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The trim indicator gauge on my '87 Sundowner is unreliable, sticking frequently or not working at all. I know that issues with the sender are not unusual also but I'm tackling one thing at a time. I'd like to rig an auxiliary gauge somewhere that will give me a more accurate indication of stern drive position. To do so, I need to understand how the indicator works and what is coming from the sender to the gauge.

The sender has a ground and a single wire that runs from it to the indicator gauge. The gauge is also grounded as well as supplied with 12 volts. My question, what does the sender do? Is it a variable resistor that modifies the 12 volts going to the gauge or is something else happening here? I purchased a set of manuals for the engine and drive but they don't go into such nitty-gritty details.

I'll appreciate any help you can give me.

Tim

Author:	Oldav8tor [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:	trim Indicator
The trim indicator gauge on my '87 Sundowner is unreliable, sticking frequently or not working at all. I know that issues with the sender are not unusual also but I'm tackling one thing at a time. I'd like to rig an auxiliary gauge somewhere that will give me a more accurate indication of stern drive position. To do so, I need to understand how the indicator works and what is coming from the sender to the gauge. The sender has a ground and a single wire that runs from it to the indicator gauge. The gauge is also grounded as well as supplied with 12 volts. My question, what does the sender do? Is it a variable resistor that modifies the 12 volts going to the gauge or is something else happening here? I purchased a set of manuals for the engine and drive but they don't go into such nitty-gritty details. I'll appreciate any help you can give me. Tim

Author:	chris268 [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: trim Indicator
Oldav8tor wrote: The trim indicator gauge on my '87 Sundowner is unreliable, sticking frequently or not working at all. I know that issues with the sender are not unusual also but I'm tackling one thing at a time. I'd like to rig an auxiliary gauge somewhere that will give me a more accurate indication of stern drive position. To do so, I need to understand how the indicator works and what is coming from the sender to the gauge. The sender has a ground and a single wire that runs from it to the indicator gauge. The gauge is also grounded as well as supplied with 12 volts. My question, what does the sender do? Is it a variable resistor that modifies the 12 volts going to the gauge or is something else happening here? I purchased a set of manuals for the engine and drive but they don't go into such nitty-gritty details. I'll appreciate any help you can give me. Tim I understand it to be like a rheostat.... Here is something I stumbled on, not sure that it would help or not... Testing the sender.. 1 Check trim sender Black lead for proper ground. 2 Trim drive to full down position. 3 Place ignition switch to On postion. 4 Disconnect brown/white trim sender wire from trim sender harness at the motor. 5 Connect Ohm meter (Rx1 scale) leads between drive ground and brn/wh on the trim sender. 6 Depress the up button. Ohmmeter needle should move up as the drive is trimmed up. If the needle does not move sender is bad. Good luck!

Author:	Surface Interval [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:22 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: trim Indicator
Yes, the trim sensor is a rheostat (or variable resistance potentiometer). The trim gauge is basically a voltmeter that reads the voltage drop depending on the outdrive's trim position. As long as electrical connections are good, the trim sensor is by far the most common cause of trim indicator issues. The sensor is submerged in water and prone to water intrusion causing issues. Here is a troubleshooting site I saw while doing a Google search for "Boat Gauge Troubleshooting". https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/u ... ?docId=833 Another source for service manuals is: http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html I would recommend just fixing the original system rather than adding another gauge. Check the service manual link above for your boat and drive. When I changed my sensor on the Volvo outdrive the manual said that a starting point would be to trim the drive full down and adjust the rheostat to a specified Ohm reading for "full down trim" when installing the sensor. The sensor can be rotated to adjust trim indicator position, and then tightened in place. Hope this helps.

Author:	Oldav8tor [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: trim Indicator
I'd like to just replace the gauge with an identical unit but they are unique and very hard to find and often in the same condition as what I have (see photo). I haven't given up looking....with a Michigan winter coming I have a few months to figure it out. Anybody know of a place that salvages old FourWinns boats? I was thinking of trying to produce a small digital gauge that I would mount on a unobtrusive sub-panel under the steering wheel along with a couple of USB power jacks. Tim

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