Fortrex trouble shooting

[MI_ProStar21XL]

I have an older 36v MinnKota Fortrex. It started acting up lately. I can be driving along and it quits. When I step on the foot peddle I can hear a relay click but the prop doesn't turn. Same if I switch it to constant on, I hear the relay click. Then out of no where it started working again only to quit a short time later. After messing around with the foot peddle, checking the power plug, checking to see if there was power to the control board, power supply was good but still not working. I flipped the peddle back over, gave it a whack, and it worked. This time it worked for a couple hours before it stopped. Gave it a couple more love taps and it started again. I'm thinking my control board might be going on it? Any thoughts?

[rat0502]

I have an older 36v MinnKota Fortrex. It started acting up lately. I can be driving along and it quits. When I step on the foot peddle I can hear a relay click but the prop doesn't turn. Same if I switch it to constant on, I hear the relay click. Then out of no where it started working again only to quit a short time later. After messing around with the foot peddle, checking the power plug, checking to see if there was power to the control board, power supply was good but still not working. I flipped the peddle back over, gave it a whack, and it worked. This time it worked for a couple hours before it stopped. Gave it a couple more love taps and it started again. I'm thinking my control board might be going on it? Any thoughts?

Loose/corroded connection somewhere in the pedal?

[MI_ProStar21XL]

I checked all the connections when I had the base off and all the connections were good. I took them apart and put them back together with a dab of dielectric grease.

[Jonestrollingmotor]

I checked all the connections when I had the base off and all the connections were good. I took them apart and put them back together with a dab of dielectric grease.

Did you remove each connection, use a wire brush and clean the flag terminals and check for "tightness" of the connection. It sounds like a loose connection heating up and loosing connection, then cooling and making a bad connection, else the tapping the footpedal is a coincidence with something going wrong either in the boat wiring, plug wiring, upper head, or a bad armature.
John

[MI_ProStar21XL]

John,
Yes I cleaned the connections with a wire brush and emery paper. All connections had good firm tightness.
It was not in use this time prior to it not working. So no wires or electric parts were warm to start. I was thinking bad connection too at the beginning but now I'm kinda clueless. I tapped and flopped the foot peddle around and it would work intermittently. Then it worked good for a good stretch but lost power a couple of times. When it stopped I would tap the foot peddle with my foot and it'd take off again. Which made me thing power button on foot peddle initially, but when the motor isn't working and I hit the power foot button I can still hear the relay on the control board click so I know it's getting power to that point.
I don't know whether to bother throwing money into parts to repair or just go a different route and look for a used motor or bite the bullet and upgrade to a Ultrex, but that option really isn't in the budget at the moment unfortunately.

[Bradrodfish]

If the relay is clicking when you press the button on the foot pedal then it is one of three things wrong. Bad Board(I have seen this), Wiring to the motor, or the motor itself has an issue. Only way to verify would be to have another motor to test the motor. It can be checked by taking apart. If you not sure what to do then I would bring to ASC where they can check the motor and the board. You can remove the motor head cover and see if wires look good or the connectors are nice and shiney. If they look discolored and the connectors look brown then that is you problem. Replace the bad connectors.
This is an easy check to make.

[swampshark]

had the same issue....a wire in the head was discolored and the connectors were brown....was heating up (to the point of melting the wire casing)....motor quit then after cooling down, motor would run for a little while. replaced bad wire and connectors and no more issues....