Minn Kota 12V 55Lb Thrust Melted Fuse !!

[snowy]

I bought a war eagle 1542 last year.  The dealer wired the boat with 10 GA wire and a 30 amp in line fuse. Last week the trolling motor stopped working 1 hr into fishing. I checked the wires and the fuse had melted. I checked the manual when I got home and the manual suggested 6-8 GA wire and a 60 amp circuit breaker. I had no idea that the wires coming off a 12v battery could get that hot.

 

I re wiring the boat with 8 ga wire and installing a 60 amp breaker. In researching I found out that the amp draw on a 12v is twice that of a 24v. so you need larger wire on a 12v than a 24 v and a larger breaker. 

 

Beware if your running a 12v, check the amp draw and wire ga before your paddling around fishing like me !

[MDBowHunter]

Yup, I just decked out my 1542 for a reservoir boat and I ran all 6ga wire with 8ga plugs.

[Way2slow]

It's amazing how dumb some dealers can be when they are suppose to be the professional go to people when you have a problem.

I will have to say, that one was dumber than dirt if he even began to think a 30 amp fuse on 10ga wire would run a 12V 55# TM, actually that was not enough even if it had been 24V. Yea, it would as long as you never run it over about half speed.

You did the right thing, now all you have to do is get you one of these for the cable. http://www.amazon.com/SB-50A-Connector-6-Gray/dp/B004KNFTI6/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435421424&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=anderson+connector+SB50+6GA

and one of these for the TM. http://www.amazon.com/Anderson-SB50-10-12ga-Connector-Gray/dp/B00IDEKD1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435421604&sr=8-2&keywords=anderson+connector+SB50+10GA

Make sure to get the same color, different colors don't connect together unless you cut the key out of the center of one of them.

[snowy]

I bought this for the plug, looks really well made

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracer-outdoor-Products-Trolling-Motor-Plug/29370802

[PAGreg]

Yep, that plug will work but you need the receptacle for it. I wired my motorguide using the conplete Trac kit. That plug isn't a "standard" TM plug.

[Neil McCauley]

What is the length of the wire? 8ga is only good for 5 feet per MK's owner's manual.
 

[snowy]

Yep, that plug will work but you need the receptacle for it. I wired my motorguide using the conplete Trac kit. That plug isn't a "standard" TM plug.

It's a very solid plug made for TM's. Don't need a Receptacle, I got a Male and Female end. I remove the Trolling motor after each use. the 8 Ga wire with the Circuit breaker  made all the difference  works great now.

[PAGreg]

The female end would be the receptacle I'm referring too.  Most TM receptacle are round, nothing like the Trac plug.

[snowy]

Yea, the regular plug for a typical bass boat does not work on a jon boat where you take the trolling motor off the bracket after each trip. This is the best plug I've found for that.

[Dennis1022]

I had a 70 # Bow Mount Minn Kota Edge and this was a 24v and wiring this is very weird! The wires are - to + then + to - then use a amp connector for the batteries with this I used a plug in type which I use all the time. Now I also have a 55 # Minn Kota Edge Transom mount, when I bought it they just had bare wires and suggested that I put on a plug. To me I hated to use clamps because they come loose or fall off and may hit the other terminal which it really happened to me while I was duck hunting. Lucky that my battery area was not near the gas tank or my gun and shells. It had sparked and started a fire on board and had to use a fire extinguisher, after looking at the battery it was still operational and the one terminal that was arced had melted the terminal, so from that experience on that problem I use plugs after that! But I bought a boat that never was fixed to run a plug for the T/M and other equipment was used in the front. I had mounted a terminal switch for the T/M and bilged pump and other electrical but I used 8 GA wire for everything from batteries to switch. So in all in all please use the correct gauge wire and make sure of all connections and the items are grounded correctly also.