MinnKota Powerdrive won't turn

[JimBuck]

I own a MinnKota Powerdrive that will not turn anymore. I've tried the CoPilot remote but that will not turn the head either. The motor turns on/off and will run in variable speeds but that's it. I replaced my controller board last year on this thing and would hate to have that be the issue again....any ideas? Thanks

[mn_bowhunter]

Could be the motor that turns the head going bad. Take it apart and see if you have voltage at the turn motor when pressing the turn button. You could also poke through the insulation and tape to avoid having to fix wiring. Not sure what the voltage should be but would guess 12 or 24V depending on motor size.

[solbes]

On my V1 Powerdrive last year I had an issue with the connections from the coiled wire to the top of the motor. The strain relief was not good enough to keep these from breaking. The guy at Fish Lectronics put the V2 strain relief on and it works perfect again.

Symptoms were the same. Motor would run correctly, connections were good, but no turning. I was able to verify it wasn't the foot pedal by using my F.I.L.'s pedal. Sounds like you've done the same with trying the co-pilot.

[JimBuck]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to hook up the volt meter tonight/tomorrow and do some poking around. I'm going to give the folks at Fish Lectronics a call this afternoon to see if I can pick their brain for a bit. Something tells me they are absolutely swamped with people wanting things done before the holiday weekend. The motor sure did pick a good time to [PoorWordUsage] out.

Solbes a few questions for you...

When your motor was experiencing similar symptoms, did the steering intermittently work and then just stop altogether? I've had steering go in and out until last time out and it's just not turning period.

Also, was the V2 strain relief a relatively cheap fix? I only ask because I've had this motor for around 7 years and have had my fair share of electrical problems and I am hesitant about dropping anymore money on fixing it. I think I'll take a good look at cable drive motors next time I need to purchase.

Thanks guys.

[solbes]

It just up and quit for me. Worked fine for the previous year (it's only 1.5 years old). It was fixed under warranty (2 year) so no bill for me. I think it was $100-140 back to Minnkota.

Also I have a 48 inch shaft that I ran all the way down. Has to do with trying to get through this impossibly small culvert and needed a shorter shaft. Anyway running it this way probably induced the failure because the strain relief was rubbing against the motor base. I bumped it up about an inch now.

[mn_bowhunter]

to have steering go in and out I'd think there is a break in a wire. Try moving wires around while trying to turn. You may be able to locate the break and fix it, or replace the cord.