Just purchased a boat and the trolling motor doesn't work.
Any tips on trouble shooting. It is a bow mount motor guide hand unit.
Thanks for looking.

Get an voltmeter and start checking. I will check connections from back of boat to the head of unit. If its good there I take it to the shop.

Can you turn the prop at all. If the prop will turn you may need to check the plug for loose connection and to ensure power is going through it.

Check for loose connections on the hand control under the head unit. Motorguide hand operated motors are notorious for the twist control contacts coming apart or disconnecting.

If you have power going down to the motor itself, you may need to open the motor casing and see if you have power at the brushes. Rust inside the motor housing, corrosion on the the contacts inside the casing.

If it's all clean it should run. An electric motor is fairly simple to diagnose as long as you know the power is going from point A to point B.

This is your best bet to find it. Prolley something simple like inline fuse or dirty cables on battery. If it plugs in, those plugs are really bad at losing connection.

You probably just have a bad 50 amp. breaker on one of the batteries. There is a tiny black button on each breaker. Push them all in. If you have 3 batteries there will be 3 of them. If the boat is old all of the fuses will be round enclosed orange tubes. Just check the fuses.

If all is OK there come to the bow pannel and remove it. Make sure all the flat wire conections are connected. Then use your meter to test through the plug in holes for your volts.

If all is Ok there take the trolling motor plug appart and tighten all three connections. If the copper wire looks green then cut them off and rewire the plug. Pay attention on which wire goes in which whole. Use a small piece of duck tape and # them if you have to take everything appart to skin back new wire.

There is also a tiny flat piece of metal in the plug that makes the jump from one wire to the other. Most plugs are clear so you can see it. If it is black, then it is burnt. Go purchase a new plug. Then you should be good to go.

Really appreciate all the input. I will get after it tonight.
Everyone know, without a trolling motor, it's like have a Ferrari and only having 3 tires.

I dont know if I am a expert on working on Trolling Motors but this year I have invested countless Hours working on mine. I have tore mine apart and put it back together more times than you can shake a stick at.

Here are my suggestions.

1. Just replace the 50 amp Breaker, They are cheap and it would be good to keep a spare

2. If you do not have a Voltmeter, Pull off the plate where your unit plugs in and check the conection on the plug itself, make sure it is clean and plugged in.

3. check the wires from the motor to the plug, they are just stripped and held in the plug by a small set screw, sometimes they tend to jiggle out.

4. If you have a big foot button just replace it since they go out about every 8 months to a year, if not then no need to worry.

5. If you have to get into the motor itself, There is a housing inside the front of the Motor itself, there are two brushes there that are spring loaded and used to push against the armature, Sometimes a brush will fall out or just wore down, they are very cheap to buy and easy to put in.

The only other thing I could add is if you do break it open, make sure that every o ring is good when you put it back together, I had one that I must have tore and the unit filled with water and to say it was a tad rusty was a understatement, had to rebuild mine again Saturday because of that, Good luck with it and if any questions just ask.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ne_#Post9070663

Allstar Marine Electronics-214-320-1674

They have a location in Lewisville too I think. The completey overhauled mine for $60.

If you end up opening the motor casing be sure to get new seals for it. You don't want water in there, and you don't want to ask me how I know...

Cool info, tonight I will see if it's electrical, if its the motor, I will definitely get Allstar to fix it for me.

Maybe I can hit the lake this weekend.

Really want to thank everyone for their input.
I got the issues fixed and am ready to hit the lake.
Wasn't the motor, it was wiring issue.
See uall a the lake