I upgraded the TM on my Skeeter from the old 41lb. MotorGuide to a new 54lb. Motorguide, both 12v. Never had a fuse problem with the old TM.

First trip out today w/new TM, however, quickly fried the fuse and fuse holder when operating on high speed for about 1 minute.

Wouldn't a smaller value fuse just blow, as opposed to melting the fuse holder?

On my TM bow plug, I thought I wired it the same as my old pedal; that is, ground goes to the green-ringed terminal, hot wire goes to the clear-ringed terminal. There is also a black-ringed terminal which (I believe) was unused by my old motor.

I'm getting a new fuse assembly today with a 50amp fuse, but is there anything I should know before hooking it up again?

What amp fuse was there before? A higher fuse capacity could result in a fire if there's a problem in there. That much heat could be a short to ground somewhere in the wiring.

The terminal ends at the battery should be color coded same as at the plug end - how are the green, clear and black terminals connected to the battery?

Be sure the connections at the battery are good and tight. Inspect the plug wiring. Inspect as much of the wires as you have access to, make sure there's no bare wires or broken insulation.

Does your new owner's manual recommend a 50-amp fuse?

Proceed with caution - and make sure your fire extinguisher is up to date!

jtexas
Thanks for your reply.

The plug inserts into the bow control panel, and there's a sealed box on the other side of the panel with a + and a - wire terminal. All the wires look good there and at the battery, except for the fried end where the fuse holder was.

The manual for the TM suggests a 50 amp breaker before the battery. Am I wrong in assuming a 50 amp fuse would be the equivalent?

Oh yeah, my fire extinguisher is up-to-date. But the batteries are right next to the gas tank on my Skeeter, and that is a little unnerving to say the least!

I had this problem with my old motorguide 28 lb TM that came with my boat. (too small) Part of the problem could be the gage wire running from the front of the boat to the battery. If too small it will heat up with the increased current draw. In my case the dealer installed a 50 AMP circuit breaker at the battery and it kept popping if I tried to stay on the fish when the wind was blowing. When I went to my new 12v 52 lb thrust motor I changed the breaker and haven't had the problem. No question that the old motor was causing the wire to heat up and then popping the circuit. It was hot to the touch. I would definetly use a breaker instead of a fuse. You can reset it and continue to fish instead of having to have spares on hand everytime it blows.

John

Fuses are fine as long as you use the correct type...Slow blow VS Fast blow,,,,,a breaker is best. Why?....it is resetable.....cheaper than fuses in the long run...and why risk being out on the lake and having a blown fuse...and none in the boat?

I would suggest running an amp check with the trolling motor running. Did the fuse blow???? or just melt the holder?....

Don