Tired TM

[Larry Harp]

Got out to the local lake for 4 or 5 hours this weekend. It was the first time since November. I noticed that my MK AT-55 is not quite as zippy as it was when I first bought it. I've been thinking this for some time last year but Saturday it seemed very noticable. On 1 the slight breeze was blowing me backward, on 2 movement was barely noticable, it took putting the TM on the 3 setting to really get some decent thrust. At the end of the day I was trolling myself out of a stump field on 5 and it was just barly crusing.... I used to be able to pull skiers on 5.



My battery, a Wal-Mart Maxx Marine was bought in the spring of 03 so it's only seen 3 seasons. I always put it on the charger as soon as I get it home and always maintain the water level with distilled water. I would think I would get more than not even 3 years out of it...wouldn't you? I guess I should haul it down to Wal-Mart and have it tested...I just hate to take that big muther out...it feels like it weighs about 975 lbs.



Could the problem be with my trolling motor? In a disscussion here a week of so ago someone reccomended getting the TM brushes cleaned periodocally. Have any of you done this? Is that something I could do myself? I don't look forward to taking the TM off the boat since I still wake up screaming from dreaming about putting on the first time.



Anyway do any of you guys have a suggestion to help me get my trolling motor back to it's youthful snap?



Harpo

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Harpo,



Sounds like the problem I was having, my TM would be fine for while then start to get weaker and weaker quickly. This month while getting the Boat ready, I turned on the TM to test it out, was spinning slower than usual. I tested all three batts (36v) and one of them was only at 2 volts, all the batts have full water levels and been charging all winter long all the same age. I changed out the one batt with a spare and this past Saturday in my Tourney the TM stayed full of life all day in an electric only lake, so 8 hours in the wind and the TM was still going very strong at the end of the day.



I guess my point is my bad batt (2v) was to blame even though it was watered and indicated a full charge.



Have you checked the voltage when fully charged?

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Sounds like a bad cell...they will even show fully charged when they are not.

 

[mike chip]

tee,

when mine started acting up. itook it in for service, he cleaned the brushes and it was like new. if the battery checks out it might be worth it to getem cleaned

 

[John Glover]

Who does that brush cleaning on a trolling motor? Does it have to be a dedicated trolling motor shop or can my regular boat and engine mechanic do it? (I'm not where the boat is now, so can't ask him). There is a full-time TM shop up the road but it's always leave it and come back in a few weeks.

Jack

 

[Steve Rizza]

3 seasons seems to be about the average life of a deep cell battery. My 55 AT felt the same way last spring, a new 31 series had her up on plane again.



Steve

 

[Bruce Freeman]

There is a reason, deep cycle batteries only come with a 24 month warranty... Getting beat the way they do in a boat it could have had a plate shift in the battery.



BF