Need Help - Minn Kota Problem!

[bd-]

I am about to tear my hair out with my trolling motor. I'm hoping this is something simple and someone knows how to fix it. It's a Minn Kota PowerDrive V2, 40 lb. thrust.

Background: The motor is about a year and a half old. When I originally got it, I used it with a foot pedal. However, just a hair past the one-year mark, the foot pedal stopped working properly. It had gotten wet when I got stuck out in an extremely heavy rainstorm, and after that, it would occasionally come on by itself, or refuse to work at all when I needed it.

I talked to the service center and they said I shouldn't have gotten it wet. They said the foot pedal is "water resistant but not water proof." They said I should just buy a new pedal because it would only cost $15 less to repair it.

Side note: What is the deal, Minn Kota??? What kind of stupid effing idiots make a control for a trolling motor, on a BOAT, that you can't get wet??? http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/images/graemlins/default/mad.gif

I decided I'd just get one of the keychain-type remotes instead of a new foot pedal. I would have preferred the foot pedal for hands-free use, but I do fish in the rain from time to time, and stuff on casting decks like a foot pedal can get knocked overboard, so I wasn't willing to go that route again. I can't afford to be buying a new foot pedal every year at $100.00 a pop.

SO I bought the remote, which is "plug and play," and mounted it on my boat, following the instructions in the manual meticulously. It worked for less than two hours.

It worked absolutely fine at the lower settings. Everything was great. But I went to move from one place to another, so I bumped the power up to the maximum setting and started heading toward where I wanted to go.

The motor ran continuously in the highest setting for about 30 seconds, and then it abruptly stopped. It was like everything reset - it still worked, but it reset to the lowest power setting. So I bumped it back up to maximum power, turned it on again, and started moving down the lake. After thirty seconds, it abruptly stopped and reset again.

A bit frustrated, I decided I'd just back it off a notch or two and head to where I was going a little more slowly. So I turned the motor on, bumped it to maximum, and I was about to back it off - but within a second or two, it shut off again.

This time it was shut off completely, like it had blown a fuse or something. The motor is completely dead and doesn't respond to the remote at all. Even the little light-up button on the motor which checks the amount of remaining battery power doesn't work.

Any ideas? Is there some sort of internal circuit breaker on the motor that has been tripped?

Why the hell did this happen and how do I get it to not happen again?

Seriously, what I'd really like to do is say, "Go to hell, Minn Kota, I will buy a MotorGuide trolling motor and never, ever use one of your unreliable products again." I've got a MotorGuide trolling motor on my bass boat and it is practically bulletproof and has never caused me a single problem in years of use.

However, I don't have it in the budget to buy a new trolling motor right now. I need to fix this one.

Any ideas?

bd

[Travis C.]

I would call Mike over at Marine Electric Service off New Shackle if you haven't already. He said it sounds like the control board inside has gone bad. They run about $115 and $45 labor to replace.

615-824-3205

[Travis C.]

Seriously, what I'd really like to do is say, "Go to hell, Minn Kota, I will buy a MotorGuide trolling motor and never, ever use one of your unreliable products again." I've got a MotorGuide trolling motor on my bass boat and it is practically bulletproof and has never caused me a single problem in years of use.

bd

I have never had luck with MinnKota. I have had my Motorguide Brute 767 on the bass boat since 97-98 with no problems and the 44lb transom mount Motorguide that is on my Caney boat is no telling how old. We found it in my grandfathers garage and it works fine.

[bd-]

I would call Mike over at Marine Electric Service off New Shackle if you haven't already. He said it sounds like the control board inside has gone bad. They run about $115 and $45 labor to replace.

615-824-3205

I just gave him a call. At first he said I couldn't drop off my boat, so if I wanted it worked on, I'd have remove the trolling motor and just drop it off. That would not have been an easy task with the way it's mounted on my Gheenoe.

But then I realized Marine Electric is a Mercury service center too, so I asked him if I could drop off the boat if I had him do preventive maintenance on my outboard too - it's about time for that stuff to be done anyway. He said I could do that.

Unfortunately the earliest he will have a space for it is a week from today, but if I don't get this fixed before then on my own, I guess that's where it's going to have to go.

As it is, I'll be without a boat next weekend, and wishing I had bought a MotorGuide.

bd

[Travis C.]

Unfortunately the earliest he will have a space for it is a week from today, but if I don't get this fixed before then on my own, I guess that's where it's going to have to go.

bd

Ah you'll have the next couple months to get it fixed before the Caney is fishable. :D

He did good work on my motor a few years ago. I'd go back. The only thing I wasn't happy about at first was he put one of his company logo stickers on my boat without asking. I did not notice it until I got home. I haven't removed it and don't mind advertising his service but wish he'd asked first. It wouldn't have been a problem.

[StriperFan]

I had to rebuild my Minn Kota a couple of years back. I went through Mike's Reel Repair online to get parts. They have a good parts selection for Trolling Motors and Downrigger's that can be hard to source. Also try fish307.com, they have good selection and can be quicker. They are also stateside, where Mike's is Canadian. They both will readily give you good advice on what parts you may need, and can also tell you if it is something that is a Do-it-Yourself project. I saved lots fixing mine myself. I am with you on Minn Kota, mine has an ergonomically incorrect foot pedal which never comes naturally even after years of use. The boat I had before had a Motor Guide and steering was as natural as walking, and come to think of it, I never had to do anything to it..I guess I know what I will be getting next time.

[bd-]

As I said on another forum, Minn Kota used to be the "gold standard" in my eyes for trolling motors, but any company that's dumb enough to build a trolling motor that can't get wet loses a lot of points in my book.

bd

[Ken C]

Before paying anyone to do any work on it, check that every connection is tight. If the power cord plugs into a recepticle, especially check the connections in the male plug. Don't just ohm them out for continuity. Tighten the screws!

[ALANRAYG2]

My I suggest checking the fuse or circuit breaker.

[Buccaneer]

This is where I bought parts for my MK. There are schematics an parts diagrams here too - http://www.trollingmotorparts.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
As Travis said, Marine Electric will get you squared away or to discuss the problem with another expert contact John Jones, he's a great guy and might be able to pin point the problem - http://www.jonestrollingmotor.com/

[countryboycansurvive]

Don't know that it'll help you but I've found that when electronics get wet the best thing to do is to put them in a big bag of rice for a week or so. Dries them out good.

[Cornbread]

BD
I had the same issue on my Minn Kota. Mike fixed it as well. it ended up being a connection on the Main board. I have had issues with electronic foot pedals from the big two. I currently use a co- pilot with a foot pedal always available. May I suggest keeping 2 of the batteries nearby for the hand held controller. Mike has always been fair and done good work for me.