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MinnKota Riptide shuts itself off


OSlawyer

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Recently my Riptide iPilot began shutting itself off after having run for 10 minutes or so. The screen of the remote stays on and shows the prop as having stopped. I can push the power button and the prop will turn again but only for a few seconds after which it stops again. It will do this over and over. The circuit breaker is not thrown as I still have power and can even continue to turn the motor left and right with the remote but can't keep the prop running for any period of time. I will try changing the battery in the remote to see if that helps. I know the two trolling motor batteries are fully charged, so that can't be the problem. I am hoping someone out there has run into this problem and been able to resolve it.

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Check to see if you have 24 volts at the motor.

The motor that turns the shaft is actually very small and works on gears. It is only 12 volt. So if you have only 12 volt the motor will turn the shaft but the prop motor will not run properly.

The board may be going bad. To check things in an orderly process.

1  circuit breaker = 24 v

2 plug on bow.    = 24 v

3 power into board = 24 v

4 power out of board = 24 v.  To do this put the meter on the two connections going      from from the board to the shaft. Use the remote to cut motor on and as you increase the motor speed the voltage will go up.

If at any time you do not have the voltage you have your problem

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The newer MK"s are very sensitive to voltage and power.

 

Agree with the above - check battery...then check all connections....I would clean and check all your battery connections...a loose ground can drive you crazy.

crank down hard on all your battery connectors - and don't use wing nuts...always use SS nuts to crank down connections.

dc

 

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Just yesterday, my MinnKota quit after about 5 minutes at full speed into a strong tidal flow. I checked the 50 amp breaker in the console and it had not tripped but it was extremely hot. I went into the bow hatch and found the plastic base of the negative terminal post had begun to melt. I let everything cool down for 10 minutes or so and then continued on the rest of the day using lower speeds on the motor with no problem. I'm wondering if the trolling motor itself has some sort of  thermal cutout. At any rate, I intend to do a little research to prevent this from happening again.

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I had this same thing happen to me, when I started inspecting more closely, I found that the wires at the battery were not screwed down tightly enough.  This caused the motor to quit, and at other times for the breaker to trip.  A little corrosion had gotten in there and, although the screws on the terminals were snug, they weren't tightened down fully.   That motor draws a LOT of current, and if you have a long run from the battery to the motor, those connections need to be very tight, very clean.   

Also, I assume you know the issue with the battery in the remote - the metal pin in the battery compartment is flimsy and gets bent back, losing contact and causing the remote to act up or act dead.  I think some folks take a small piece of paper and place it behind the pin to brace it and keep it in contact with the battery.

Let us know what you find out.

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Yes I melted down my oem plug as well. Mine is 36 volt and i was running it hard holding over bottom offshore. I actually used two but splices in mine for a few months as my motor is mounted to the deck. I put in a battery tender just because it looked kinda jacked up with just wires running through the hole.

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I finally got a chance to get back on the boat and changed out the battery in the iPilot remote. I also unplugged the Marineco plug and found the prongs had some green material on them. I wiped that off and the motor seemed to work fine as I chased False Albacore off Craigville Beach on Cape Cod. When I got in, I immediately ordered the Battery Tender.  I did not use the trolling motor for very long so I am not certain that the problem has been resolved and if it has been I am not certain whether the new battery in the remote or the cleaning of the plug prongs was the fix.

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On 9/10/2017 at 6:45 PM, OSlawyer said:

I finally got a chance to get back on the boat and changed out the battery in the iPilot remote. I also unplugged the Marineco plug and found the prongs had some green material on them. I wiped that off and the motor seemed to work fine as I chased False Albacore off Craigville Beach on Cape Cod. When I got in, I immediately ordered the Battery Tender.  I did not use the trolling motor for very long so I am not certain that the problem has been resolved and if it has been I am not certain whether the new battery in the remote or the cleaning of the plug prongs was the fix.

You can't go wrong with a Battery Tender....really good item...strong, safe....but, large and ugly ;)
 

 

dc

 

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  • 2 years later...

I have been reading all of these situations and can't seem to find one that matches mine. I have the ipilot 80 pound thrust on 24 volt. Out of nowhere the breaker started tripping but only once I was using speeds from 8 to 10. I have the minn Kota 60 amp breaker and it resets itself the trolling motor will work perfectly fine but only in the speeds up to about 7. I have checked voltage 2 batteries with and without load and cannot find a discrepancy. Does anybody have any ideas? thank you.

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My I pilot 80 pound thrust trolling motor keep shutting off once I get to speeds 8 to 10. I never had an issue with this until the last two times I've been out. It is on 24 volt system and I have checked batteries with and without load and could not find a discrepancy. I have the Minn Kota 60 amp breaker and when I use on high speeds it trips and resets itself. If I use it and stay on 7 or below there are no issues. Connections look tight. Anybody have any ideas? I have been reading this forum but none of these situations seem exactly the same.

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I suspect it could be a loose wire in the head itself. Im not 100% sure but before I moved to Rhodan I had a couple of different MK units that behaved similar. The first one was so loose in the terminal connection in the head that it slightly melted the cover. The second one I caught before it did that and checked connections. Not sure why or what model/production runs that experienced that but worth a check. Not sure if they still make a terminal connection there but I would bet so. Before I realized what it was I probably could tell by laying my hand on the unit and likely it would have felt warm but I didn't realize it until I saw the smoke and plastic deforming.

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On 2/22/2020 at 11:46 AM, Jeremey said:

My I pilot 80 pound thrust trolling motor keep shutting off once I get to speeds 8 to 10. I never had an issue with this until the last two times I've been out. It is on 24 volt system and I have checked batteries with and without load and could not find a discrepancy. I have the Minn Kota 60 amp breaker and when I use on high speeds it trips and resets itself. If I use it and stay on 7 or below there are no issues. Connections look tight. Anybody have any ideas? I have been reading this forum but none of these situations seem exactly the same.

Old thread resurrected so will add my .02.

I suspect it could be a loose wire in the head itself. Im not 100% sure but before I moved to Rhodan I had a couple of different MK units that behaved similar. The first one was so loose in the terminal connection in the head that it slightly melted the cover. The second one I caught before it did that and checked connections. Not sure why or what model/production runs that experienced that but worth a check. Not sure if they still make a terminal connection there but I would bet so. Before I realized what it was I probably could tell by laying my hand on the unit and likely it would have felt warm but I didn't realize it until I saw the smoke and plastic deforming. Mine never caused it to draw enough load to strip breaker though.  There are only about 3 areas to troubleshoot. The wires in the head, the board and the motor in the foot. If there is any rust showing around the seam on the motor or behind prop there is water intrusion and that causes the motor to draw more on high speed and will trip the breaker. Had that happen too...🤷‍♂️🙄

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  • 3 weeks later...

recent issue with my 24V  MK.   when in spot lock would run short time, then shut down.     3 trips to dealer and motor ran fine on the bench.  Pulled batteries and both tested fine. During re-install I noted the 60amp fuse looked 'bad'.  YEP, that's it.   Dealer told me that when in Spot Lock it's drawing full power need.. so any poor connection, bad fuse, etc limits the power flow and the tm shuts off.   Blame this one on me, not MK :)

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Hot wires are caused by resistance. Resistance is caused when the appliance is trying to use more amps than the system can deliver. With trolling motors, this is usually loose or corroded wiring or connections. As smilemaker suggested, there is an orderly process to eliminate the problem. You don't have to be an electrician or a trolling motor tech. Buy a volt meter, available on-line, very simple to use, with digital readout.

https://www.amazon.com/ALLOSUN-Digital-Multimeter-Continuity-EM3081/dp/B013JGET4O/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=compact+multimeter&qid=1583938338&s=hi&sr=1-2

I've had a tester similar to this for years. It tests everything the average boat owner would want to test. Very simple to use, just turn the knob to select the testing mode.

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  • 1 year later...

 I recently purchased a new Ulterra 112, 36v 72” and maybe used it 6 times. This pass weekend, as I'm trolling, the propeller disengages as though the prop button on the I pilot remote was pressed to off. After pressing the prop button on the remote, the propeller re-engages but then turns off again in less than a minute. Strange thing is while it's in spot lock it never disengages, even in a stiff current we’re the motor is running full out. Neither the trolling motor nor I pilot remote ever looses power, such as a breaker tripping. Voltage power is maintained all the time. And no error indications on the remote or on the motor base. Any ideas what can be causing this problem?

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On 8/17/2021 at 11:56 PM, PMannina said:

 I recently purchased a new Ulterra 112, 36v 72” and maybe used it 6 times. This pass weekend, as I'm trolling, the propeller disengages as though the prop button on the I pilot remote was pressed to off. After pressing the prop button on the remote, the propeller re-engages but then turns off again in less than a minute. Strange thing is while it's in spot lock it never disengages, even in a stiff current we’re the motor is running full out. Neither the trolling motor nor I pilot remote ever looses power, such as a breaker tripping. Voltage power is maintained all the time. And no error indications on the remote or on the motor base. Any ideas what can be causing this problem?

take apart the remote control...there may be something going on with the internal buttons on the board....also, buy another remote and see if it happens.....

dc

 

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Had issues with my Terrova not long ago and called their service department. Was advised to load the Minn Kota app on my phone then turn the power button on the TM and install the new downloads. ( there were 2 downloads) Works like a champ now!….David P.S, I forgot to add, after downloading the free app on your Phone, then pair it with your TM. It will NOT change your FOB. Service Advisor told me they’ve had a few problems lately so the new downloads should help….David

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Responding to the original inquiry here but I think this response may also apply to the 2 other instances of premature shutdown mentioned in this post.  My MK Terrova 80 did the same thing when one of the trolling motor batteries began to fail.  Both were 8 year old Group 31 AGMs.  Motor would run for a bit, but mysteriously shut down when under any load.  Problem ceased once I replaced both batteries.  While both batteries charged fully, I noticed one had swollen some so there must have been some internal damage.

Hope this helps.

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  • 2 years later...

I just had my 2017 i-pilot riptide 80 stop after seconds.

 

Shows full 4 battery charge on test. Shaft turns at slower speed normally for 15 seconds-slows down-hesitates-speeds back up a little then grinds to a halt within a minute.

I am getting 24v to a new receptacle /rewired the plug for peace of mind.  T

his motor worked fine the day before.

Remote is one season old and shows full charge.

I am guilty of leaving the motor plugged into the receptacle when onboard charging-didnt know!

Bruce

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/24/2020 at 4:01 PM, triplec said:

Old thread resurrected so will add my .02.

I suspect it could be a loose wire in the head itself. Im not 100% sure but before I moved to Rhodan I had a couple of different MK units that behaved similar. The first one was so loose in the terminal connection in the head that it slightly melted the cover. The second one I caught before it did that and checked connections. Not sure why or what model/production runs that experienced that but worth a check. Not sure if they still make a terminal connection there but I would bet so. Before I realized what it was I probably could tell by laying my hand on the unit and likely it would have felt warm but I didn't realize it until I saw the smoke and plastic deforming. Mine never caused it to draw enough load to strip breaker though.  There are only about 3 areas to troubleshoot. The wires in the head, the board and the motor in the foot. If there is any rust showing around the seam on the motor or behind prop there is water intrusion and that causes the motor to draw more on high speed and will trip the breaker. Had that happen too...🤷‍♂️🙄

Here we are four years later and I am having the same issue. What was the fix.  Was taking the head apart the answer to look for loose wires?

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