Kurt Hamilton

Alright here's the problem.
I started a thread a little while back about my Dana trim tabs which came with the crappy ford auto solenoids. They kept failing.
Finally got a hold of the correct (or what im led to believe are correct) marine solenoids to replace them last week.
Just replaced 2 on one trim pump (and let me tell you this is not an easy job where they are mounted and unmounting them is far worse) conected the battery terminals again and got nothing now when i operate the switch on that pump. Checked voltage to everything and all is perfect?
My only query here is are these solenoids i have bought grounded differently to the last ford auto type which grounded to the battery neg via a series of wires?
This is driving me nuts, i have replaced these solenoids probably 6 times now and thought i finally had the correct solenoids to do the job long term.
The last set i was supplied were 24v........ didnt work obviously now i know for a fact these are 12v but im getting nothing.

Any electrical gurus who can help please help!!!!

rexone

There are several different varieties of solenoids. If the new ones you got ground through the bracket (some do) this may be your issue. Keep in mind both powder coating and anodizing are insolators (non conductors of electricity). It may be as simple as running a ground wire from the solenoid brackets to a good engine ground. Just one idea, hope that helps, Mike

Audiofn

Good advice. With out seeing it it to me it sounds like your old system grounded through the bracket and the new system does not. Is there a smaller terminal that you do not have a wire going to? If so put ground on that and see if it works. There are ussually two large terminals that take power in from the battery then out to the tabs. Then there are ussually two smaller ones that take the power from the switch on one and ground on the other. My guess is no ground. Do you hear the relay clicking when you push the tab switch?

Kurt Hamilton

Yea i figured that there may have been differences between solenoids.
The old ones grounded through the mounting bracket on the solenoid via a series of wires that run back to the battery negative. I just attached these wires back to the same spots on the new ones, may be my problem there.
I do have two small posts, one already has switch wire attached. Would one of these small posts be specifically for the ground wire and one for the switch wire or would it not matter?
Sorry im really dumb when it comes to electrical stuff.

Audiofn

Does not matter. What ever one is easier.

Jon

Kurt Hamilton

Just ran a wire directly from the battery negative to the second small pole on one of the solenoids......... Bingo!
It works
Thanks heaps fellas!

29Firefox

The two small terminals one is the plus from the switch one is the minus to the battery. Here is the glitch some relays the direction they moves depends on which way you hook up the polarity. Most are marked + or - If you hook the relay up and it doesn't move try reversing the wires.

Audiofn

Some relays are set up that way but these ones don't matter.