gburdzin

Thanks for the info. Will check them both out at the show next week.

Anyone happen to notice what a Lowrance Elite 7-HDI (with Navionics Gold chip) is going for at the show? Stopped at LeBaron's on Friday night and their no tax sale doesn't apply to this unit since it is already at a "special price" (~$830). So at the show are they not charging tax on this? Thanks Greg

Just another thought which may be completely useless...but is there a proper way to disable the VRO system on the engine? You mentioned in the original post that you plugged off the oil tank and ran 50:1 mixed gas, but could the VRO pump still be affected the engine in this case? Maybe someone can confirm that plugging the oil tank is the correct way to remove the VRO from the equation. Greg

Is the fuel line and primer ball in good shape with no air leaks? With the engine not running, if you pump the primer ball until it gets firm, does it stay that way for awhile (10+ mins) or does it go soft pretty quick?

Yeah, I found a similar repair manual online and was going to do the tests they mention to try and figure out if it's a wiring problem or really a dead transducer. The trolling motor is at the cottage right now, so I won't be able to do any tests until this weekend. I did call Aikman's to get an idea of the repair cost and it would be $300+ to get the transducer replaced. So for that kind of money I'll probably just mount a regular transducer to the motor (I think I have the original one somewhere at home) and continue to use it that way until I'm ready to buy another motor down the road.

Thanks. I will have to check into the wiring a little bit better (using a multimeter) and if it's not a simple wiring problem, see if I can get it repaired.

Yeah, I put my hand on it and couldn't feel anything. Just really surprised as I've never had a transducer die (never even heard of one doing so).

Last weekend was the first time using my trolling motor this year and I wasn't getting a depth reading from my bow mount fishfinder (Lowrance LCX-17M) connected to the Universal Sonar transducer built into the Minnkota Powerdrive trolling motor. Checked the pins on the connectors and wiring and it all seems to be ok visually. Moved the LCX-17M to the driver's console and it was working properly with the transducer mounted on the back of the boat, so it seems the fishfinder is ok. Tried my other fishfinder (Lowrance LMS-320) on the bow and it also would not get a depth reading from the trolling motor transducer. So it would seem that the transducer in the trolling motor is dead, or there is a problem in the wiring somewhere that's not readily visible. Is it common for these things to die? The trolling motor is only about 4-5 years old and has never been abused or crashed into anything. Is there any place I can do a continuity test on the wiring if I disassemble the head on trolling motor? Thanks Greg

Maybe the IC or whatever is inside the light is broken somehow. So with 12V on the brown wire (parking lights) it works fine (lower brightness), but with the brake/signal wire the light doesn't work (full brightness).

Not sure how you did this? Did you hook up 12V right at the light using a common ground between the light and the 12V source? If it doesn't work in this kind of test I would think that the light is bad internally.

Your trailer has a 4 wire plug correct? Then the wire used for the turn signal and brake light for each side is the same (yellow, green), so if the turn signal is working for that side, then so should the brake light. Could you possibly have one of the LED lights mis-wired so that it is affecting the other one when the voltage is applied for the brake lights to both sides simultaneously? I would try to completely disconnect the left side light (the one with no turn signal working) and see if your right side light then works correctly for all functions (parking, brake, and turn), and then try reconnecting the left light again making sure the wires are correct.

Thanks for the replies. I don't have to fill the batteries very often (I check them twice a year, spring and fall and usually only have to add a little bit to each cell), but they are a real pain to get to on my boat, and I was looking to make life easier in the future. Greg

The link I posted has 1, 2, and 3 bank options. You would need the 2 bank charger for a 24v system. Greg

Anyone know of where I could find this onboard battery watering system locally? http://www.basspro.com/FlowRite-QwikFill-Onboard-Battery-Watering-System/product/52557/ Last time I checked with BassPro here they didn't carry it (which is very annoying actually). My batteries are a real PITA to get to for keeping the water levels topped up. Thanks Greg

Have you considered one of the those chargers that charge your trolling motor batteries from the main motor's alternator? Something like this: http://www.basspro.com/Minn-Kota-OnBoard-Alternator-Chargers/product/95618/ Obviously this type of charger works best with bigger motors that have higher output alternators, and only if you're running the main motor and driving around alot. Greg

I think an investment in one of the smart chargers is worth it. My batteries (3) are plugged in all year long and are going on their sixth year without a hiccup. I just make sure to check and top up the water level twice a year (spring and fall).

Oh...glad you got it isolated. Nevermind my previous post.

If the LT and RT lights work individually then the brake lights should work as well. Are you sure that there is no light output at all (even very dim) when you press the brakes? Maybe check when it's dark in order to see better. If there is a dim light, then you have a poor ground which can not carry enough current for both lights to work well simulaneously.

FYI...Lebarons had some as of Thursday evening. Got myself 1 copy. Not sure how many they had as they were behind the counter, and not visible.

Thanks, I was going to stop by there on Friday anyways...so hopefully they will have some.

Sure, but at 104 pages, I'd rather pick up a printed copy for keeping in the boat.

Ok thanks...will check the usual places when I get a chance.

Any suggestions as to where one could pick up a copy in Mississauga/Etobicoke area?

So once the charge is "sucked" out is it gone for good, or if you wait for awhile does it come back? I'm just wondering if the inline circuit breaker is heating up with the current flow and cutting out, and once allowed to cool goes back to working again? Also, you might want to try this test, but near the cottage so that you don't leave yourself stranded out on the lake...run the trolling motor for 5-10 mins until the charge apparently runs out, and using a set of automotive jumper cables connect your trolling and cranking batteries together (as if you were giving someone's car a jumpstart, pos to pos, neg to neg) and see if the trolling motor works again with both batteries providing power. If it works again then you likely have an issue with the battery and should get it load tested, or the trolling motor is somehow drawing an incredible amount of power draining the battery. If it doesn't work again, then the problem is likely somewhere in the wiring (inline circuit breaker) or trolling motor. Good luck Greg

Here are some of my thoughts and basic questions about your boat that might help isolate the problem: 1. Does the trolling motor have it's own heavy guage wires running directly to the battery, or is there a fuse/breaker panel somewhere from which it is fed? Usually the wires run direct to the battery, but it's suspicious that other electrical stuff is also not working. What guage are the wires and are they sufficient for the size of the trolling motor (did you upgrade to a bigger motor recently that could be too much for the wiring)? 2. Does the trolling motor wiring have a circuit breaker inline near the battery? If so you might want to bypass it temporarily to see if it is faulty and cutting out after awhile. 3. Does the boat have just 1 battery for everything, or is there a separate battery for the main motor? If there is more than one battery, and you're not using a 24V system for anything, make sure the grounds are connected on the 2 batteries so that you don't have a "floating" ground messing up the voltage. Greg