I am wanting to replace the springs in the foot pedal with a lighter spring. I have found several places where people talk about it but none of them mention where I find the right ones online. I don't have anywhere locally to get them and I don't want to order the wrong ones.
It is strictly trial and error until you get what you are looking for. I wanted heavier/stiffer springs. Unless you have a spring gauge and can measure the ones you have and can guess what you want - It's a crap shoot.
Are the springs hit or miss on the foot pedal? I couldn't imagine anyone thinking the springs on mine weren't heavy enough. You have to mash the heck out of it and then before you can take your foot off of it, it has spun all the way around. Its completely useless to me in its current state.Originally Posted by yupitsme
LOL... Springs ain't gonna fix it. Either use the remote or use heading lock and bump steer. The latter is how I kept my sanity since 2016. There is no known way to keep your foot on the Xi5 pedal and not inadvertently steer to the point of wrapping the cable multiple times. You simply can not "ride the pedal" like on traditional cable steer motors or the more current wireless versions from multiple mfgs.
I suggest you try either heading lock(use the percentage on power vs cruise control) or constant on. In either case bump steer the foot control which causes small changes in steering direction. The remote doesn't have these problems but it's impossible to fish and use the remote effectively going down a shoreline.
I don't need to keep my foot on the pedal. I would be happy if I could just lightly bump it with my toe. There is no way to bump steer with the foot pedal. There is smash steer and go in circles. I understand that you have to look at it differently than the old style foot pedals. In its current working condition, its sitting on a shelf in the garage never to be seen again by human eyes until the people going through my estate find it.
Last edited by JimFromTN; 05-19-2025 at 08:52 AM. Reason: mistake
I called motorguide technical support just to see what they said. I get the feeling the guy hates his job. He must get asked about it everyday. He had nothing and really didn't want to discuss it. I also asked about lithium batteries and his response was that they don't certify its use with lithium batteries. In other words, if the motor is damaged by the battery, its on you. I completely understand why they got out of the trolling motor business. Their business model screams failure. Why wouldn't they certify its use with lithium batteries when everyone is going to them and why would they bother releasing the pedal? Its absolutely worthless and they have no desire whatsoever to make it useful.
Last edited by JimFromTN; 05-19-2025 at 11:17 AM. Reason: mistake
Probably have 100 hours on mine sense I went with lithiums last spring, warranty has been gone 7 years.lol. Hope someone puts sometime on and reviews the new recon and says the cruise control and following routes works perfectly;) My xi5 will leave then.lol.
Have you removed the back plate? All functions: Left Turn, Right Turn, Constant on, Anchor Lock are a function of a magnetic field. If you heat the arm the magnet is mounted on and bend it up or down you can change the action. I haven't needed to do that with mine but it's possible. But... it takes some patience and tenacity to accomplish. Several of us on have have invested hours in trying to correct the MotorGuide screw up. In the end those actions have made the pedal better but I would not even remotely suggest we've made it "good".
It is possible to press the pedal down too fast and pass the magnetic field sweet spot. I would suggest you re-wire the Xi5 w/power and, with the back plate off, operate the foot pedal with your hand - slowly. This way you can see exactly where and at what speed the foot control operates best.
Xi5 control.png
You will need to double click on the image to enlarge it.
I have not removed the back plate. This is the exact kind of information I am looking for. Thank you. I am just hoping for useful.
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