12v/24v question.

General Boats and Motors
1

My trolling motor is 24v. When I put the probes from the tester in the female 3 hole socket (which the male end from the trolling motor plugs into on the boat), I get 26v on one leg and 22v on the other. Does that seem right? I though I’d get 12v on one leg and 12v on the other. Obviously, I’m no electrician. The reason that I ask, is my trolling motor would barely run this past weekend, and I found a fuse unpluged going to one of the batteries. Hooked it back up and though I’d put the tester on it. Haven’t tried the TM yet. Any advice?

John

2

Most likely your batteries are wired in series making the 24 volts at the batteries, and then only two wires need to be run to the plug. Even though the plugs have three holes, only two of them need to be used. The days of a three wire system 12/24volt are pretty much gone.

In the boating industry for over thirty years.

3

Makes sense. Thanks Tom…and thanks for keeping my 200 HP Merc running back in the early 90’s.

John