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Post by DUET on Oct 22, 2013 1:03:31 GMT
I am experiencing frequent sudden shut downs of the bow thruster (always when I most need it) when docking. Its mounted on a 2010 50DS. I try to use short bursts, but it seems to be happening too often.. Any ideas? Thanks.
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Post by Trevor on Oct 23, 2013 23:35:12 GMT
Hello Duet,
Any more information? Does the breaker trip? How do you get it to work next time? Does it suddenly stop or get slower and slower? Does the controller give the long beep to say it is automatically switching off or not?
Regards,
Trevor
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Post by DUET on Oct 24, 2013 2:48:26 GMT
Thanks for your reply. The unit shuts down completely (as if it were turned off) without warning and with no beeps. If I wait about 1 1/2 minutes, it becomes operational again and performs correctly. I suspect the problem may be the heat sensor, either to be replaced or disconnected. It does not happen with each use, but often enough to cause lack of confidence it will be there when I need it. When the unit is no longer called upon, it gives two loud beeps and shuts down, usually about five minutes.
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Post by Trevor on Oct 24, 2013 22:12:54 GMT
If you could get someone to push the direction buttons while listening near the thruster at least you could see if the control circuitry is working ok as the contactors clack in and out.
If that control circuitry is working, I would test the voltage at the direction (port or starboard) contactors on the front of the motor. If no voltage is present work back from there. If voltage is on the motor that sounds bad for the motor.
I had a similar issue recently that was simply the thruster battery. It sounds like yours is more complex than that. It would only take a poor connection from the battery through the high current fuse to the direction contactors to cause this problem. The thruster pulls a fair amount of current so a poor connection could give up under load providing you with an intermittent fault.
All of this of course must take place when the fault exists. That is the hard part as the fault is intermittent. Perhaps a couple of LEDs could be temporarily be hooked across the terminals at the motor via some long leads to see if that voltage goes away when the fault occurs.
Keep fighting with and the fault will reveal itself eventually.
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