tilt/trim not working

[hookedontronics]

My tilt and trim is not working. Not sure if it is a battery problem or not...I have 2 batteries I got from a friend, he told me they were new and I've had them for 6 months. I've had both batteries on the maintainers for the past 3 weeks or so, they both read 12.5v on the voltmeter. When I hook up the battery and hit tilt/trim it sounds like a low draw sound and I can hear the solenoid click. no dice as far as moving the engine though. Batteries seems to power the trolling motor.

Thoughts?

engine is a 88 mercury 60hp 2 stroke on a 88 bass tracker

thanks in advance

 

[typed by ben]

did this start when you put in the new batteries? what all have you tried? have you connected a battery that you know to be powerful enough to run the motor?

have you tried another solenoid or relay?

 

[hookedontronics]

put a brand new battery on it and it worked, took it out to the water and it wouldn't trim down. then 30min later it decided to work. now it doesn't work. replaced both solenoids and it doesn't work. they "click" but no movement on the motor

 

[typed by ben]

can you eliminate the switch by jumping power directly to the low current side of the solenoid?

might also be looking at a new pump.

 

[hookedontronics]

I can go directly form the pump to the battery. sometimes it works, half hour later it doesn't. pump looks like ahuge pain in the ass to change because 1 bolt is hidded between the pump and transom so the outboard has to come off, or atleast a few inches away from the boat.

 

[typed by ben]

well all you can do is isolate the problem. if youve replaced the solenoid, eliminated the switch, used a known good battery, and you still get intermittent operation you are looking either at the wiring to the pump or the pump itself. i had the same problem on my stratos- never did get to the bottom of it before i traded it. but as those pumps get older they can require more and more effort to get them started.

and yes that pump is a PITA to get at.