tilt/trim switch issue

[Crow Hunter]

I have  a 75 horse mariner, with console control; it says quicksilver on the control box. I am starting to have an issue with the tilt/trim switch- when I push the down half it works fine, but when I push up nothing happens, or it is delayed for a second- just like the switch is not connected. I let off, push the switch again, and it works fine. Is it an easy thing to replace the switch? Or is it likely something other than the switch? The motor is from around 1989. Thanks for any help.

[delcecchi]

Just like my merc 115.  There are some relays under the cover of the motor, one for up and the other for down.  They go bad. 

Try swapping them and see if the problem moves.   They just unplug and are cheap to replace (you can buy the equivalent for a car from  an auto parts place for a few dollars.)  I used to carry spares in the boat.  Mine were small rectangular things. 

[Crow Hunter]

Thanks for the reply. Here is a picture, the bottom one is the starting relay I believe, the top two should be for up/down? They should be identical so I can swap them?

 

[delcecchi]

I don't see them in the picture, but yes they are identical and you can swap them.  That got me home one time when the motor was tilted up and didn't want to go down. 

They just plug into a socket as I recall.  Been a few years. 

Edited October 8, 2015 by delcecchi

[Crow Hunter]

I am not finding anything that just plugs into a socket. When I take the red power wire off the top item in the picture and hit the up button, I just hear a click, the motor does not move up, so I am thinking this is the relay?

[delcecchi]

Crow, what year?  I have a mercury service manual and can send you or post the information about tilt and trim for your motor.  (best ten bucks I ever spent on eby)

I only know for sure about my merc 115, 1998 version.  

[boatfixer]

Those are solenoids and not relays, so there is no plug in connection  

You can use a 12 volt test light to test power to, and power leaving them. 

Blue is up  (blue sky)

green is down  (green grass)

 

 

[delcecchi]

On my merc they were relays in plug in packages.  There were two.  Swapping them got me home a time or two.  I don't know about his mariner.

Edited October 10, 2015 by delcecchi

[boatfixer]

About 10 years difference. Early 90's when they switched to relays

[delcecchi]

About 10 years difference. Early 90's when they switched to relays

Ah yes.  I missed the 1989 in original post.  At least I learned how to split out one page from a pdf, and convert it to a jpg.  So it wasn't a total waste of time. 

Thanks for the explanation. 

[delmuts]

Do you have the same problem when using the up/down switches on the motor? Had that problem once. Worked great at the motor, but not the throttle. Turned out to be a bad switch on my throttle control.

[Crow Hunter]

If there are up/down switches on the motor, I have not found them. When I get a chance to work on this I will swap the up and down solenoids and see if the problem moves.