Electric Trolling Motor Questions/Problems

[ironmachineus]

I had a 12v/24v switchable motor guide on my boat. It was a 3 wire system. I have now replaced this with a motor guide wireless power drive unit. This has a 2 wire system. I matched up the wires from the old 3 wire on the boat (it's a bass boat with a receptical plug in front) with the same colored wires on the on the trolling motor (red and white). Of course, there is an extra unused wire in the outlet. Everything seemed to work ok, except the batteries were dead after only an hour and a half of fishing. Questions:

1. Did I hook this up right?
2. Are my batteries not up to handling the new motor (they worked fine and were fully charged up until now)?
3. Does the motor guide power drive (W 75 model) only last this long (if so, it's going right back to cabelas)?
4. What's going on here?

Thanks for any help!!

[FishTales]

I had a 12v/24v switchable motor guide on my boat. It was a 3 wire system. I have now replaced this with a motor guide wireless power drive unit. This has a 2 wire system. I matched up the wires from the old 3 wire on the boat (it's a bass boat with a receptical plug in front) with the same colored wires on the on the trolling motor (red and white). Of course, there is an extra unused wire in the outlet. Everything seemed to work ok, except the batteries were dead after only an hour and a half of fishing. Questions:

1. Did I hook this up right?
2. Are my batteries not up to handling the new motor (they worked fine and were fully charged up until now)?
3. Does the motor guide power drive (W 75 model) only last this long (if so, it's going right back to cabelas)?
4. What's going on here?

Thanks for any help!!
It sounds like you were using the old motor with the 12v selection.
The three wire system consist of a common ground, one color for 12v, the other color wire would be 24v.
The new W75 is a 24v motor.
Did you check to make sure you have 24v at the socket ?
Are your batteries connected in series or parallel ?
It sounds like your batteries are connected in parallel.
Parallel gives you 12v with double amp hour, Series gives you 24v.
Click the link below to see diagrams. Rich

Series/Parallel Connections Figures 1 & 2 (http://www.batterytender.com/connecting.php)

[waterfoul]

It sounds like you were using the old motor with the 12v selection.
The three wire system consist of a common ground, one color for 12v, the other color wire would be 24v.
The new W75 is a 24v motor.
Did you check to make sure you have 24v at the socket ?
Are your batteries connected in series or parallel ?
It sounds like your batteries are connected in parallel.
Parallel gives you 12v with double amp hour, Series gives you 24v.
Click the link below to see diagrams. Rich

Series/Parallel Connections Figures 1 & 2 (http://www.batterytender.com/connecting.php)

:yeahthat:

[ironmachineus]

They are in series - the old motor was operating on 24volts too. If one wire on the 3 wire system was a 12v (one battery) and the other is for 24v (both batteries in series) my guess is that I hooked up the 12v wire instead of the 24v wire. I was at the cabin and didn't have a voltmeter. I'll get one and check it out.

[SalmonBum]

I just got a Motorguide Brute to replace my old unit. Does anyone know hich color is for 24V on the motor? I was told the Red is 24, orange is 12. BUT.... after checking around on recepticals, they say the oragne is 24. Just wanna make sure.