I need tilt/trim help

Hey guys,
I have a 2004 Johnson 115 four stroke with side controls. In three years I have had the tilt/trim switch on the throttle/control go out. All three times it has been the down button, Tilt?. What can be causing this? Any ideas. Twice I have replaced the actual switch $40 a pop. It fixes the issue immediately. The Tilt/trim on the actual motor has always worked fine. Something must be shorting it out. Water?. It seems like it goes out after being on big water. Maybe coincidence. Can a relay be continually taking it out. I don’t dont hear a click or anything. But if I swich the wire around I can get the tilt to work and then the trim does not. Im lost! any help would be great. Thanks in advance as always.

is the wire ever loose at all when you switch them? First thing i would think of if it happens on big water is a wire coming loose or a bare wire hitting metal while bouncing around causing it to short out. If at all possible I would try tracing the wire back as best you can and make sure the coating is all intact

Thanks for the advice. Thats kind of what I was thinking. Im going to have to check from the connector all the way back to the relay and hope for a pinched wire or bare.

that would be my guess since it has happened 3 times. if you cant get in there to look at them, you can un hook the wires at the throttle, tape on a longer wire and pull them out from back by the motor. Be sure to tape it well if you do. It will make looking them over much easier!!