How to Reset your Minn Kota Ulterra robot trolling motor for dummies

[SkeeterStew]

I love my Ulterra, but if something ever keeps it from moving the way it wants to (kids deploying while on the trailer, for instance...) then it freezes and beeps bad robot words at me. Here's how I've fixed it and reset it on about 5 different occasions. I hope this helps someone else.


In my case like I mentioned the kids deployed my TM on the trailer. This causes it to hit my trailer winch and freeze up, beeping and generally raising cain. To get it to stow again you just take off the left side (when facing the boat) cover. It's two screws recessed in those holes. They're philips head screws.












Yes, there's a keeper there because I got into the job when I remembered I wanted to take pics of the procedure.

Anyway, it's the next step. Take the keeper off of the bracket on the screw spool. You can use a pair of pliers, or pry it off with a screwdriver. Or of you've got good strong nails and take your vita-meta-meja-mins every day you can just pick it off with your fingers. Just be careful and maybe cover it up with your other hand. They have a habit of spREEINNNNG! - flying off into space when you try to remove them.












Next remove the screw that ties the screw spool to the trolling motor. Mine was already done but you just remove the screw and then pry it up with the screwdriver until it comes free.













Here's me prying the black cap free.












Here's a shot of the wire coming out of the back of the motor. My first time I had to do this I routed this wire wrong and then routed the gray wire wrong when I tried to put it back together. This is just for reference.











Now remove the keeper on the motor itself. Same protocol applies. It like to fly off and get lost. YMMV.












Here's a reference shot of the gray wire's position. Over and through.











With both keepers off you can wiggle the motor and work it right off. Don't pull too far though. You just need it free of the posts. Not in the back of the boat or anything.











Now slip your screwdriver into and over the bar in the front of the Ulterra. This is a lock bar that holds it locked down to the deck. Well, not the deck really, but to the part that's mounted to the deck. If your Ulterra isn't locked in (fully deployed) then this part can be skipped.












Finally just pry upward on the screwdriver handle with the palm of your hand. This will take quite a bit of force if the shaft is under pressure or pinned against something (like your trailer winch). I've never had it jump up and kick me or anything, but it probably could happen if it's being bent when you release this latch. Be careful.

[SkeeterStew]

After releasing that, your motor should swing back into the "stowed" position.











Look at the screw motor when it's set up to go back on the posts you pulled it off of and see how far off the black cover is from where the metal bit is.












The goal is to get these guys lined up again like they were before.












To do that, just run the bracket on the end of the screw around, and around, and around...













You might need to hold the motor up with your leg like that last pic too if your little helpers all left to play with chalk on the driveway. It happens.

This is how it should look when you get it lined up again.











Now remount the rear of the motor, taking care that the wire is positioned right. Also, it can be frustrating to get the back of the motor on because the pin it goes on pushes in while you're trying to get the motor on. Just thread a finger under the cover there and pull it back out. it has a keeper on the other side too that prevents you from pulling it all the way through. Just pull it out until it stops coming, then try to mount the rear of the motor again.

[SkeeterStew]

Once the rear (and one leg of the front) is mounted, you can put the keeper back on. They just mash on in the groove on the bar.











Your synced bar should still be synced, so now we tie them back together. Push the front of the screw bar back on its mount just like you did the back, and check to see if it still lines up. If it doesn't, and I mean exactly, then pull it back off and screw/unscrew it again until it does. Then bang the black cap back down with the butt of your screwdriver. It is made to be tough to get back on, so give it a lot of persuasion.











Now you can put the keeper on the front.











Now if you haven't, turn the power back on. If your motor is still sticking out over the water you can probably push on it and it'll stow itself. You just have to push on the flat part where the integrated transducer is. It's the flat, round half-dollar sized thing on the front of the motor, opposite the propeller.












Finally, just put the cover back on. There's a trick to this too. Put the front screw in about 1/2 turn, then you can see the screw and the hole for the one in the back which is tricky. This lets you line them up to get them started. Go ahead and tighten them up (but not too much, you'll crack the cover!) and when you get finished - you're done!

[Jonestrollingmotor]

It's easier to do the reset procedure from the owners manual: Just note - The Ulterra motor MUST be in the deployed (vertical) position and the cam sensor arm with magnet (located behind the right front motor ramp) MUST be directly over the cam sensor to perform this procedure

Step 1. Press and hold the POWER button located at the mounting base to turn power OFF (green LED light will turn off).
Step 2. Press the POWER button until the green “System Ready” LED light illuminates.
Step 3. Wait three (3) seconds.
Step 4. Press the POWER button three (3) times within a two (2) second period. Step 5. Red and green LED lights will flash continuously and the Ulterra will go through the following automated sequence:  Motor will position itself into the proper orientation.  Motor will automatically trim up to the mounting base and trim down approximately six (6) inches.  The flashing red LED light will turn off, and the flashing green LED light will become solid green. NOTE: If the lower unit of the motor is trimmed within six (6) inches of the mounting base and the boat hull is obstructing the motor’s turning radius, manually turn the head of the motor so that the lower unit is perpendicular to the motor ramps prior to beginning this procedure. ©Johnson Outdoors 2018

[SkeeterStew]

It's easier to do the reset procedure from the owners manual: Just note - The Ulterra motor MUST be in the deployed (vertical) position and the cam sensor arm with magnet (located behind the right front motor ramp) MUST be directly over the cam sensor to perform this procedure

Step 1. Press and hold the POWER button located at the mounting base to turn power OFF (green LED light will turn off).
Step 2. Press the POWER button until the green “System Ready” LED light illuminates.
Step 3. Wait three (3) seconds.
Step 4. Press the POWER button three (3) times within a two (2) second period. Step 5. Red and green LED lights will flash continuously and the Ulterra will go through the following automated sequence:  Motor will position itself into the proper orientation.  Motor will automatically trim up to the mounting base and trim down approximately six (6) inches.  The flashing red LED light will turn off, and the flashing green LED light will become solid green. NOTE: If the lower unit of the motor is trimmed within six (6) inches of the mounting base and the boat hull is obstructing the motor’s turning radius, manually turn the head of the motor so that the lower unit is perpendicular to the motor ramps prior to beginning this procedure. ©Johnson Outdoors 2018

Thanks Johnson! In my case there is no way that it'll reset itself while banging its head against the trailer winch. That's a good way to get it reset while on the water though!

[Larry3215]

Outstanding thread! Thanks!

[Captain Po-Po]

Great post. I just installed one and got it stuck on the trailer. Not much help from minn Kota.
Took only a few minutes to reset

[Bradrodfish]

As said by John this is the recommended way.
Also to prevent inadvertent deploy on the boat trailer you should remove power from the troll motor. Especially if you have kids. Either on the troll motor or at the source.
I also strongly recommend you purchase a quick release bracket. This will save you a lot of trouble if you have to bring to ASC.

[theflyguy]

This was an awesome post and just when I needed it. I had done a partial deploy so I could install my new HDS Live transducer. I couldn't get it to stow, so I followed the instructions for a manual stow...

I followed SkeeterStew's direction and was able to reassemble in 15-20 mins.

Thanks SkeeterStew!!!!!

[PQB]

I have tried everything on this thread and it is stuck in the horizontal position but only retracted half way to the fully stowed position. It will not fully stow. Any help would keep me from going fully bat shit crazy. Thanks

[SkeeterStew]

Please don't swear in my thread, PQB. We're all adults here and have ample vocabulary to convey ideas without acting like 12 year old boys. But just the same, we also have kids around and they don't need to think less of you than they're liable to anyway.

Post some pics of what you have and we'll see what's going on.

[RichW]

on a couple of occasions I've tried to deploy my Ulterra with my bounce buster strap still attached. Motor will stretch the strap about an inch and then stop and start beeping, all I have to do is use do a retract and everything goes back to normal.

[redneckcobra]

I have tried the reset and I get to #4 and they never start blinking. Local MK shop told me to pull it off and bring it in for them to look at.

Pretty bummed out. That thing is freekin heavy!

[SkeeterStew]

I have tried the reset and I get to #4 and they never start blinking. Local MK shop told me to pull it off and bring it in for them to look at.

Pretty bummed out. That thing is freekin heavy!

Is it stuck partially deployed? What have you tried so far?

[Denis N]

Great post. This I think helped me out. I had the remote in my pocket while heading out to the lake at 5am. All the sudden the trolling motor deployed. I finally figured out how to get it back. Strapped it down, headed to the lake, figured out how to get the lock back in. Hit the button and it deployed. While getting ready to trailer the boat, hit the stow and it came up about 3/4 of the way and stopped. Repeated what I did this am to get it home. Got on line and found this thread. Took ma a little longer due to how the trolling motor was mounted near the bow light, so had to un mount the trolling motor. Will find out next weekend if this fixed. I guess I need to do the re set while on the water?

[midnightbite]

SkeeterStew ... can't thank you enough for making this post. As far as I can tell, it's truly the only online forum post on the internet that properly addresses the manual stow Ulterra reset problem. Honestly Minnkota should be ashamed of themselves for their "...once the motor has been manually stowed, it will be non-operational until it is manually reset by an Authorized Service Center" instructions in the owner's manual. That's just crazy. So many of us simply do not have access to an ASC and even fewer have an ASC that would quickly turn the work around. Give your customers the information they need to fix your product on their own. The process isn't remotely dangerous to man or machine. It's not much different than having to remove the damper on the opposite side during the motor installation process.

I'd like to let everyone know that the fix SkeeterStew details here is the truth. It works. It's safe to do, and it's an easy job for one person to handle on their own. No doubt in my mind this is exactly what an ASC would do as well to fix it. There is no magic trick.

In my case, I just installed a brand new year 2020 model Ulterra and, like a fool, just had to "test it" while on the trailer. DON'T DO THAT EVER. That's what MK's owner's manual should have in giant red letters on the front cover. Sure enough, motor got caught on the way up, leading to a comedy of errors on my part, the largest of which is that I immediately did the manual stow b/c I had watched the instructional video on MK's website. That video does NOT end by saying "... non-operational until it is manually reset by an Authorized Service Center."

Anyway, there I was with a brand new motor, already in shambles. Never touched the water.

Turns out my closest ASC has Covid so that was a no-go for at least 3-4 weeks.

Plan B was do it myself per SkeeterStew's instructions. I don't know why the original photos aren't loading on this thread any longer, but luckily, Google archived them. For those that need to see the pictures (VERY helpful), you can find them on Google Images.

If you have a newer model Ulterra this process is even easier b/c the wire routing is simplified. My only challenge was that my Tilt screw drive motor had run back hard enough to put itself in a bind, so it was tough to pop off of it's keeper pin. Once it let go, I made quick work of the rest. Line up the tilt brackets and re-assemble. Nothing to it.

Again, as far as I can tell (and I spent a lot of time searching), this is the only forum post on the internet that explains how to do this. Minnkota, for whatever reason. doesn't want anyone doing this on their own. Makes absolutely no sense.

Thanks again, Stew!

[aero320]

This is a great thread. I started having the deploy problem when the temps got down to 40. I could push on the head of the Ulterra as soon as the deploy button was depressed and the trolling motor would deploy. Got it stuck this morning on the trailer and used this procedure to get things working again. If I remove the motor support on the right front, the deploy works fine so something is causing a bind. Will try lubing the shaft tomorrow once I am off the trailer. Can’t use the unloading feature until the deploy works every time. I was able to use it on the previous trip. Only difference is temperature.

[Leftturninalq]

I cannot adequately express how grateful I am to have found this. THANK YOU. I installed a new Ulterra yesterday and the first thing I did was hit deploy. Of course it hit the trailer winch so I hit stow and we all know what happened there. So I figured out how to manually stow - thanks to Minn Kota but no thanks to them I was then stuck. I followed these directions and voila! I am back in business - I hope. I guess I'll have to test everything one the water.

[EngineCaptain]

Old post I know but I’m wondering if after completing this process is the only reset you need to do the 3 press power button reset or is there a more advance or deeper reset procedure that would be done at the service center? I had to manual stow mine because I confused my motor by manually rotating it while on the trailer. I started having some deploy issues after pivoting the head.

[SkeeterStew]

Old post I know but I’m wondering if after completing this process is the only reset you need to do the 3 press power button reset or is there a more advance or deeper reset procedure that would be done at the service center? I had to manual stow mine because I confused my motor by manually rotating it while on the trailer. I started having some deploy issues after pivoting the head.

No, you don't even need to do the "3 press power button reset", you just turn it on and it stows itself as it normally would.

Good luck!