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It just stops....

Emketart

New member
I bought a used 2017 boat with a 2017 Minn Kota Terrova on it. Every time out it is working great until it isn't. It prop will just stop spinning. The turning, left and right works fine. The battery strength shows full strength. The prop just stops spinning. I thought it was the batteries even though it said the batteries were fine, so I bought new batteries and the same thing happens. When it quits none of the methods to turn the prop on work. Not the toe button, the constant button or the middle button at the heel. Sometimes after about a 1/2 hour to an hour it will start working again, but not always. It always works the first time I try it the next time out though and it always runs for at least 1/2 hour up to 1 1/2 hours with off and on usage, a lot of spot locking.

Any ideas?
 
Is there a self resetting breaker in the line? If so, it heats up from too many amps and trips. Then it has to cool down to reset. Or the controller or motor could have an thermal breaker.
If the battery is low, the motor draws more amps and could cause a breaker or thermal sensor to trip. Watts = Amps x Volts. A motor I use draws 52 amps @ 12v and 62 amps @ 10v. It uses 624 watts, that doesn't change. As the volts go down, the amps increase, watts stay the same.
 
There is a breaker at the battery, but it isn't self resetting. I didn't know there was such a thing. Does the Terrova come with one of those built in? I will check where the Terrova is mounted and at the batteries. The rest is all hidden and I don't know how I would get to it so I assume it would have to be at one end or the other.
 
Lepke.... If there was a self resetting breaker, it would completely disable the entire trolling motor, right? When the prop stops spinning, I can still turn it left and right and I can check the battery strength. Would a thermal breaker in the controller or motor work that way, or would that only affect the prop because that is where the heat is?
 
A breaker would stop all current to the motor. But a thermal protector could be in the motor or on the control board. Since the motor works again after sitting, I'm guessing it's a heat problem. I don't know your motor, I would assume there's a circuit board that could have some thermal safety, or somewhere under any cover, could be a resetable protector. Also when you find a circuit board, look for overheat signs where components attach. Sometimes a component isn't properly soldiered to the board and when it heats up it breaks the connection.
 
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