BATTERY INFORMATION
BATTERY CONNECTION
10
BATTERY INFORMATION:
The motor will operate with any deep cycle marine 12 volt
battery/batteries. For best results use a deep cycle,
marine battery with at least a 115 ampere hour rating.
As a general on the water estimate, your 12 volt motor
will draw one ampere per hour and your 24 volt motor
will draw .75 ampere per hour for each pound of thrust
produced when the motor is running on high. The actual
ampere draw is subject to your particular environmental
conditions and operation requirements. Maintain battery
at full charge. Proper care will ensure having battery
power when you need it, and will significantly improve
the battery life. Failure to recharge lead-acid batteries
(within 12-24 hours) is the leading cause of premature
battery failure. Use a variable rate charger to avoid
overcharging.
If you are using a crank battery to start a gasoline out-
board, we recommend that you use a separate deep
cycle marine battery/batteries for your Minn Kota trolling
motor.
Advice regarding batteries:
Never connect the (+) and the (–) terminals of the bat-
tery together. Take care that no metal object can fall
onto the battery and short the terminals. This would
immediately lead to a short and utmost fire danger.
Recommendation: Use battery boxes and covered battery
terminal clamps like Minn Kota accessory #MK-BC-1.
These motors are equipped with a “push to test” battery
gauge. The LED provides an accurate display of the
remaining charge in the battery. It is only accurate when
the motor is off. The gauge reads as:
• Four lights indicate full charge.
• Three lights indicate good charge.
• Two lights indicate low charge.
• One light indicates recharge.
BATTERY CONNECTION
12 Volt Systems:
1.
Make sure that the motor is switched off (speed selector on “0”).
2.
Connect positive (+) red lead to positive (+) battery terminal.
3.
Connect negative (–) black lead to negative (–) battery terminal.
4.
For safety reasons do not switch the motor on until the propeller
is in the water.
24 Volt Systems:
1.
Make sure that the motor is switched off (speed selector on “0”).
2.
Two 12 volt batteries are required.
3.
The batteries must be wired in series, only as directed in wiring
diagram, to provide 24 volts.
a.
Connect a connector cable to positive (+) terminal of battery 1
and to negative (–) terminal of battery 2.
b.
Connect positive (+) red lead to positive (+) terminal on battery
2.
c.
Connect negative (–) black lead to negative (–) terminal of bat-
tery 1.
4.
For safety reasons do not switch the motor on until the propeller
is in the water.
36 Volt Systems:
1.
Make sure that the motor is switched off (speed selector on “0”).
2.
Three 12 volt batteries are required.
3.
The batteries must be wired in series, only as directed in wiring
diagram, to provide 36 volts.
a.
Connect a connector cable to positive (+) terminal of battery 1
and to negative (–) terminal of battery 2.
b.
Connect a connector cable to positive (+) terminal of battery 2
and to negative (–) terminal of battery 3.
c.
Connect positive (+) red lead to positive (+) terminal on bat-
tery 3.
d.
Connect negative (–) black lead to negative (–) terminal of bat-
tery 1.
4.
For safety reasons do not switch the motor on until the propeller
is in the water.
If installing a leadwire plug, observe proper polarity and fol-
low instructions in your boat owner’s manual.
See wiring diagram on following pages.
• IMPROPER WIRING OF 24 OR 36 VOLT SYSTEM COULD
CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION!
• KEEP LEADWIRE WING NUT CONNECTION TIGHT AND
SOLID TO BATTERY TERMINALS.
• LOCATE BATTERY IN A VENTILATED COMPARTMENT.
