Trolling Motor Issue...Please Help (Pics) UPDATED

[jmed999]

Guys, my trolling motor will not operate and I'm guessing it's an electrical problem. When I unplug the motor it beeps but that's it. Here are some pics of my battery and motor. I had just loosened the nuts when I decided to take the pics so they were tight just before these were taken...

I checked with a voltmeter and it read 12.3 volts on the downstream side of the breaker. I did see some rust and corrosion just under the red insulation at the breaker connector. Also, my depth finder is reading just over 12 volts and it gets it's power from the back of the female trolling motor plug.

Any ideas on what the problem could be? :?: Thanks for your help!!! =D>

 

[JMichael]

You've got a lot of rust and corrosion going on there. I'd get that cleaned up then charge and load test the battery. How old is the battery? Have you checked the fluid level in the battery?

 

[jmed999]

You've got a lot of rust and corrosion going on there. I'd get that cleaned up then charge and load test the battery. How old is the battery? Have you checked the fluid level in the battery?

Thanks for the reply! The battery is about 2 years old. I think the battery is fine as I had it tested at Sear's about 6 months ago.

 

[tnriverluver]

Hook the motor up to a known good battery out of your car or something first and eliminate the fuse just to take all those variables out of the way and see if it works before going any further.

 

[jmed999]

Hook the motor up to a known good battery out of your car or something first and eliminate the fuse just to take all those variables out of the way and see if it works before going any further.

Seems like that would be difficult to do. Would I need to take the trolling motor plug off?

 

[JMichael]

I think the battery is fine as I had it tested at Sear's about 6 months ago.

You know you've got a problem that you feel is electrical in nature and you want to go with "I think the battery is fine"? [-X

If the at rest voltage after a charge is only 12.3, then the battery is not taking a full charge. Even if the battery showed full voltage, that doesn't mean it is good. And any battery can easily go bad or become weak in far less than 6 months. Don't make assumptions that could leave you stranded or scratching your head out on the lake. It only takes a little effort to test it and be sure.

 

[jmed999]

I think the battery is fine as I had it tested at Sear's about 6 months ago.

You know you've got a problem that you feel is electrical in nature and you want to go with "I think the battery is fine"? [-X

If the at rest voltage after a charge is only 12.3, then the battery is not taking a full charge. Even if the battery showed full voltage, that doesn't mean it is good. And any battery can easily go bad or become weak in far less than 6 months. Don't make assumptions that could leave you stranded or scratching your head out on the lake. It only takes a little effort to test it and be sure.

Good points! Do I need t take it back to Sears so they can test it or is there a more simple way with a voltmeter?

 

[TheMaestro]

Test the battery at a local automotive/garage shop, but bring the boat along. Have them hook up one of their shop batteries to your terminals in the boat, and if the motor doesnt run, you'll know for sure its the motor. This way you dont have to remove your motor or mess with its plug...

 

[JMichael]

Going to one of the sears automotive centers would probably be the easiest way. Since they sold you the battery they shouldn't have any problems testing it for you.

 

[jmed999]

I don't have a way to bring the boat with me but I will sure take the battery to Sear's so they can test it.

I'll report back!

 

[TNtroller]

In your original post you state that the FF gets it power from the backside of the TM power plug. Have you noticed any interference with this set up when you use the TM with the FF on? Need to find another source to power the FF other than the TM battery.

 

[jmed999]

In your original post you state that the FF gets it power from the backside of the TM power plug. Have you noticed any interference with this set up when you use the TM with the FF on? Need to find another source to power the FF other than the TM battery.

No I haven't had any interference with this setup at all. It has worked great the past 2 years.

 

[jmed999]

I had the battery tested at Sears. They tested it for 45 minutes and they said it was good and nothing was wrong with it.

Tomorrow I'm going to change the rusty parts and hope for the best!

 

[jmed999]

I changed all the rusted hardware and the 50A breaker/fuse. I then plugged the trolling motor in and got a high pitch noise and the 4 or 5 power level lights started blinking. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and nothing happened. When I pressed the battery check button all the lights came on. Usually 1 light comes on indicating the battery level (Poor, fair, good, etc). I attempted to use the remote to turn it on and nothing happened.

Any ideas on what's wrong or how to fix it?

 

[lovedr79]

Take the battery out of ur car, try motor. Have the electronics of that motor been submerged?

 

[jmed999]

Take the battery out of ur car, try motor. Have the electronics of that motor been submerged?

The marine battery was tested by Sears and it was ok. The motor has not been submerged but has been rained on quite a bit. The motor was submerged while connected to the motor but the motor has never been submerged.

 

[lovedr79]

Have u tried it wired straight to the battery without the fuse? Sounds like the electronic part of the controls maybe shot.