Wires for 24v trolling motor?

[Seanmarty93]

I have a 97 Lowe 170 . Im going to be installing a 24v Minn Kota Terrova 80# thrust. According to Minn Kota's web site, they reccommend 6 awg wire for wire lengths 20 ft and longer. I will be right at 20 '.My original plan after removing the old trolling motor, was to remove the original wiring and run 2 new 6awg wires to the Terrova. Well here's where the confusion starts, when i removed the access panel at the bow, and the plate that contained the receptacle that i plugged the 12 volt motor into, i was surprised to see that there is 4 wies, not two, going to the receptacle. An orange, black, red, and black with a blue stripe. So I then went back to the stern hatch and traced the red and black wire back from the battery to where it entered the conduit that leads to the bow. Sure enough, there was an orange and Black with blue stripe wire coiled up. I'm assuming it is wired from the factory for 24 volt trolling motors.

My plan was to wire it in seies running a black and red 6 wire off of two 12 volt batteries with a jumper wire. However I'm assuming there's a way to use the four wires to accomplish 24v, But......HOW?!!!

Also the factory wires are 8 gauge but wouldn't that be ok since the load would be carried over 4 wires instead of 2? Is there a special receptacle which contains a "jumper" to create 24 volts? I should mention the original receptacle has four prongs. Does that need replaced? Or would it be best to just pull it all out and stick with running two new 6 awg wires as originally planned?
Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Georgesalmon]

They did that so you had choices. You hook the red and black to batt #1, and the orange and blk/blu to batt #2. Then at the bow you have choices, you can wire them in paralell for 12v or series for 24v. black connect to orange and then the red and black/blue will have 24v. I think your wire size is fine.

 

[Seanmarty93]

Thanks George. So last but not least, do i need a special receptacle that when wires are installed it gives me 24 volts? Same on the motor end?

 

[gm280]

That depends on how your trolling motor is wired. Some 24 volt trolling motors have switch options for 12 volt or 24 volt power. So if that is how yours is setup, you will need a four pole outlet to allow you that capability...

 

[Silvertip]

Your boat has a four wire system that provides two totally separate 12 volt circuits to a four terminal plug so you are correct in that observation. Your 24 volt motor will be a two wire, 24 volt circuit to the motor. We tend to think of a 24 volt system as requiring a jumper between the two batteries. That is still a requirement but that jumper in a four wire system is done inside the trolling motor four terminal plug. Terminals are typically labeled A+, A- (battery #1) and B+ and B- (battery #2). A small jumper inside the plub connects A- to B+ which results in 24 volts across A+ and B-. So all you need is the matching plug with the jumper.

Option two is to NOT use one of the two pairs of wires. Please do not remove that pair for the next owners convenience. You use the remaining pair as a 24 volt circuit by adding a jumper between the two batteries. You then simply wire the two troller wires to the terminals on the plug that match the +24 and -24 on the receptacle.