Trolling Motor Problems

I really need help from one of you "boat/mechanical" experts.

I've got a great 20' Bass Boat with Dual Pro Battery Charger and an Evinrude 58 lb thrust trolling motor that has hardly been used.

Anyway, the trolling motor is a 12/24 volt unit, and the power sucks. It used to be great, but ever since I took off the cables and put them back on, the power has been terrible.

I can't believe I've blown the motor by somehow crossing the wires/cables, but I just don't know.

Any ideas here? My batteries are brand new.

Do I need to "cross" the cables somehow? Is there an adjustment?

Can it have anything to do with the little square electrical gadgets on the ends of the battery cables? I've never known what those are.

Or do I just toss this motor in the trash and get a new one.

thx

[Rob Mak]

check to see if the switch for the 12/24 volts is in the 12 volt setting. by stating cables i hope that means the battery hook up cables. check and see if all the cables are nice and tight. the key word here being TIGHT. a half tightened cable would cause this problem. they make a 24 volt tester i would test the foot control to see how much juice it is getting. if it is not getting much and the wires are tight. the problem with on board chargers is they will destroy your batteries. pry the top off of the batteries see if you have a dry cell. hot weather is murder on batteries and will dry up a cell over night . check/test everything as a 24volt tm is not cheap Â*$550-600. a battery is much cheaper. and spending the time to find your problem is easier than buying a new moter and having the same problem.

lil electrical gadets?? i am hoping you mean a circit breaker.-love the termolgy here. never heard of a breaker going bad. but i would spray some silicone lube on it. but this is just me..



zooker Â* Â*

[j-luttru]

I have a 12/24 volt trolling motor and the wiring for these can be kinda tricky. I'm gonna try to explain the proper wiring for it, here goes:

The 12/24 systems require 3 wiring leads off of the batteries, they are 2 hots,(usually a red and an orange) and 1 ground (black). ALSO, a jumper wire is used between the 2 batteries to achieve the 24 volts, this jumper wire goes from the positive of battery #1 to the negative of battery #2.

Battery # 1 should have the black coming off of the negative post and a red coming off of the positive post (this is your 12 volt leg) AND the jumper wire between the batteries is also hooked to the positive post of battery #1 going over to the negative post of battery #2

Battery # 2 has only one wire coming off of the battery, it will be the other hot (orange usually, this is your 24 volt leg).

The square elctrical gadgets on the ends of the battery cables you reffered to are probably in-line fuses housed in those. Make sure these fuses are good if indeed that is what they are.

I used to have a link for the wiring diagram, but can't seem to find it again, I'll do some more searching and if I find it I'll post a link for you.........Good Luck!

[oldfisherman]

i know this might sound funny but i have the same trolling motor. had the same problem as you. take the foot control and flip it over. then where all the leads screw in take them off. clean them with wd 40 and the but back on. spray them all with wd 4o. see if that helps. thats what my mech. did. he said the leads will oxidize.(spelling ) and need to be clean. solved my problem.

[Bin]

clean your connetions and make sure there tight

[KissmyBass]

I can't really quite believe this, but I put a continuity tester on each of the terminal ends of the positive cables. On neither one could a get a signal. I cleaned them, and still no signal.

I then filed them both down and hit them with a wire brush. Now there is continuity. This is crazy. The terminals looked fine, just a bit pale with a little oxidation.

Then I checked the 40 amp fuses links. Same thing. No signal. After using a wire brush I get a signal.

This is quite a lesson. Looks can be deceiving. I've obviously been getting a lousy connection for months.

Thanks for the tip, and any others on keeping those terminals clean would be appreciated.

[oldfisherman]

do what you just did a couple times a year. spray with wd 40/ or a good silicone spray. talk to your local dealer he can give you good preventive maintence tips on your boat. the key to haveing a trouble free day on the water is to take care of little things before they become big ones.