Motorguide quits

[fucawi]

Re: Motorguide quits

The relays will be standard types possibly automotive in origin ...will be single pole change over SPCO loads in the electronics catalogues..but if the contacts overheat at 56 A its by by contacts ....they dont arc unless they are moving ..I would bridge out the controller and run it on 12 for slow and 24 for fast ...at least if its good without the controller you will know which bit is faulty....I have the 86 lb Minn Kota and just run it on 12v with a tweaked prop..old style controller...KISS

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: Motorguide quits

Hmmm, not really sure I want to modify the wiring at all, I would really like to keep the varialble speed, it is hard to say how much power we need on the boat, some days it is barely on and others we run 3/4 twist on it, just to many variables for me to custom wire it. I would really just like to keep it original and change the bad part.

So what I am looking at is either the brush card or the variable pot, is that what I am understanding? many people say loose connections but I have looked and checked and not found anything loose.

We did take out the other motor last night, and although not as often as the main motor we use, this one also did the same things. mostly it would just slowly slow down until top speed was just a crawl, then within a couple minutes it would slowly work back up to full speed without ever touching the control position.(leaving it at full speed)

 

[fucawi]

Re: Motorguide quits

Problem is you dont have the skill/knowledge to know exactly what is wrong. When people talk of bad connection they mean something that gets hot...In my opinion its still the electronics of the speed controller ..gets hot ..shuts down ..cools comes on again....you only need a couple of inches of wire to bridge out the controller .then you will have proof positive of the location of the fault......dont think its the brush board with the reversing relays on it provided its in good physical condition how can it give these problems ?

 

[jusdonaldsoon]

Re: Motorguide quits

Used to have this problem with my trolling motor, turned out the wire was too small... You said you were running 2 or 4 gauge wire, so that shouldn't be the problem, but you definitely have it overheating somewhere. Should be a loose connection or contact wearing out as some have already stated...

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: Motorguide quits

Thank you everyone for your input.

I understand that something must be heating up, but the question is what, which piece of equiptment is heating up? I really need to get this figured out. Relays on the brush card, variable speed pot.which is going bad. Wires have all been upgraded, now just gotta figure this problem out and all should be good to run without problems!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Motorguide quits

Those brush wires look cooked, discolored and overheated. I find that kind of odd as they should be able to handle the current.

 

[fucawi]

Re: Motorguide quits

not the relays if its reversing OK ..probably not the pot if its changing speed ok ...short out the speed controll board ..you cannot always figure it out in your head you need to take a positive step to rule in or out one component at a time .....TEST DONT GUESS

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: Motorguide quits

Just an FYI for anyone still interested, I have purchased a new brush card and also a new pot. Unfortunetly we have hard water around here, but as soon as the boat is back outI will let you know which piece fixed the problem.

 

[RoughFishAssassins]

Re: Motorguide quits

Well we had the motor out with the new brush card inplace and..... it shut off again. pulled out the tools and the new pot and it still happened again. We happened to have another friend onboard and he was perplexed by this. the only thing that he could come up with was that possibly a crack somewhere in the armature that when warms up causes a break in the circuit. SO... yep a new armature has been ordered. This officially makes it all the parts replaced. if this doesnt solve the problem, I think I will cry!

 

[Rickwatson]

Re: Motorguide quits

I fixed my motorguide great white with all your described problems. It was the 4 pin amphinol connector on the brush board(intermittant connection orange wire)