ctadams21

My Gaffrig trim gauges always spike the needle all the way up when I turn the key on. When I started trouble shooting I noticed that the wires from the sending unit on the drive (the starboard side sender) have been cut and lead to nothing.
Is there somewhere else to get this trim reading from or is the guage just hooked up wrong. (It hasn't worked since I've had it.....last owner claims is worked prior to my test ride).

Also, have a wiring diagram for Gaffrig trim guages?

Gracias.

Griff

The sender on the drive is a merc part. It is tough to replace without removing the drive, but it can be done.
The way to do it is to attach the new wires from the sender to the old wires and pull them through the transom assembly.

If yours are cut, then you may not thave this option.

dana marine products

There are two senders on a Bravo gimbal. The port side sender is for the trim pump limit switch. The starboard side is what controls the gauge. The sender has two wires, one goes to ground and the other to the sending unit post on the back of your gauge. So depending on what sender has the wires cut, the trim gauge may not even be hooked up. If the limit switch sender is cut, someone has wired the pump direct. If the trim sender is cut, you'll need to replace it for it to function properly. There's no way the trim gauge can work without it. If you find that the sender is wired correctly and is adjusted correctly the gauge is probably bad.

offthefront

iTrader: (1)

Seems like someone would come up with electric indicators for tabs and drives ( maybe there is already?) ...I would consider converting over from mechanical ...4 less cables ...less weight ..less clutter .....almost the same type of display that would show drive and tab posistion ...

dana marine products

We already manufacture a kit that would work on tabs or drives. Go to www.danamarineproducts.com, click on products, scroll down to trim systems, click on HP tabs, there's an LED indicator kit listed. You run short 33C cables from the tabs through the transom into my computer board. From the computer board to the dash it's all electrical and the panel is much more compact compared to mechanical gauges.

offthefront

iTrader: (1)

Sweet ....there is another thread http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=99383

member talking about designing a memory system .... button for tabs up ...button for normal cruise.... about 3-4 in my case .... great great ideas ....

Rambunctious

ctadams,

check with a flashlight to see if the other ends are dangling inside the drive bellow area. you could then resolder and shrink wrap them and be good to go. I had to do this from wires fatiguing and getting pinched.


DMP,
do you use a voltage regulator for your transducer setup. is the led output 10 discrete lights, or a numerical value. I am interested......
what is the output to the LED fixture.

may be a quick way to go.

Ramb

88Fount33

On my TRS both sets of wires were cut just inside the transom as the drive trim and tabs use the std 4 in stroke cable with mechanical indicators.

Not so good for out of channel idling up to islands where the water may only be 2 feet or less 200 yards from shore. [and you can't see the bottom because the water be dark with tannic acid, mon.]

After position "6" on the drive indicator, the drive is still lower than the bottom of the boat. by 6". continuing to trim up is in blind unless either you or your "trained mate" puts an eyeball on the actual drive position and knows when it's right.

At least with the mercrusier trim gage, you could mark the dial when you hit the majic position of just far enough but not too far. (I guess Reggie didn't think I needed Drive Trim limit switches either).

Rambunctious

88fount33

are the merc pucks on the drives?. (although not being used presently?)

you could use the trim limit pucks and dial them in so they stop your drives at that "clear 2' of water at idle" position

my guess is the drive trim wires are just jumpered in the engine compartment. you could add the limit puck back into the circuit.....just an idea.

i used this approach to set my limits to the best trim for top speed. ( less than the merc max trim spec designed to save the ujoint). I just plane off and run the buttons right to the limits. one gets there slightly before the other but i know i dialed them in to end at the same trim. no watching or thinking needed. (poor man's one position memory )

Ramb

88Fount33

Ramb,

Wished were that easy, yes both pucks are there and wires connected to the pucks to the outertransom plate, while looking inside the hatch towards the transom, with a strong light, you can see the four (4) wire ends on the starboard side of the inner transom plate clipped too close to the transom plate to reach with strippers, would have to replace the transom wiring to the pucks for this to be connected.

Had an idea to reposition the drive position Cyl on the drives so that my new "6" position is the location for idle speed. Then I will loose the location where I like to run the drives with the tabs up, as the sweet spot for Cruising for me is position 2.5 currently (3.0 for me and the boat porposes at cruise speed, as I do not like running in smooth water with any tab at all). Moving the location for the drive will then cause my 2.5 to probably then go to "0" or less than "0" with no indcation so I will have to make sure the drives are "in" by listening to the trim motors before attempting coming on plane, (best with tabs full down and drives full in).

Back to original post, cut wires to transom mean the gages never worked.