Leg lifting - Alpha one

[symondo]

Ive been trying to be less on the internet and more 'doing' the jobs im supposed to be doing recently


Ive managed to install solenoids for the drive lift on my bayliner.

However...

Down appears to click - not activate the pump (old solenoid)
Up doesnt do anything - leg is up so i guess it could be the limit switch (new Solenoid)

now - ive taken the wires off each solenoid - the motor runs up and down - with fluid being pumped at the leg in both directions when hooked up direct to a battery.

Ive had a meter on each cable
'Down' appeared to show 9.8v which is pretty poor
'up' showed 11.9v upon pressing the switch in both directions.

Im aware both voltages arent hitting 12 so a battery charge is probly required (thats another story)

what im more puzzled by is the really low voltage on the down switch wire. would it be down to corroded old cable?

Also i think i will have to have both solenoids out and on a bench test as im not fully convinced they are functioning properly either. If i short a 12v wire onto the switch terminal - it still clicks with no active output.

the earths and circuits all appear to be full with a continuity test - could it be a dodgy cable - low voltage or a duff solenoid - or all 3?

 

[rafiki_]

I think you need a bit of input from Tom Parker (Tompa Marine), aka Mercuryman, general Merc genius and all round good egg. Try a pm, or Google for his contact details. You will find his advice sensible and helpful.

 

[CLB]

Highly likely to be corroded wires resulting in high resistance and voltage drop. Continuity test does not help as you can get continuity despite high resistance.

 

[symondo]

I think you need a bit of input from Tom Parker (Tompa Marine), aka Mercuryman, general Merc genius and all round good egg. Try a pm, or Google for his contact details. You will find his advice sensible and helpful.

I'll give this a bash!

i would say id just cut the wires back and replace but they go through what looks like some kind of switching block which i dont fully understand with about 6" of wire to each solenoid - im guessing that could also be the stumbling block

 

[russ]

I think you need a bit of input from Tom Parker (Tompa Marine), aka Mercuryman, general Merc genius and all round good egg. Try a pm, or Google for his contact details. You will find his advice sensible and helpful.

I've been trying to contact him for the last two weeks but no reply. Maybe just on holiday.
Any other mercruiser engineer recommendations please?

 

[rafiki_]

I've been trying to contact him for the last two weeks but no reply. Maybe just on holiday.
Any other mercruiser engineer recommendations please?

Have you tried calling him?

 

[capnjack]

Solenoids are heavy duty switches, if you were to try the test, which is to a jumper wire across the green/white wire to the positive terminal you can get one hell of a spark, quite a lot of juice going through there. The differences in the voltages between up and down might just be the current draw from the pump when it needs more current to push the leg up than to let it drop down.

I'm guessing from your post that although you mention you have replaced "solenoids" in plural, you have also said that the down solenoid is an old one, for me this means you haven't replaced it. As solenoids are quite cheap, why don't you just replace the down solenoid? The clicking is what happened with mine, I replaced both and it was fine.

 

[symondo]

Solenoids are heavy duty switches, if you were to try the test, which is to a jumper wire across the green/white wire to the positive terminal you can get one hell of a spark, quite a lot of juice going through there. The differences in the voltages between up and down might just be the current draw from the pump when it needs more current to push the leg up than to let it drop down.

I'm guessing from your post that although you mention you have replaced "solenoids" in plural, you have also said that the down solenoid is an old one, for me this means you haven't replaced it. As solenoids are quite cheap, why don't you just replace the down solenoid? The clicking is what happened with mine, I replaced both and it was fine.

the voltage difference was taken with the 'signal' wires disconnected and a meter attached to the end of the wire. the actual 'switching' side of the solenoid my understanding and by the guage of the wire is a small current (2a max) which in turn triggers a high current circuit.