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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | I have a 24-volt Minn Kota trolling motor and it just does not have any lifespan. I'm getting about three hours tops out of it where I used to get eight. Batteries are only 2 years old but are so inaccessible that if I pull them I might as well replace them. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts if the problem is more likely one bad battery or the motor drawing too much. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | My 24 volt was doing the same thing. Batteries were wired incorrectly, only running on 12 volts. Before you replace them double check and make sure it is wired correctly. |
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Posts: 153
Location: MN | I agree with MM. |
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Location: sneaking out to get on the water ;-) | If they're wired correctly and still doing it more than likely one is shot and drawing your other one down with it. This happend to me last year. My batteries were 5 years old though. All of a sudden I went from fishing all day to a 2-3 hour period. First time I thought maybe they didn't get charged but after the second time I took them out charged them seperately and hooked them to a smaller trolling motor on my bench. One battery was dying after ten mins but the other one was working still. Didn't help the one was working I still went and bought 2 new ones and put them in. No point in doing one and killing them both again. Good luck! |
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Posts: 111
Location: Weyauwega Wi. | If your using an on board charger. Make sure both batteries are being charged. I had this problem last year. My charger was only charging one of the 2 batteries. I sent in the charger and they replaced it. no problems after that. |
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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | Thanks guys. It was down to using one battery. Saved me some trouble. |
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Posts: 410
Location: With my son on the water | Another thing, may not be related to this.
Many guys wire there TM dirrectly to the batteries and avoid the issues associated with a plug. (put a large spad connector on each end, 1/4-20 nut and bolt them together, tape up the conncetion). If you do this it is important that you put an automotive type switch in-between the connection to each battery and turn it off when the batteries are not in use.
Other wise the weaker battery (no two batteries are perfectly matched) will always want to suck current from the stronger battery until it will eventually kill the stronger battery.
The other option is to disconnet the batteries all the time which is a pain.
Trust me on this, I used to work with a bunch of electrical engineers and they are right on the money on this. I have told 2 dozens guys this and there batteries now last MUCH longer. |
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Posts: 5874
| Not a problem if you leave it plugged in in between trips. |
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24-volt motor dying too quick