FYI Minn Kota TM's

[Crappie Reaper]

Recently, my AP55PD has been having problems with power.

I thought the foot control was going out, so I ordered a new one and the TM seemed to work fine for awhile.

My original foot control had blown out onto an expressway and became toast under the weight of traffic. However, I picked the remnants up and used the TM by jumping wires after figuring out what went where to steer and power the prop.

The latest issue was that with two good foot controls, the prop would barely turn at speed 10, and not at all at the lower setting. However, by using the bare wire jumping method, I could get full power to the prop.

I called Minn Kota and spoke with a tech about it. He had never heard of anyone doing what I had done and suspected the main board in the base of the TM being bad, and that by my using the jumping method, I was bypassing the main board sending power directly to the TM. He spoke with his supervisor about it and he confirmed it.

Bottom line is that I need to spend $75 bucks to purchase a new main board. Problem solved.


On another note, I also discussed the Auto Pilot and how sometimes it wigs out by all of a sudden turning on it's own without stopping unless I turn it off, or hit the steering on the foot control.

He told me that normally, it's a sign of low voltage. That made sense to me as the AP usually worked fine in the mornings, and would only do it after I had worked it for 3 hours or more.

Thought anyone who owns a Minn Kota could use the info.

[JABBO]

On another note, I also discussed the Auto Pilot and how sometimes it wigs out by all of a sudden turning on it's own without stopping unless I turn it off, or hit the steering on the foot control.

He told me that normally, it's a sign of low voltage. That made sense to me as the AP usually worked fine in the mornings, and would only do it after I had worked it for 3 hours or more.

Thought anyone who owns a Minn Kota could use the info.

Mine has done this before when my battery got week but that was after 10-12 hours of trolling. Maybe you should upgrade your battery to a larger/newer battery...???

[speck chaser]

my terrova does this at least once every time i go fishing it is a 24 volt it doesn't matter about the battery because mine has done it early in the morning also i had a ap55 before this terrova and it did it also.It doesn't do it often just about once a day some time twice

[katjim00]

Speck Chaser

If both trolling motors had the same problem on your boat then I would check the wiring and the fuse block. Sounds like a pre existing problem to me. Just something to consider

[JABBO]

Speck Chaser

If both trolling motors had the same problem on your boat then I would check the wiring and the fuse block. Sounds like a pre existing problem to me. Just something to consider

I AGREE!! I have only had mine do this one time and it was around 5 oclock in the afternoon after I had fished since daylight. But the battery was fully charged that morning and should have been ok. I took it by Walmart on the way home and they said the battery was bad... I knew what was going on when the head on the trolling motor started going back and forth because TnT told me he had the same thing happen to him... Definitly would check my battery and all connections.