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minn kota problems
#1
I have a bow mount minn kota trolling moter. I can steer the moter in any direction with the foot pedal and the battery tester on the unit says 100%, but I can't get the prop to spin. Any one have this problem or suggestions on what to do to fix it. Thanks
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#2
The first thing I would do is get a 'light' tester and test the connections under the pedal. Of course, make sure you have a good connection to the battery. Has it worked recently? I'm not familiar with MinnKota, is it power steering or cable?
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#3
If it's a power-drive minn kota, (the ones with either an 18 foot cord or wireless control) you either need a now controller, or the circut board is shot. If you're using the minn kota powerdrive foot pedal, the litttle strip inside that controls the speed is wore out.

I don't know anything about the short cable-type motors, only the power drives, which I (unfortunately) know inside and out!
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#4
You may want to throw this post on the boat and motor board as well. Lots of good info on there. [cool]
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#5
I am not saying you did not look at the obvious, but I have one, and had the same problem it took me 2 days to figure out that on the foot pedal there is a switch for CONT, or MOM, mine was switched to off,
it was imberasing but once I switched it to MOM it spun lol [unsure]
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#6
Jim, Which do you like the minnkota trolling motors or the motor guide. I have had problems with the electronic foot controls on the Minnkota, they always replace the unit, but I dont like the 2-3 weeks of down time waiting on the mail to deliver.
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#7
I've had both, but only Minn Kotas for the last decade or so. The foot pedals that come with them are junk. I used to go through them on a monthly basis. I've been using custom made hand controls for many years now, and only go through one or two a year. (I keep about 6 on hand!) They are no longer available.

Every tolling motor on the market is junk in my opinion. If they weren't they'd cost a couple of thousand dollars, and nobody but me would buy them. The Minn Kotas are the easiest to fix and work on. There's 3 main parts, all easily replaceable and interchangeable. You have the shaft and lower unit, which are nearly bomb-proof. The circut board, which seems to last me 3-5 seasons, and the steering motor, which lasts me about 3-4 seasons. A season for me is 200 days roughly on my trolling motors.

The hand controls I have learned to repair when needed. I'd suggest you look into investing $150 in a co-pilot system rather than using those aweful "foot pedals" that come with the power drives. If you need to use your foot to run the motor, I'd avoid power drives all together and get a cable-steer motor, or maybe one of the new, fancy-schmancy digitals.

Also, I think the newer power drives also have a new pedal design, which might be better. (Though I wouldn't hold your breath when it comes to Minn Kota.)

So, for those reasons, Minn Kota is the lesser of all the evils. But, I've never had an electric I like in terms of durability. The simple power drive is best, least expensive, and easy to fix or have fixed.
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#8
[black][size 3]I have a bow mounted Merc on my boat, and for several years, it has been trouble free. It has mechanical steering, not electrical.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]I don't even know if Merc still makes electric trolling motors, but if they do, you might look into them. [/size]
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[size 3]I realize that your motor gets far more use than mine, and your experience reflects a need for a "commercial" motor. But, if Merc still makes one with mechanical steering it might be worthwhile looking into.[/size]
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#9
Thanks for the tip. I have never tried a Merc. electric. Yes, I agree that mechanical steering poses far less problems. However, I have to run my motor from the center of my boat, so I can't use mechanical steering systems because they're too short, at least all the ones I've seen. And besides, I'd need ankle surgery if I tried to do it for one season![shocked]

I'm not just moving down a shoreline. I have to hold my boat on a dime and make suttle changes and movements, which means the motor is constantly running and being steered all the time. I change directions with the steering control from 10-20 times a minute!

And when vertical jigging, for important reasons that would need a book to describe, the fishing and boat control must all be done at the center of the boat. Fishing off the bow or stern is much more difficult when jigging, and impossible for my customers.

For those that dont' require pinpoint accuracy with boat control, I'd definitely recommend a mechanical steering motor of some type. Sounds like the Merc would be worth checking into.
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#10
I found this old post while trying to find a solution to my problem. TarponJim, it sounds like you may be able to help me with all of your experience with foot controls. I have a Minn Kota Auto Pilot 65. It is stuck on one speed. When I push on reverse with the foot control, it still goes forward on that same speed. It turns on and off, and steers just fine with the foot control, I just can't change the speed. I have heard that it is either the foot control or the control board. I can't decide which one to replace first. TarponJim, or anybody else, can you help me with this.
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#11
99 percent chance its the foot control. Minn Kota foot controls seldom last long. Which motor is it? "auto pilot" is a feature, not a model name. Is it a Terrova, Power Drive, or something like that? The foot pedals on the Power Drives ("65 PD" would be an example of the model) are notorious for wearing out, especially the speed control part of the board inside the foot control.
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#12
It is a 65AP. It actually says "Auto Pilot" on the base where the model is written (such as Power Drive or Terrova). I believe it is the preccessor to the Power Drive. I think I will try a foot control first. If that is not it, at least I will have a new one for when this one wears out.
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