Thread: Trolling MotorWiring ? - MotorGuide Brute 56 12/24 to 24 v Minn Kota 70 lb PowerDrive

Currently have a MotorGuide 12/24 Brute 56 lb on a 17' Xpress...all factory wiring...never molested, never any problems. At the plug at the bow, it has a red, orange (I think) and black wire...total of 3 wires. I have and want to swap my Minn Kota PowerDrive 70 lb 24 volt trolling motor over on to this Xpress. The Minn Kota has a red and black wire. I may be cutting corners here but it seems the easiest way to swap these trolling motors is to find the 24 volt wire/s at the plug for the MotorGuide and properly splice my Minn Kota wires to it assuming black is ground for both MG and MK. This way I can retain the original factory plug, etc and not have to go chasing new plugs, drill holes for bigger plug, etc. Before I get started on all this tomorrow and while I'm sitting here tonight on the pooter...can I assume that one single wire on the MG plug is for 24 v's? I haven't checked the wires yet but I'm thinking the orange wire is the 24 v feed on the MG? If that be the case, it would seem fairly simple to accomplish this without changing plugs and possibly altering a lot of stuff at the bow. I was reading another thread of a guy that had 2 sets of wires on his Xpress from the factory run from front to batteries in the back but I haven't checked mine yet for that luxury. Anybody familiar with that orange wire on the MotorGuide 12/24 set up? Is it the 24? (Apologies...originally posted in Boat Rigging sub...might have been the wrong spot. Mod? Please delete that thread?)

Originally Posted by sliderman

If there is no jumper from one battery to the other, you will have 4 leads coming from the batteries going to the front. The 24v can be accomplished by either a hard wire connection (really long jumper) or a switch. Years ago, many boats had a switch on the front panel that read, 12, 24 and charge. It tied both sets of leads into one selector switch. But back then it was common to charge the batteries by plugging a charger into the front panel or trolling motor plug. I haven't seen that in any of the newer model boats. But, by doing a hidden hard wire connection, it cuts down on the confusion of a jumper to most folks. Red and black on one battery (that are held together to signify the pair). And orange and black for the other pair.

4 leads from batteries to the front...you're right on that, Sliderman. They're each fused right at the batteries with a 40 amp blade fuse and I haven't removed the panel for the trolling motor plug but I'm guessing I'd find a 50 or 60 breaker somewhere in line. Not sure I understand how they did this but there is no selector switch up front like you mention that was used on earlier rigs ...only the 3-wire trolling motor plug and the 12/24 switch on the MG foot control. I guess as long it works and there ain't no smoke. I capped that 12 V red wire off for later use. Thanks for all the knowledge.