Below is a listing of Frequently Asked Questions regarding trolling motors and wiring. If your question is not on here, you can
e-mail Jones Trolling Motor with the question.
Q. How do you set the steering timing on a Minn Kota Maxxum, All Terrain, Edge series foot controlled trolling motor?
A. Remove the upper control box (head with 4 screws) and loosen the steering tension with the steering adjusment screw located in the center of the front of the foot pedal, under the cable entrance. Deploy the motor. Postion the motor so it would be going straight back (prop to the front). Remove the cable drum by lifting straight up and off the pinion. Twist the drum in your hand to move the pedal with the heal down and replace the cable drum. Reassemble and tighten tension adjusment screw.
Q. How do you set the steering timing on a MotorGuide Tour?
A. Remove the upper control box (head with 3 screws) and loosen the steering tension with the steering adjusment nuts located at the cable entrance tothe foot pedal. Deploy the motor. Postion the motor so it would be going straight back (prop to the front). Remove the cable drum by lifting straight up and off the pinion. Twist the drum in your hand to move the pedal with the heal down and replace the cable drum. Reassemble and tighten tension adjusment nuts
Q. Do I have to disconnect my batteries to charge a 24V system with a single portable charger?
A. No, but you must charge each battery individually, which will take twice as long to charge the two batteries. Using a charge on the run onboard charger will allow you to charge all the batteries with a portable charger by connecting to the cranking battery.
Q. How do I go from 12V to 24V, or from 24V to 36V?
A. Click here for wiring diagrams.
Q. My trollingmotor quit -- will not do anything. I'm getting full voltage to the plug, the footpedal, and the top of the trolling motor.
A. This is usually a connection or breaker problem. When you check for voltage, you should have the trolling motor set to constant, or turned on. If there is a bad connection, it will cause the voltage to drop lower than that required to run the trolling motor.
Q. What size breaker or fuse should I have?
A. The breakers and fuses are designed to protect the wiring and not to protect the appliance, so wire size determines the size of breaker/fuse needed. Different appliances draw different amps, so you must make sure your wire is the right size to carry the amp load.
Click here for a wire size/amp load chart. Use a fuse/breaker that is approximately 20% less than the wire is rated.
Q. My Maxxum series trolling motor run on high all time. Is this the speed control?
A. Yes and no. The speed control is attached to the control board and in most cases, all time high speed situation means a bad control board.
Q. My MotorGuide Tour Digital runs slower than it use to. Any ideas what could be wrong?
A. Could be several things, including water in the lower unit or a bad Module. Remove one of the bolts in the lower unit and see if it shows signs of water. If not, disconnect the orange wire in the head and check for voltage with the motor in constant. You should see between 10 and 12V. If over or under, usually indicates a bad module. Call Jones Trolling Motor, (870) 773-3474 for more assistance
Q. Where can I purchase parts for my Minn Kota or MotorGuide trollingmotor?
A. Parts can be purchased by calling Jones Trolling Motor,
(870) 773-3474, and giving the type and size trolling motor you have. If your ordering parts for a mount, we need to know which mount you have and if you're ordering steering cables for a MotorGuide, we need the foot pedal model number, located under the footpedal. We accept Visa and MasterCard, as well as Paypal.
