Trolling Motor Wiring

[texasfishin]

I am replacing an old Motorguide 12/24 volt 45lb thrust with a new MinnKota 12 volt 40lb thrust. The boat is set up for 12/24 with 2 batteries. How do I wire the new TM so that when one 12 volt battery goes dead, it automatically switches power to the other battery? Is this series or parallel?<br /><br />The motor is still in the box, should I return it and get the 55lb 24 volt? Please help.<br /><br />The boat is a 19ft fiberglass bass boat.<br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br />texasfishin

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trolling Motor Wiring

Series wiring will get you 24V and fry that new motor. You want the batteries in parallel. You don't need to automatically switch between batteries. You could do it manually but again, that's simply not necessary. Heres how to wire it.<br /><br />Connect the NEG posts on both batteries together. Connect the POS posts on both batteries together. Connect the trolling motor to the POS and NEG terminals on either of the batteries. Put a circuit breaker in the POS line that feeds the motor. If you have an on-board charger, it will charge both batteries if connected to either battery. If your on-board charger is a dual output, you can connect both pairs of wires together and then to either battery. This provides double the charge current.

 

[--GQ--]

Re: Trolling Motor Wiring

 

[texasfishin]

Re: Trolling Motor Wiring

Thanks for the advice. I think that I may return the 12v and get a 24v with more thrust,<br /><br />Thanks again,<br />texasfishin