Drive leg problem.

KINGFISHER 9

KINGFISHER 9

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My starboard drive leg has stopped trimming - mechanic came to check fuses/sensors etc and it turns out there's water in the oil somewhere so she has to come out ... having just been launched! Is this a duff seal on a ram causing the problem? Would water in the hydraulic fluid stop the leg trim from working? After trying to make it work there was a very slight trace of oil coming out from under the swim platform! D4-300s, no idea of the leg types, info on the boat. 3 years old, 150 hours.
Luckily everything's guaranteed so no cost to me but is this an easily fixed problem or could there be permanent damage anywhere? Both legs supposedly serviced before launch but trim didn't work on the delivery trip! Just a seal or something else? Am I worrying unduly? Any advice welcome!
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
My starboard drive leg has stopped trimming - mechanic came to check fuses/sensors etc and it turns out there's water in the oil somewhere so she has to come out ... having just been launched! Is this a duff seal on a ram causing the problem? Would water in the hydraulic fluid stop the leg trim from working? After trying to make it work there was a very slight trace of oil coming out from under the swim platform! D4-300s, no idea of the leg types, info on the boat. 3 years old, 150 hours.
Luckily everything's guaranteed so no cost to me but is this an easily fixed problem or could there be permanent damage anywhere? Both legs supposedly serviced before launch but trim didn't work on the delivery trip! Just a seal or something else? Am I worrying unduly? Any advice welcome!
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Is the oil pink instead of a cherry red colour, if not pink then there is no water in it.
Or the ram seals have failed and all the oil has drained into the sea.
Do you hear the trim pump working when you press the trim switch, if not then it's electrical and nothing to do with water in the the oil.
As you say it's just been launched the trim operation should have been checked on service, under 3 years it's highly unlikely it's the Rams that have failed.
 
Not the same engines or legs as yours but there is a known problem with the fuse on 290DP legs which is located on top of the engine. Works fine whilst the engine is cold but as it heats up it causes the fuse to break down and stop the legs working. Checking the fuse when cold shows no problem. I know of three boats that have suffered from this, one was mine.
 
KevB said:
Not the same engines or legs as yours but there is a known problem with the fuse on 290DP legs which is located on top of the engine. Works fine whilst the engine is cold but as it heats up it causes the fuse to break down and stop the legs working. Checking the fuse when cold shows no problem. I know of three boats that have suffered from this, one was mine.
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My neighbour with KAD43's had an issue where the trim wouldn't work. By disconnecting / re-connecting the relay (both of them) above the trim pump solved the issue, guessing it was just a bad connection.

Worth a try (That is, as volvopaul says, there is no click when the button is pressed)
 
The mechanic checked the relays and other electronic bits ... no response, neither does the pump work as Volvopaul suggested ... boat still afloat so can't check oil colour etc but I'll try to be there when she comes ashore!
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
The mechanic checked the relays and other electronic bits ... no response, neither does the pump work as Volvopaul suggested ... boat still afloat so can't check oil colour etc but I'll try to be there when she comes ashore!
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The leg trim oil will be in a big reservoir inside the boat on top of the pump.
 
Ah ... it's the oil/fluid in the reservoir that will change to pink is it? ... I thought maybe there was a drain hole to check somewhere on the leg .... not au fait with mechanical things much alas!
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
Ah ... it's the oil/fluid in the reservoir that will change to pink is it? ... I thought maybe there was a drain hole to check somewhere on the leg .... not au fait with mechanical things much alas!
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Yes, the trim oil is a different to the 'leg' oil. They are not connected in any way.
 
Haha! ... luckily everything's guaranteed for a year! I'm inclined to think there's a seal gone and water has got in where it shouldn't be ... presumably that would stop the rams from working?
 
Kingfisher 3 said:
Haha! ... luckily everything's guaranteed for a year! I'm inclined to think there's a seal gone and water has got in where it shouldn't be ... presumably that would stop the rams from working?
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The leg trims should still work but creep down over time as the oil leaks out, especially when underway. The oil will have nothing to do with the relay or the motor working.

If the trim motor isn't working it's nothing to do whether or not you have a leak in the rams.
 
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So I've now been to the boat to check .... on the drive leg which has forgotten its duty, starboard - the reservoir is an inch and a half down from the flange where the other side, port, is down half an inch only ... both reservoirs the fluid is dark red, the same, not milky ... the pump starboard side isn't working but making a clicking noise instead of starting. There was some faint trace of oil in the water after the mechanic had visited the other day and tiddled around so I assume that if there's and electrical problem there's also a seal problem as well.
 
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