1. posterid:1899609
  2. A54 bow thruster directly to battery or through main switches?

Re: A54 bow thruster directly to battery or through main switches?

Matt Salatino
 

Borrow several voltmeters. Attach them to the BT wiring at a few places along the wiring path. Run the BT to failure, check each voltmeter for voltage. Thus will help you locate the problem. Its likely a thermal open failure. Some termination, when cool, transfers current. Its got a resistive problem (maybe a corroded or loose ring terminal?). It heats as the BT operates. When it gets warm enough, mechanical movement causes an open, and it stops. When it cools, the process starts again. Also, it possible that after the BT stops, to quickly lay hands (or use an IR thermometer) to check for a hot termination somewhere along the wiring path. That would be your suspect problem location.

~~~⛵️~~~Matt

On Feb 9, 2020, at 12:34 PM, James Alton via Groups.Io <lokiyawl2@...> wrote:

Scott,

    That is a strange one.  I would try measuring the voltage at the motor during operation to what is going on.  If you lose power at the BT during your test then back track the BT wiring  while operating the BT to find the fault.  If you have voltage at the motor when it stops during your test then look into the motor.  Maybe a relay issue?   Best of luck.  
James
SV Sueno
Maramu #220

On Feb 9, 2020 9:07 AM, Scott SV Tengah <Scott.nguyen@...> wrote:
Our bow thruster was indeed wired through a switch, too.

I've worked with Sleipner to try to isolate the intermittent functioning problem to no avail. It runs full speed and then stops momentarily and then will start again. No slowdown to indicate drop in voltage. The Amel joystick has been cleaned and tested and shows nearly zero ohms on activation.

Every switch and thermal protection within the Sidepower thruster has been "jumpered" and it still doesn't work. I was hoping the problem was the main battery switch but I moved the positive bow thruster supply wire from the secondary side of the switch directly to the battery side. The only thing left is the motor itself but the brushes and commutator look perfect. The annoying bit is that this motor is only a year old and Sleipner wants me to ship it back to them from Panama at my cost, wait for them to test it, get warranty approval, ship it back (at my cost) and pay customs duty. I might as well buy a new motor! With a canal appointment, I clearly don't want to do this.

Anyone have any other ideas on what I should check? I haven't tested voltage at the BT during operation because I don't have alligator clips, but the fact that the BT either runs full speed or not at all, without any slowdown indicates to me that it's not an issue with enough voltage getting to the BT.


--Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

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