sELECTIng THE CORRECT bATTERIEs
The motor will operate with any lead acid, deep cycle marine 12 volt battery/batteries. For best results, use a deep cycle, marine
battery with at least a 105 ampere hour rating. Maintain battery at full charge. Proper care will ensure having battery power
when you need it, and will signifi cantly improve the battery life. Failure to recharge lead-acid batteries (within 12-24 hours) is the
leading cause of premature battery failure. Use a multi-stage charger to avoid overcharging. We off er a wide selection of chargers
to fi t your charging needs. If you are using a crank battery to start a gasoline outboard, 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 same battery together. Take care that no metal object can fall onto the
battery and short the terminals. This would immediately lead to a short and extreme fi re danger.
• It is highly recommended that a circuit breaker or fuse be used with this trolling motor. Refer to “Conductor Gauge and Circuit
Breaker Sizing Table” in the previous section to fi nd the appropriate circuit breaker or fuse for your motor. For motors requiring
a 60-amp breaker, the Minn Kota MKR-19 60-amp circuit breaker is recommended.
COnnECTIng THE bATTERIEs In sERIEs (If REQUIRED fOR YOUR mOTOR)
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 the positive ( + ) terminal of
battery 1 and to the negative ( – ) terminal of battery 2.
b. Connect positive ( + ) red motor lead to
positive ( + ) terminal on battery 2.
c. Connect negative ( – ) black motor lead to
negative ( – ) terminal of battery 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 follow instructions in your boat owner’s manual. See wiring diagram on following pages.
CAUTION
• For safety reasons, disconnect the motor from the battery or batteries when the motor is not in use or while
the battery/batteries are being charged.
• Improper wiring of 24/36 volt systems could cause battery explosion!
• Keep leadwire wing nut connections tight and solid to battery terminals.
• Locate battery in a ventilated compartment.
To trolling motor negative
24 Volt Series Connection
Battery #1 (Low Side)
Neg -
Neg -
Pos +
Pos +
Battery #2 (High Side)
+24 Volts to trolling motor
positive (or circuit breaker)
Two 12-volt batteries connected in series for 24 volts
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 the positive
( + ) terminal of battery 1 and to the
negative ( – ) terminal of battery 2 and
another connector cable from the positive
( + ) terminal of battery 2 to the negative
( – ) terminal of battery of battery 3.
b. Connect positive ( + ) red motor lead to positive ( + ) terminal on battery 3.
c. Connect negative ( – ) black motor lead to negative ( – ) terminal of battery 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 follow instructions in your boat owner’s manual. See wiring diagram on following pages.
CAUTION
• Improper wiring of 24/36 volt systems could cause battery explosion!
• Keep leadwire wing nut connections tight and solid to battery terminals.
• Locate battery in a ventilated compartment.
• For safety reasons, disconnect the motor from the battery or batteries when the motor is not in use or while
the battery/batteries are being charged.
To trolling motor negative
24 Volt Series Connection
36 Volt Series Connection
Battery #1 (Low Side)
Neg -
Neg -
Neg -
Pos +
Pos +
Pos +
Battery #2 (Middle)
Battery #3 (High Side)
+36 Volts to trolling motor
positive (or circuit breaker)
Three 12-volt batteries connected in series for 36 volts
12 | minnkotamotors.com
©2015 Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc.
bATTERY WIRIng & InsTALLATIOn
