Bow thruster only operates to one side

[jaybap]

Hey guys another issue just popped up on me. Went to use the bow thruster to the starboard side and heard a noise then nothing. Works fine to port side. Could it be the selenoid? Wondering if anyone has run into this before.

[Jeremyvmd]

My guess would be the solenoid is bad. Or a bad switch. Should be easy to track down with a volt meter!

[socalmike]

Remove the wires at the switch. Clean and reinstall. Had same issue.

[Serenity]

I had the sane issue with a bad switch. I replaced it with a joystick control. Big difference and easier to control.

[jaybap]

Did you guys have a solid voltage drop when using your thruster?

[Ben423]

When I use the thruster the voltage drop is enough to cause the GPS to turn off.

[Jeremyvmd]

I don't really get significant drop. It does drop a little but not enough to cause an issue with any systems

[Russell]

My Raymarine MFD cuts off with use of the bow 55 thruster, restarts and cuts out again when the thruster is used again. So I turn on the electronics after leaving the slip and turn it off on return before backing into the slip.

[Pitou]

Did you guys have a solid voltage drop when using your thruster?

My Raymarine MFD cuts off with use of the bow 55 thruster, restarts and cuts out again when the thruster is used again. So I turn on the electronics after leaving the slip and turn it off on return before backing into the slip.

With a new Furuno TZ-Touch 2 MFD being installed last year to replace the NorthStar 6000i MFD, I began to experience MFD cut out for the first time ever when the bow thruster was used. Many of the newer electronics are extremely sensitive to voltage drop. I ended up installing a Newmar Nav-Pac power Conditioner under the helm to prevent voltage drops. Problem solved. With the way Albin wired our boats, the house bank provides Power to our electronics and the bow thruster.

Another way to skin the cat on this problem would be to move the thruster to the engine start bank.

[Steam Flyer]

When I use the thruster the voltage drop is enough to cause the GPS to turn off.

This could be due to a couple of things. The first and major suspect is an undersize or undercharged battery. The bow thruster pulls a lot of amps, if the battery doesn't have those amps to spare then the voltage will drop. It could also be issues with the feed wiring to various other parts of the 12V system.

Get a good voltmeter, connect it to the battery terminals while the battery is fully charged and at rest (everything off). It should sit happily around 12.6 for a long time. Then start connecting loads to it. How much does the voltage drop AT THE TERMINALS when you start switching on lights etc? Now turn everything off and hit the bow thruster. How much does the TERMINAL voltage drop? Volt meters on the dash, or at the panel are rarely wired straight to the terminals. When diagnosing electrical problems, nothing is as helpful as full knowledge of the voltage drops across various parts of the system.

Hope this helps- Doug

[jaybap]

Thanks for the help guys. Undid the connections cleaned them and put back on. Bow thrusters are working!!

[Ben423]

Thanks for the suggestion, Doug. I'll try it this weekend. The batteries (4D house, Gp. 31 starting) are five years old and were not well maintained before we got the boat last month. They could easily be the reason for the GPS shutdown.

[JBrooks]

I"m having similar issues on my 30FC which I purchased in May. All electronics power is interrupted when bow thruster is used. My temp fix is to turn electronics off since I only use bow thruster at the dock. Once I clear my slip I turn thruster off and electronics back on. On Saturday I came in at night to the marina and my navigation lights would go out when thruster is used. The lights come back on as soon as the thruster is disengaged. A few other boats at the marina have dedicated batteries for their thrusters. May look at that route or verify which battery my thruster is connected to(house or starter).

[Dr Luke]

JB, I ended up replacing my thruster with a new one, stronger too, for several reasons. Instead of running the appropriate huge cables to replace the 17 year old under sized ones, i added an 8d battery and independent charger for the thruster in the bow. In addition, I have it wired so when its for thruster use, it's isolated, but for on the hook house power, it can be an extra 8d in the house bank. Solved the problem of electronics restarting with thruster use, and I can actually turn the bow in a significant cross wind...

[Sisu22]

I had a situation where the truster got wet. Motor was able to be rebuilt, and seems to be working like a champ. Found a really good DC motor shop locally here to rebuild it an those guys are miracle workers. $240 out the door.

When I hooked it up, I found that one half of my solenoid wasn't working - I have thrust in one direction and not the other. When I activate the non-working side, the solenoid is clicking, and I've cleaned all terminals, but it isn't sending power to the motor. I'm assuming this is the issue and not the switch at the helm.