trolling motor issue

[Frdtrtnfx4]

I am running a 12v system with a 50lb trolling motor. I just bought a new battery for it. This battery is drawing 10 more amps than the old one, other than that it is the same. The problem is when i run the motor on speed 5 for more than 10 seconds the circuit breaker kicks, wait about 5-10 seconds and its fine. Run it for 10 seconds, same result. Only when i am on speed 5. I touched the circuit breaker and it burned my finger it was so hot. What should i do to fix this problem?

 

[Rowroy]

Re: trolling motor issue

The battery isn't drawing more current, your trolling motor is. Something else has changed since you installed the new battery. How are you measuring the current draw?

 

[cwhite6]

Re: trolling motor issue

What gauge wire did you use for the wiring to the battery. Most tell you to use number 6. You breaker is tripping because you are pulling too much current on it for some reason. Did you change anything else with the wiring besides the battery? I would advise getting something to accurately read the amp draw with. Something like a clamp meter. But, first I would check all the wiring between the battery and motor. Looks for cuts in the wire or loose connections anywhere.

 

[Frdtrtnfx4]

Re: trolling motor issue

The only thing i changed was the battery, thats all. What if i go with a heavier gauge wire? THe old battery never did that.

 

[capt sam]

Re: trolling motor issue

You may have a short somewhere, make sure you didn't pinch any wires. Is that battery the same amperage?

 

[Frdtrtnfx4]

Re: trolling motor issue

Nope, its 115 amps compared to 105 on the old battery. I am thinking thats the problem.

 

[cwhite6]

Re: trolling motor issue

That 115 figure is a 115 amp hour. The battery is only going to put out as many amps as the electric motor in your trolling motor will pull. That is the way power flow works. 115 amp hour is the capacity of the battery, i.e. how much juice it can supply to your motor over time. If all you did was change your battery, something else has occured. The hot wires and tripping breaker is a sign of an overload, either through a short or if your load got bigger. If you are using the stock wire that came on the boat or motor, you should be fine. What you are describing happens also in the situation where someone has put smaller wire than recommended on the supply for the motor. How long did you run the other battery on that trolling motor?

 

[Rowroy]

Re: trolling motor issue

It doesn't matter what the current rating is for your battery. Whether it's 105 or 115 is irrelevant. All that number means is that your battery is capable of putting out that much current (over a period of time). that DOES NOT mean that it actually is.

Now back to the problem . . . your motor, wiring, breaker, or connectors is/are creating a low resistance path to ground. This is why you are having issues. Something else has changed, whether you realize it or not. Since it's blowing the circuit breaker, I would start by looking at the wiring between the breaker and ground. There has to be something.

Have you disconnected the battery and measured the resistance between the positive lead and ground at the battery? at the breaker? at the motor?

I'll ask again, how are you measuring the current???????

 

[JB]

Re: trolling motor issue

Your problem is not the battery. It is in the troller or the troller controller.

Timing is coincidence OR you changed something besides the battery without realizing it.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: trolling motor issue

The battery is not the issue. It "supplies" power it does not "consume" power (except when charging). You either do not have the connections tight or you created a short somewhere in the system when you replaced the battery. If the circuit breaker is too hot to touch, it may be the problem as it should open immediately upon an overload.

 

[kinggabbo]

Re: trolling motor issue

I would try replacing the circuit breaker after you've cleaned and checked your connections and that doesn't work. It is cheap and if it doesn't fix it, then you will have a spare.

 

[Gerald9]

Re: trolling motor issue

If the only thing you did was change the battery.....ie. disconnected the wires from the old battery and reconnected wires to a new battery......

I would check each battery post to make sure each wire is not corroded and make sure each connection is tight.

Also, make sure the red wire is on the positive and black on negative.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: trolling motor issue

Your old battery was obviously bad or you wouldn't have replaced it. Since it was bad, it was not "capable" of delivering the power needed by the motor so it never tripped the breaker. Now you installed a new battery that can deliver the power needed and the rest of the system is not designed to handle that current. A 50# motor draws about 46 amps. The breaker should be a minimum of 50A and wire gauge of 6 or 8 should be sufficient. 8 gauge for short runs and 6 gauge for longer runs. Breakers are less than 10 bucks. Replace it as it has been degraded by the repeated tripping and no longer able to hold its rated current.