Section 2 - On the Water
Page 16
CMD-4082082 / 90-8M0052072
eng
FEBRUARY 2011
Avoiding Low‑Voltage Conditions
Batteries will discharge when the vessel is not regularly operated. Low voltage may cause faults for the control modules on the
vessel and may cause the steering cylinder to not function. Ensure the batteries remain fully charged at all times. Use one of the
following devices to keep the batteries charged when the vessel is not in regular use.
•
Trickle charger
— trickle chargers are better at maintaining batteries when the vessel is not in use. Make sure the charger
is set for your specific battery type (flooded lead acid, absorbed glass mat, etc), if equipped with settings for battery types.
•
Battery charger
—if equipped, use a battery charger connected to shore power. Refer to the boat owner’s manual for proper
operation.
The nominal "no load" (no electrical loads present, no charging or discharging, the battery is essentially on an open circuit) battery
voltage, when fully charged, should be 12.5 to 12.6 VDC. Check the voltage after starting the engines and prior to leaving the
dock. Do not leave the dock if battery voltage is below 12.0 VDC
If on the water and battery voltage drops below 12.0 VDC, get the battery voltage back up above 12.0 VDC by doing the following:
•
Turn off any unnecessary electrical loads.
•
If equipped and operating conditions allow, start the generator set.
•
If possible, raise the RPM of the engine(s).
•
If operating conditions allow, increase engine(s) above idle RPM(1000‑1200 RPM should be sufficient). If in gear, boat speed
and wake will increase. .
•
If conditions do not allow an increase in boat speed (no wake zone), then put one engine in throttle only mode (1000‑1200
RPM) and increase other engine speed to maintain boat speed.
Alarms will set if voltage drops below 10.5 VDC, and the drives will lock at 9.5 VDC. It is possible to have a drive lock at a higher
voltage if there is a very high demand for steering and the batteries cannot meet that demand. If the steering locks due to battery
voltage, the battery condition must improve to a voltage above 10.5 V and the keyswitch on the affected side turned off and then
on to reset the device. Note that cranking the engine will cause a significant short term drop in battery voltage.
Getting Started
Traditional Maneuvering with Steering and Thrust
IMPORTANT: The Axius steering system requires fluid pressure created by a engine‑driven hydraulic pump to turn the drives.
You can not steer the Axius system without the engines running.
You can maneuver your Axius‑equipped vessel much like a traditional sterndrive boat. However, the Axius drive system expands
the maneuvering capability of your vessel at both slow and planing speeds. At slow speeds, the drive system is capable of directing
the thrust through independently articulating drives to produce more responsive turning of the vessel. The Axius drive system
features counter‑rotating propellers that do not produce any propsteer when accelerating or slowing down.
To Maneuver the Boat in Forward or Reverse
Place one or both engines in forward or reverse gear and steer with the steering wheel as you would any comparable boat.
To Steer the Boat in Tight Turns at Low Speeds
•
To turn the boat in tight turns at low speeds, turn the wheel in the direction of the turn.
•
To increase the turn rate of the boat after the wheel is completely turned, you may increase the power to the inside drive.
To Spin the Boat at Low Speeds
•
Turn the drives to straight forward.
•
To spin starboard (to the right), place the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine in forward.
•
To spin port (to the left), place the port engine in reverse and the starboard engine in forward.
•
To increase the rate of turn, simultaneously adjust each ERC lever for more throttle. More reverse throttle will be needed to
compensate for the forward drive.
Maneuvering After Engine or Module Failure
If an engine, helm, or steering module stops functioning during use, the remaining drive may have an electronic limit while turning
inboard. This limit is to remove the possibility of the drives making contact with each other, since the active drive is unable to
determine the position of the disabled drive. The boat is still operational, but maneuverability is decreased when turning toward
the drive that is not working. The drive is still capable of turning through the full range when turning away from the disabled drive.
Use extra caution when one drive is disabled.
