Trim up button stopped working, then worked again. Suggestions?

Lake_Bum

My boat is a 232, 350 Mag, Bravo 3 drive.  I just completed a 3 day trip, and everything on the boat worked flawlessly, but when I got it back to the ramp, after it was on the trailer, my trim up button wouldn't work.  The trailer button was the only way I could raise the drive.  I tried it again once I got back home, and it worked normal!   That concerns me that it could fail and not work whatsoever.  After researching a few threads on here, it seems like it is either solenoids, or the wires in the actual handle.  
Do you feel a solenoid could be the problem here?  My gut tells me no, because I think it would either work, or not.......I am not confident enough in my electrical to hook a meter up, and test things, I don't want to fry it and make it worse haha.  If it could just be in the handle, something corroded, or loose, I could handle that.   Thoughts.....comments?   Thanks 

aero3113

Solenoids can be intermittent at times. Usually when I see that happen ill change it out with a new one and keep the old as a spare, always good to have if in a jam.

aero3113

It could also be a break in the wire that grounded out when wet. Once it dried up it started working.

Dream_Inn

Solenoid is probably the cheapest part you can change on the boat.  So, if you don't want to mess, start there.

zaverin1

Solenoids rarely go bad
salt water boats maybe
most of the time it's sending units aka pucks that puke or the actual pump

Dream_Inn

well, I won't disagree the pucks go bad, but I've seen 3 solenoids all on different boats the last few years go bad.  They stop making good contact.  Yes, we are in brackish water, so that may make a difference.  One thing for sure, easy to tell just by jumping it out.

raybo3

I am with you DI they go bad quite frequently

Lake_Bum

I tried to make it mess up again at home today, and it seems to be working fine. Tough to diagnose!@ 

rasbury

My switch does the same thing- down works fine but when I want to go up I think it goes to the trailer position and then sometimes it works fine- I would assume since it works down and works up if nothing else in the trailer position, it must be something in the switch...one of these days I will look at it....

Lake_Bum

The way it works on mine (before screwing up) is the up button, only works to about halfway, then you have to hit the trailer button to get it to go the entire way up.  Several boats of mine have been wired that way.  But when mine screwed up this time, it wouldn't go up even in the all the way down position, with the UP button.....only trailer.  I messed with it a ton today, and it never messed up once haha 

zaverin1

Volt meter or test light is your friend 

J3ff

Mine is as follows:

- will go down just fine.
- will go up no matter what if you push the up button down to it's most pushed way down (trailer mode)
- if you are stopped, regular "trim up" doesn't work
- if you are on plane, "trim up" works flawlessly, over and over.. 

Dream_Inn

@j3ff, I had a similar issue two years ago and the problem was the pump.  It didn't have enough to lift the drive, but when underway that would help push it up.