Back to the main site

Trim gauge?

H

harse

Well-Known Member
Messages
48
Reaction score
6
Location
Delton Michigan
We took out our new Bennington 2250 GSR with the ESP package and a Yamaha Vmax SHO 250 out last weekend for the first tine. Got 2.5 hrs on it and got the boat to top out at 46mph. Here is my question about the trim gauge. When we got into the shallow water and trim the motor up the gauge read all the way up but the motor was still very deep in the water. I did a test when the motor gets to where the fast trim( trailer trim) starts is when the gauge read all the way up. The problem is my wife will not know how deep the motor is in the water and I don't want to hit the bottom of the lake. Our old Bennington when the gauge said the motor was up it was all the way up. So she would know where the motor should be at by the lines on the trim gauge. So is my new trim gauge not set right or is that the way it is set to be?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There should be an adjustment on the switch on the motor, which should have been checked by your dealer. Have you run the motor all the way up till it stops and then back down?
 
Yes we ran it all the way up and down several times and still reads the same all the way up on the gauge as soon as it hit trailer trim.
 
Our trim on the 2013 only read the smaller trim range. Wife brought the boat into shore once and trimmed it according to the gauge, needless to say she drug the skeg into the sand coming in. That was the only scratch on that boat and I'm glad it wasn't me who put it there.
 
I just took delivery of my 22 SSX around the first of April.  I am assuming you have the stock analog trim gauges?  The dealer had this exact same problem. They messed with the trim switch under the outboard on the F150 and thought it was fixed but it would work intermittently.  In the end, it was a faulty gauge...they replaced it the day I water tested it...it was fine on the water but when we came back to the shop it was acting up.  They took a new one out of one of their new stock boats and it has been perfect ever since then.
 
When it's all the way down does it read all the way down? I usually just listen and you can hear it kick into the fast trim since if it is that shallow you are just putting along anyway. Although it is also handy with the center walk through models because I can just look back and see it.
 
The trim gauge and some of my other gauges work intermittently.  I assume I have a ground problem.  The trim works okay most of the time, however.

My dealer's 90 miles away.  I'll get the boat up there sometime in the future to get it fixed.  That's what's nice about a long warranty period.
 
My new pontoon reads the same way. With the trim all the way down the trim indicator only reads about 3/4. I had the same exact issue when I drove a Sweetwater pontoon with the same Yamaha 150hp. The Sweetwater salesman said he would get it fixed. When I ended up buying the Bennington, the Bennington salesman who was with me on my sea trial said that the service guys set the trim that way so that it reads full up when the motor is trimmed up and before it goes into the fast trim to trailer it. He said it was more important to know when the motor is full up and not out of the water than it was to know when it was full down??? I'm not sure I agree with that line of thinking. Either way I have learned how to compensate for the inaccuracy. When I take it in for its first service I will have them adjust the trim to reads full down when it's full down. I'm pretty sure I'll know when it's trimmed up too far, especially when the prop comes out of the water. When I'm running at fast speed I usually run with the trim indicating full up.  
 
I also have a trim gauge that is jacked up. Sometimes it works and some times not. When it works it seems to be adjusted fine but when it does not, it reads full up or full down.......If the dealer can't get down first, I'll have it checked at its 20 hour service.

Marc
 
Perhaps I never noticed but it seems as mine worked fine, now I am anxious to really look
 
There is an adjustment screw on the motor that you can adjust. I lower all the way down and then turn the screw untill the gauge is where I want it...
 
I just wanted to reiterate that my dealer went through painstaking hours of adjusting the trim mechanism mounted to the motor and they were fooled several times into thinking that was it...seemed like trim gauge would work after they adjusted it...then it wouldnt work...thinking it may have slipped they adjusted again.  In the end, it was the gauge itself that was working intermittently that was giving false positives. Have your dealer try a new gauge.

When the trim gauge is working, you will know it...the gauge indicator moves incrementally as it should...there are no "dead spots" or big jumps or gaps in measurement.  Good luck.
 
Toon said:
There is an adjustment screw on the motor that you can adjust. I lower all the way down and then turn the screw untill the gauge is where I want it...
Click to expand...
Do you happen to know where this adjustment screw is or have a diagram for how to make this adjustment.
 
I would have the same question as JimmyC. The dealer is a long wat off and maybe could try it to help with the diagnostic of the guage or adjustment issue. It will be another week or so till I can even see the boat but would like to try it.

Thanks,

Marc
 
My trim gauge just quit working again this weekend...had been working fine for the past 5-6 weeks since the dealer replaced the gauge the day of pickup.  They had previously been making adjustments to the trim mechanism(dont know the proper word for it) on the outboard itself but that never made a difference.  Will probably just tolerate it being broken until I can get some free time to take it to the dealer this summer.  If anyone gets any updates on what the actual problem is that is causing this,please let us know because this appears to becoming a pattern for several people.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top