I have a Minn Kota 4.3 24v system. Runs fine in calm conditions, but when it gets windy and I have to dial up the speed to move against the wind, my inline breaker trips.
What do you think the likely culpret is? Too light of a breaker, or power wires too thin?
Agreed, the plug is likely the culprit - a bad connection increases the resistance, which in turn causes heat and melts the plug.
Put a ipilot on my 98 smokercraft a couple years ago. Boat was wired for and had 24 volt bowmount on it when I bought it so figured all was good. First year with ipilot I had same problem would kick out at higher speed when windy and surging. Checked everything and no problem. The next year talked to local marina. Original breaker was to light for the ipilot. Think I had 50s and switched them to 60s? This year runs like a dream.
Something in your wiring is failing when you generate a certain amount of heat in your set-up. I had a plug do this on me before I upgraded everything on it. Bypassed the plug and wired it direct and problem solved.
Get your hands on a basic multi-meter. Those things are invaluable for so many reasons. Check resistance levels throughout your system and isolate the plug. Check the wiring...then check the plug by itself. Also check voltage levels before the plug and in the plug.
The other possibilities are that you have a weak wire somewhere in your run which exposes itself when heat is built up causing it to cut out. Of course make darn sure your connections at the battery are rock solid.
If it is in the wiring you might want to consider re-wiring the thing and if you do step up a size in wires. If they are currently building up heat then by going a size bigger you'll have more surface area on your wiring to dissipate the heat.
I'd still get those batteries load tested just to eliminate them as a culprit. Most auto parts will load test batteries for free or you can pick up a load tester at a Fleet Farm for around 30 bucks. While not as invaluable as a multi-meter, having your own load tester if you have a bunch of vehicles around is a good investment. My parents have a farm and the day I bought a load tester is now looked upon as one of the best tools anyone has ever purchased.
I have a 55lb 12v PowerDrive V2 on my 16’ aluminum boat that I use primarily for trolling. It’s a bit under powered but gets the job done if I can troll with the wind/waves or if I'm in calm conditions. When I’m in a crosswind and have to turn up the power at or past 8, it cuts out. I get three fast beeps and the motor shuts itself off. The remote stays on but reads 0 for power. I can turn it right back on at a lower speed. I don’t have to reset any breakers, just turn the motor back on. Any thoughts?
At the end of last year my Motor Guide trolling motor cut out on me a few times at the highest speed. What I found was that breaker ws pretty rusty after 16 years of use. I replaced it and seems to be fine now. The other thing I noticed was that where the wires to the trolling motor plug were spliced into the trolling motor wires it would get hot to the touch. The wires were not hot before or after the splice...just at the splice.
How long have you been running the trolling motor set-up? If you've had the same set-up for a long time I'd guess the breaker is beginning to fail, or you have a loose connection.
If it is a brand new set-up I'd verify the wire gauge...
minnkotamotors.com/Support/Battery-Selection---Rigging
check out the PDF , Conductor Gauge Chart for circuit breaker info
You are on the right path with the breaker. My guess would be your wire is too thin. take your amp meter and see what you are pulling when on full power. You can try in your driveway, but guessing there won't be enough load when not in the water.
The other issue I found, I had water in the lower unit, which caused corrosion, which increased the resistance, which caused a high amp draw, which tripped my breaker. Hopefully for you, it is just the wire.
