trolling motor help!!!

Ok so this is for my dads boat. he has a 2005 tracker 16 and half foot v-16 deep v with a 60hp mercury and the trolling motor is a minn kota 55lb thrust. yes seems awful small for this boat its a heavy boat. My questions is the trolling motor is on a 12V system on a interstate marine deep cycle battery and it just doesn't seem to have any power at all? I know he took the battery that was in the front for the trolling motor and moved it to the back cause he wanted to use the space up in the front compartment. Will that affect power output?? a longer wire running back I know he used really heavy wire for it. Also I told him this a thousand times he puts the battery on the charger for 4-6 hours and takes it off!!!!! IVE TOLD HIM A THOUSAND TIMES NOT TO DO THIS TO CHARGE IT OVERNIGHT. So I was just wondering what could be wrong that it doesn't have the power?? Would that cable be affecting it also him and the battery ordeal does not help!! Also there is no line or nothing wrapped in the prop everything is tight and secure. The trolling motor is like brand new the boat only has maybe 20 hours on it and the trolling motors been used maybe 10 hours if that.......please help thanks..

Re: trolling motor help!!!

Yes the longer wire length does have an effect on the available current at the end. But if he used heavy enough gauge wire that should be okay. How heavy is heavy...? I don't know what size he used so I can't tell you if it is of the correct gauge. Maybe you could find out and post. Next thing is the battery and how it is being charged. If the battery charger isn't a new type that monitors itself and shuts off after the battery is charged then he does need to let it charge until it is charged...period. Partial charges will eventually ruin the battery. Again, find out what the battery charge output current is and post again. Too many unknowns still to give qualifying answers for your issues...

Re: trolling motor help!!!

gm280 said:

Yes the longer wire length does have an effect on the available current at the end. But if he used heavy enough gauge wire that should be okay. How heavy is heavy...? I don't know what size he used so I can't tell you if it is of the correct gauge. Maybe you could find out and post. Next thing is the battery and how it is being charged. If the battery charger isn't a new type that monitors itself and shuts off after the battery is charged then he does need to let it charge until it is charged...period. Partial charges will eventually ruin the battery. Again, find out what the battery charge output current is and post again. Too many unknowns still to give qualifying answers for your issues...

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He believes the wire is a 4 gauge. Hes not 100% sure on it. Hes charging it at 2 amps with a 4-5 year old charger, also I don't believe its a charger that shuts off after being fully charged.

Re: trolling motor help!!!

A two amp charger would talke a week to fully charge a deeply discharged battery. A charger like that is better classified as a battery tender of float charger. Look at it this way, a 55# motor can draw up to 46 amps maximum. But since that's rarely the case, use 25 or 30 amps. So for each hour the motor is run continuously the motor sucks 25 - 30 amps from the battery. If you fished for 4 hours 120 amps has been consumed. Putting 2 amps/hour back into that battery then requires 60 hours to charge. So battery charging is the issue. Next time you have the boat in th e water and you THINK the battery is fully charged, use a hand held voltmeter to measure battery voltage with the motor running. If it drops below 11 volts you have an almost stone dead battery.

Re: trolling motor help!!!

If he used 4 gauge wire to make the extension runs to the battery, then that isn't your problem providing all connections are quality and sound. Those gauge wires can handle the current your trolling motor demands. However, you either need to buy a new monitoring charger (smart charger) OR charge the battery for at least 24 hours and test it. You could also take the battery to any auto parts store and have them run a load test on it to see if it is doing the job (after charging for that 24 hour period)... You might be fighting a partially bad/gone battery...

Re: trolling motor help!!!

55lb on a 16' tracker should be enoght power as the boat is not that heavy. take the battery off and run it down a autoparts store and ask them to test it for you. sounds like its not being rechargered and you need a larger charger with auto shut off

Re: trolling motor help!!!

Correction he used 6 gague...and I believe you are right he needs to charge the battery at more amp for a longer period of time ive tried telling him about these deep cycles and how to charge but he didn't listen!!! I bet he will from now on! Thanks for all your help guys really appreciate it!!