Re: 12/24 volt trolling motor problem
There were many creative ways to wire and configure 12/24 volt systems on boats and the same applied to wiring of the motors themselves. Without any information about what you have for batteries, wiring between them and the bow, whether or not there is a 12/24/Run/Charge switch at the bow, how many wires between the motor and the electrical connection in the boat are just a sample of what we need to know. Over the years, whoever owned the boat may have also mucked with the wiring so here's what you need to do.
Start at the batteries and make detailed notes about what see at them. A 12/24 system requires two batteries. From the batteries you will find either three or four wires going up front. Up front you may find a panel with one or two switches on it. Jot down how those switches are labeled (exactly). Do you have a three or four terminal receptacle at the bow? Does the plug on the motor have three or four terminals. Does the plug have three or four wires leading from it to the motor. Lastly, if you have a camera, pictures of the battery wiring, front and back of the switch panel, the motor foot control and the motor plug are very helpful. Some motors had a 12/24 switch on the foot pedal and some did not but relied on the --12/24 switch at the panel. As you can see -- it is details, details, details when it comes to this.