Trolling Motor Isuue

[drdetroit]

<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto">I continue to have battery issues. I have a 36V system that with a full charge by midday I have very little juice left. Talked with Dual Pro if all lights are green it is not the charger. All lights are green! Checked battery voltage average reading on all batteries is 13.6V. Could there be an issue with the Minn Kota? The trolling motor batteries are 5 months old interstate. System worked great until 2 weeks ago. Any ideas?</span></p>

Dr Detroit</p>

 

[tnbsfsher]

I would get a battery tester that read specific gravity and read each cell to make sure you don't have a cell going bad. With them being that new you would think so, but I've had good and bad with Interstates. Then I would check my connections all the way to the trolling motor.

 

[Triton4Bass]

Something drawing down the system

 

[Backwaterjigs]

I was having this same trouble with my Minn Kota on a old boat and I called them the service tec told me to check my batteries and like you had already done that then he asked me if I was turning the control head to off and also the on off switch on the side after each time I was done fishing for storage and of course I wasn't turning them both off he told me to make sure that I turned every knob on it too off and that would fix my problem and it did just that so give that a try and see if that helps you with your problem

 

[drdetroit]

Ok thanks will try anything!

Dr Detroit

 

[porthos33]

Literally for a year on my dual pro, my cranking battery always just showed a green light and never showed a red light when I hooked it to the charger. I never thought much of it till one day my battery was dead. It ended up being a blown fuse in the wire running to the battery. Just a thought but probably not your issue

 

[fischnrod]

Did you add anything to your system 2 weeks ago ?

 

[drdetroit]

Did not add anything. Plan to go out on the water use the TM and check the batteries under a true test load.

Dr Detroit

 

[Aries 181]

drdetroit - 8/12/2017 4:54 PM

Did not add anything. Plan to go out on the water use the TM and check the batteries under a true test load.

Dr Detroit

You fished last night, that didn't tell you anything?

Bill

 

[DCraft]

Use a manual charger suitable for the type of batteries you have, lead-acid or AGM etc.. that includes an amperage gauge. If the batteries are not charged the manual charger will indicate a high charge rate amperage when you connect and reduce as the battery is charged. It will take a few hours to fully charge. When each battery is charged the charger will indicate a low charging rate amperage. You may notice one battery has an issue during this process. After manually charging all 3 batteries go fishing and see how the batteries last. If they last all day then this points to an onboard charger issue. If the trolling motor still doesn't last you need to have someone load test each battery individually. The chance of 3 relatively new batteries all being bad is very low but 1 bad one is a definite possibility. Call the Interstate store on Shallowford I would think you could take your boat by there and they could load test you Interstate batteries for you.

 

[drdetroit]

Thanks David will try it!

Dr Detroit

 

[stockcarm14]

my guess is you have a bad cell in 1 battery it probably charges fine then after getting beat around in the boat shorts out internally.

 

[drdetroit]

It was a bad control board in the MinnKota. The good news covered under warranty. A free bee!