Trolling Motor Troubles

[Lance34]

The last few trips out my Motorguide 45 thrust will work fine for about 1 hour or so and then after that it will start to slowly loose it thrust. You turn it up to five and it runs like it set at two after while. The battery is about a year old and I have had it checked out and it's good. I have a graph on the bow that is wired through it and has been working fine since the day installed two years ago until now. When I turn the motor up to five the graph will shut off but once I let off it turns back on. Called a service center to get any idea on what I could do to troubleshoot it myself and all I got was maybe the windings but wasn't for sure until they could tear into it which would run $100. I thought I would post here to see if any you have any idea on where to start or should I save $100 and repair cost and just get a new trolling motor.

[J-Doc]

Find a spare battery and try that first. Borrow one from something. If it's battery, that would show the source for sure. Sometimes batteries test good when they are really not.

Also, could be drawing too much current which is why the graph turns off. My old boat did that if I trimmed up the motor. A lot of current draw and it would switch off the graph up front.

[fishinwrench]

Yep that battery is toast. Continuing to use it will glaze over the brushes in your electric motor and cause it to loose power permanently..... Or until you have the coil contacts and brushes refaced.

[Lance34]

Ok thanks. That was my first idea to try. I'll try to come up of one to borrow from something.

[gramps50]

Ok thanks. That was my first idea to try. I'll try to come up of one to borrow from something.

Borrow the one out of your wive's car. ;-)

I bought a used TM and the speed switch was bad. I do agree with FW the battery could be toast. Batteries these days do some strange things.

[fishinwrench]

I have tried telling countless people that just because their charger indicated that the battery is fully charged doesn't mean the battery is "OK"...... But it's like they don't believe me.

A charger showing "fully charged" just means that the battery will not ACCEPT further charging.

Dig an old rotten half-dry battery out of a ditch somewhere and hook a charger to it.... That sumbitch will either be "fully charged" immediately or in about 6 minutes. LOL

[gramps50]

I have tried telling countless people that just because their charger indicated that the battery is fully charged doesn't mean the battery is "OK"...... But it's like they don't believe me.

A charger showing "fully charged" just means that the battery will not ACCEPT further charging.

Dig an old rotten half-dry battery out of a ditch somewhere and hook a charger to it.... That sumbitch will either be "fully charged" immediately or in about 6 minutes. LOL

The only good way to test a battery is to load test it. Voltmeter doesn't tell the true story. fw is right the only thing the charger knows is it won't take anymore charge.

[Champ188]

If you have a Battery Outfitters store nearby, they will load test it for you. Good people.

[J-Doc]

That's a good point Champ. I forget about those guys but I too have heard they are great. And they are just up the road from my house too.

[Lance34]

Thanks fellas. I haven't had a chance to work on it yet. Going to pull it out tonight and have it looked at again tomorrow and ask to do a load test on it. Any of you know if autozone does one? That's where I got the battery and looking to see if they'll replace it at a discount since it's only a year old.