Throttle Troubles

[Grady208CT]

My 2001 208 with Yamaha 200hp two stroke has cut out (both at low idle and under power) when I hit the trim button. This has only happened a couple of times but is a major concern.

I am all but certain this is a problem limited to the throttle handle/trim button assembly but I am looking to see if anyone has ever experienced this before and can offer any guidance.

 

[seasick]

My fist guess is that there is a bad electrical connection somewhere and when you add the current draw of the trim pump, the voltage drops low enough for the motor to shut down. My second thought was that the trim pump is bad and drawing a lot of current causing the same issue. I really don't see how a problem with the trim switch or trim switch wiring could affect the ignition or kill wiring at the helm. If you have a another person on board, try activating the trim switch on the motor when at speed to see if the same thing happens. If it does, it isn't the throttle control. Be very careful, if the motor shuts, that person may be thrown off balance.

 

[uncljohn]

Does anything else (i.e. GPS, stereo, sounder) go out when you activate the tab? I had a dying battery once and trimming up engine caused my GPS to blink out and sound the low volt alarm.

 

[Tucker]

Hate these kinds of problems. There's usually no smokin' gun to say what caused the problem. First thing I would do is check all grounds. Please keep us current with developments. This could happen to any of us.

 

[Dieler]

Another possibility and easy to check is the wire bundles coming out from the outboard. Have seen many develop split sheathing, followed by split wire loom, followed by splitting throttle or shift cable. Seems to be a combination of outdoor weather and tilting the motor out of water when not in use. Something to look at anyway,

 

[Tucker]

Another possibility and easy to check is the wire bundles coming out from the outboard. Have seen many develop split sheathing, followed by split wire loom, followed by splitting throttle or shift cable. Seems to be a combination of outdoor weather and tilting the motor out of water when not in use. Something to look at anyway,

Yep, been there. Main power cable when bad because rigging tube was full of sea water. Thing swelled to twice regualr size, looked like a snake that swallowed a mouse. $110 from Yamaha. I've never heard of a short, etc in the throttle lever or controll

 

[DaleH]

I'd bet $$ you have wingnuts on your battery or poor connections there or the ground lug to the trim/tilt motor is poor. Poor grounds cause the far majority of intermittant or phantom electrical issues with 12 volt DC systems, and can even 'rob' the hot side - causing interupptions like you've seen - when they occur.

If you use wingnuts on your battery - please throw them away! They can loosen up and I've seen them cause the rectifier/regualtor (combo part on most Yam motors) to burn out ... or worse, the stator.

Even if you use nylok nuts, I highly recommend putting a properly sized SS split lockwasher down on the battery post first, as there are no threads at the thread relief portion at the bottom of the post .. so the fastener might not tighten fully. Then add the battery cable and a properly sized internal-tooth SS lockswasher and then finally a SS nylok nuts that must be torqued tight with a wrench.

 

[Tucker]

Good idea about the lock nut on the bottom Dale. Just bought new batteries this spring and they didn't come with wing nuts. I replace the hex head nuts with the wing nuts off the old batteries. After reading about all the fantom ground problems; I think I'll put the hex nuts back on and tighten them with a wrench. Come to think of it; if you put grease or that red spray stuff all over the cable ends and battery shaft, you shouldn't have to loosen the nuts that often.