125hp mercury trim sender issues

[Stevie J]

Hi all,

Been a while!

I have a 5.7m Delta with a 125hp Mercury 2 stroke. All going well when suddenly mid trip the trim gauge starts giving some strange readings.

One second indicating trim full UP, then where it should be then jumping around between where it should be and high.

I beached boat just now (rib lives on a mooring) and wire looks ok but sender cracked at one screw.

Analogue Trim Gauge itself feels hot! Which is a worry.

Is the sender knackered or is the gauge knackered.

Or could it be one of those 1 in a million things that seem to happen to me often... both knackered at same time?

Cheers in advance for any practical advice.

Stevie

[jakew009]

Originally Posted by Stevie J

Hi all,

Been a while!

I have a 5.7m Delta with a 125hp Mercury 2 stroke. All going well when suddenly mid trip the trim gauge starts giving some strange readings.

One second indicating trim full UP, then where it should be then jumping around between where it should be and high.

I beached boat just now (rib lives on a mooring) and wire looks ok but sender cracked at one screw.

Analogue Trim Gauge itself feels hot! Which is a worry.

Is the sender knackered or is the gauge knackered.

Or could it be one of those 1 in a million things that seem to happen to me often... both knackered at same time?

Cheers in advance for any practical advice.

Stevie

Have you tried putting a multimeter on the gauge and seeing what it’s doing as you move it about?
Or even just seeing what the gauge does as you move the sensor?

[Stevie J]

I'm just back in from a run. The trim readout seems to be working again!

I was fiddling with the wire connectors from the sender and into the engine wiring loom yesterday, seeing is any were loose. None were. But I may have rconnected a bad connection whilst at it. Or repeatedly raising and lowering the outboard may have unstuck the sender.

The gauge is still warm/hot to touch though.

What readings would you expect at the various terminals?

I'll be taking the rib out of the water and can check it all properly on the trailer. I can check all the voltages etc safely then.

I was hoping for an answer so as to have the parts ordered and waiting to apply a fix. Guess it will just have to be a 2 part fix.

I was thinking of changing the guages (T&T and Rev counter) over to digital at some point. May just have to this over from the wish list to the to-do list.

May have to actually earn some money first after the £10k spent on new trailer, retube and engine overhaul last year and this spring.

Cheers S

[paintman]

Does the gauge have a light bulb in it so you can see it at night?
A random google brings this up. No idea if that's anything like yours, but it does have a bulb which would explain the gauge getting warm/hot & would be nothing to worry about.
https://www.marineengine.com/parts/m...trim-indicator

[Stevie J]

Originally Posted by paintman

Does the gauge have a light bulb in it so you can see it at night?
A random google brings this up. No idea if that's anything like yours, but it does have a bulb which would explain the gauge getting warm/hot & would be nothing to worry about.
https://www.marineengine.com/parts/m...trim-indicator

I have run the boat in the dark, but can't say I noticed a light there but I may have simply forgot. Would explain the heat logically.

Intrigued now. I feel a dusk run is required.


S

[Stevie J]

Out today again. Good long 20 mile run.

Very intermitant work/not work fault with the tilt gauge/sender.

Weird.