by connecting the 2 wires directly to a battery.

one way you will get up and the other down.

[esoxansteel]

Drifter is absolutely right about the 2 relays, I had the same thing happen as you, and it will certainly be on of the 2 relays

[dave524]

Drifter is absolutely right about the 2 relays, I had the same thing happen as you, and it will certainly be on of the 2 relays

 

Maybe I'm all wet here but swap them, if you get down back but lose up , you know 1 is bad.

[DRIFTER_016]

Maybe I'm all wet here but swap them, if you get down back but lose up , you know 1 is bad.

 

Depends on the relay.

The one I just replaced for my buddy on his Yamaha is a single unit with 2 relays built into it.

[bare foot wader]

thanks for the help, bad relay it was

 

had a heck of a time trying to follow the wiring from the pump, tried googling and youtube, "they're here and there, behind a cover you need to unscrew, behind the starter, etc, etc"....and then I just stepped back and actually looked at my outboard...and voila, there they were!! way to make some extremely more difficult than it should be

 

in case anybody else goes through this with an omc o/b, here's where they were on my '97 90, I highlighted them in red

 

now I just need to order a new relay on tuesday, anybody recommend an online place with fast shipping?

[DRIFTER_016]

thanks for the help, bad relay it was

 

had a heck of a time trying to follow the wiring from the pump, tried googling and youtube, "they're here and there, behind a cover you need to unscrew, behind the starter, etc, etc"....and then I just stepped back and actually looked at my outboard...and voila, there they were!! way to make some extremely more difficult than it should be

 

in case anybody else goes through this with an omc o/b, here's where they were on my '97 90, I highlighted them in red

 

now I just need to order a new relay on tuesday, anybody recommend an online place with fast shipping?

 

Nice!!!!

They look like SPDT 30AMP 12V relays to me.

Just take it in to NAPA and they should be able to fix you up.

You're lucky, the relay pack for my buddies Yamaha is proprietary and cost $300!!!!!

You should get out for under $10.

 

You should be able to find them at car audio shops and places like Future Shop and Best Buy as well.

Edited August 6, 2012 by DRIFTER_016

[Garnet]

They are a bose relay any parts store and willing to bet CT has them Ford and Chrysler daelers

 

Yes you can switch the relays around, both need to be plugged in to work.

[pylon]

Check the fuses ??

[BillM]

Check the fuses ??

 

 

Read the thread.

[Old Man]

Before replacing the offending relay (It will be the one with the green wire running to it). Try unplugging it and spraying the connectors with electrical parts cleaner. Plug them back in and give it a try. A small amount of moisture and/or corrosion in the connectors can cause a relay to malfunction.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Old Man

[bare foot wader]

thanks for all the feedback....i tried electrical contact spray and still had to replace the relay, they were fairly cheap so I bought a backup set to keep in the boat

 

it was a sad weekend for my boat...bad relay and I found a leak in my transom, right below the motor mount into the wood in the transom...it's amazing how much a little hole can take in per hour....cleaned it, sanded a bit and some 5200....bone dry again