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Minn Kota Edge 45 shorted wires in foot pedal

sierra_boater

New member
My Minn Kota Edge 45 stopped on the weekend. When I got home I looked underneath the pedal at the wiring and discovered damaged wires that had shorted. Looks like the yellow wire terminal on the speed switch cut into the heavy black wire that goes between the ‘open’ terminal on the foot switch and the mom/off/cont switch. See photo below.

The wires are still attached and whole yet the motor won’t run so I’m thinking something fried in the short. How do I determine which of the three switches might be damaged? Or even if something in the motor was damaged?

i just replaced the speed switch a few months ago, which was pretty straight forward. No concerns replacing switches if I can determine which one was damaged.

cheers for any advice.

tom
 

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Use a test light or volt meter and check voltage to each switch and voltage leaving each switch until you find where the power stops. My guess is on-off since nothing works. The cooked wire may need to be changed. If you run with a greatly discharged battery, low voltage causes the motor to draw more amps. That burns out contacts, wires, etc. As the battery voltage goes down, the amp draw increases.
If your max draw is 42 amps @ 12V = 504 watts. Watts stay the same so at 10v you draw 50.4 amps. Amps x volts = watts.
I've got several electric outboards and I don't discharge my batteries very far. If necessary I carry 2 batteries.
 
Use a test light or volt meter and check voltage to each switch and voltage leaving each switch until you find where the power stops. My guess is on-off since nothing works. The cooked wire may need to be changed. If you run with a greatly discharged battery, low voltage causes the motor to draw more amps. That burns out contacts, wires, etc. As the battery voltage goes down, the amp draw increases.
If your max draw is 42 amps @ 12V = 504 watts. Watts stay the same so at 10v you draw 50.4 amps. Amps x volts = watts.
I've got several electric outboards and I don't discharge my batteries very far. If necessary I carry 2 batteries.

Thanks for advice. I just used my test light and it seems as though the mom-off-cont rocker switch is working (light is on-off-on when operating switch) using the positive wire bus/landing in the pedal with test light aligator clip, and probe to the terminals on switch (I know the switch is switching ground).

it also seems that the on/off sprung foot switch is working, testing the same way.

So I conclude that is is the speed selector switch that is fried. Unfortunate since it’s as just replaced, but luckily only a $15 part. I believe they very commonly go out.

I read with interest you comments about amp draw increasing with discharge level of battery. However the battery was fully charged - it was early in the day. And this appears to be a physical compromise of the wire/s leading to a short, whereby the metal terminal was cutting into the black wire at the extreme pivot points of the pedal movement. I shall fix/insulate the wires when the new part comes, and figure out a way to pin them back out of the way better.
 
My experience with electric trolling motors is the manufacturers skimp on the wire size. And if the battery terminals or connectors get corroded it causes the motor to draw more amps. I changed all my connectors to stainless.
My Minn Kota Endura C2 spent 2 years on the river bottom. I thought it was stolen but an employee saw a handle sticking out of the mud at low water 2 years later and there it was. Cleaned it up and still using it. I also have a couple Newport Vessels outboards.
 
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