Trim Tabs

[Liquid Asset]

I am having a problem with my trim tab switch. I have the boat levelers, which I am assuming everyone has. The switch on the starboard side opens the valve, but does not turn on the motor in the bow down position. So it only puts the bow donw if I depress both switches.

Have anyof you ever opened up the switches and been able to repair them? I have seen the price of a replacement and was not thrilled. I am going try to open these up, but am looking for some tips.

 

[Genesis]

I suspect your problem may be in the pump.....

 

[jim rosenthal]

Call Don at BoatLeveler in St Louis. (INstaTrim Boat Leveler Co etc etc) He can tell you what you need to do. I have never seen the switches go bad. Probably you have a bad connection as opposed to the switch, I think. The switches have, or used to have, silver contacts in them, and have been reliable for me. All my headaches have been with the cylinders, but those have been updated.

 

[dwaynec]

Interesting..... My boat does not have hydraulic trim tabs. Each trim tab has an electric motor at the top. The switch on the lower helm is a Bennett Trim Tab switch and on the flybridge is the joystick type. I assume the joystick type is what came on the boat, and a prior owner changed out the lower helm switch. The owners manual that I purchased from Hatteras does not include anything about the trim tabs as to whether they are electric or hydraulic. The wiring does look like it is oem quality as far as the attachment of the wires, but the coloring is different. Kind of a green/white vs red. Right now the port side trim tab is not working, but it has been too cold to get down into the lazerette to check the current at the motor.

The joystick on the flybride also does not seem to work at all, but I need to get up there and do some major work as many of the switches do not work. Not a major problem as it seems that I rarely run the boat from up there, but I still want to get all that stuff working.

Anybody else have a setup like this?

 

[Liquid Asset]

I know for a fact the problem is in the switch. I tested it to that point. I just did not have enough time to take the pannel apart and test it. The way the switch is designed, you get power on 2 or 3 of 4 wires depending on what you are doing with the tabs. I only get power out of a specific 3 no matter what I do.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Burger had several of those switches listed on Ebay a few days ago. Apparently they are getting rid of some new old stock that they no longer need. If you can't fix the switch, maybe you can get one reasonably there.

 

[Will]

What kind of trim tabs do you have? If they are Bennett, parts and manuals are readily available. See http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com. They use a central pump with solenoids and hydraulic hoses run to actuators on each trim tab.

Will

 

[Liquid Asset]

Will,
They are Insta-Trim Boat Levelers.

 

[67hat34c]

I had the original Bennett Electro-Mechanical trim tabs. the ball screw actuators were shot so i modified Lenco actuators to replace them with and they work great.