trolling motor problems

[tubesock]

I have a 24 volt motorguide pro 70 trolling motor. It has five speed settings. Every time i turn it on high it blows a fuse. one through four works fine. the only thing i could think of would be a partial short  in the rotary speed switch. Just wondering if anyone could confirm this or had any other possible solutions. thanks.

[Team_Dougherty]

What size fuse is it blowing? Maybe you need to switch to a breaker. Maybe the motor on high just draws to much for the fuse you have selected.

[tubesock]

It worked fine for over a year with a 20amp fuse but after i started blowing them i tried a 25 amp fuse. It worked for about twenty seconds longer with the bigger fuse, but still blew it.

[Team_Dougherty]

Then you may have an issue with the motor. If it worked fine for over a year then stopped. Is it a variable speed motor? or with 5 set speeds? If it variable maybe the control board is shot. If it is a 5 speed maybe the speed switch, or resister some where is bad. hard to say.

I would not think a 25 amp fuse would be big enough for a trolling motor. Is it a 70 lb thrust? They say for a 12 volt motor 1 amp of current per pound of thrust. So for your 24 volt, if it is 70 lbs of thrust, I would think it would draw at lease 35 amps.

So you would need at least a 50 amp fuse.

[beze1124]

try a 50A circuit breaker. Had this happen when I first bought my boat. It had a 54lb motorguide and a 30A fuse. Fried fuses everytime I put it on high.

[Team9nine]

Yep, upgrade to a 50 or 60 amp circuit breaker. MinnKota makes a really nice one that you can get through Cabela's. A 70# thrust TM pulls a good bit of amps on high. Can't explain why it didn't blow before, but this should solve your problem once installed.

-T9

[clipper]

Get out your manual and see what size fuse or circuit breaker motorguide recommends. Also make sure your wiring is sized to carry that much current without overheating. Your manual should give you a recommendation on that as well. If you don't have a manual get online with motorguide and ask them what to do. If the recommended size circuit breaker or fuse won't hold then you have a problem.

The fact that you had a 20 amp fuse installed may mean that the boat was once set up for a smaller trolling motor and the wiring may be too small for your 70 lb thrust motor.

[Gatorbassman]

Yep, You need a 50amp fuse for that motor.

[fishfordollars]

I have a straight 24V Minnkota on my boat that does not carry a 50 amp fuse. You better check your wiring and a manuel or your asking for trouble. If the boat originally had a 12V TM on it your probably going to have a problem with wire size. JMO. Better safe than sorry. No one on this site knows the inner wiring or workings of your boat. Check it out to be sure. You gave us no info on the boat so everyone is just shooting info that may not apply.

[Way2slow]

Right out of MotorGuides manual

Circuit Protection MotorGuide recommends

installing a 50 amp manual-reset circuit breaker in line

with the trolling motor positive leads within (1.8 m) 72

inches of the battery(s). To order a circuit breaker kit,

contact your local Service Dealer, request kit number

MM5870.

Wire Size For optimum performance, MotorGuide

recommends the use of six (6) gauge (13 mm) wire if

extending existing wire beyond the standard battery

cable supplied with equipment.

[tubesock]

Thanks for all the help. My previous trolling motor was a 12/24 volt and when i installed the new trolling motor (24volt) I used the same wires that i had on my old one. I had two positive wires going to the trolling motor and after reading all the posts about needing a bigger fuse I remembered that i had another fuse that i hadn't checked. sure enough that was the problem. Kinda feel like an idiot, but i'm glad it was just a fuse and not my trolling motor.

[kreed]

Kinda feel like an idiot, but i'm glad it was just a fuse and not my trolling motor.

Dont' feel like an idiot, most of us have had similar things happen.

I'm glad it wasn't your trolling motor too! Now catch some bigguns!