# Melting TM Plugs



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Mar 7, 2012)

I do a lot of trolling when bowfishing is good. I typically troll faster than someone casting and I troll for a long time. Sometimes upwards of 6 - 8 hours. My trolling motor plug is one of the 2 wire deals. The female plug makes a 3ft run to the battery with 6 gauge wire (if I remember correctly)...could be 8 gauge. At the end of the day, my plug heats up so much that it becomes very, very soft. I have gone through 2 plugs now.

Do I need a heavy duty plug? Heavier wires? Even though they don't get hot and I have a 30AMP breaker on the + between the female plug and the battery.

I have a MG 55lb Varimax.... 12V

*CORRECTION:* 50 Amp circuit breaker

















HELP!


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## JMichael (Mar 7, 2012)

If you're not tripping the 30 amp breaker then I don't think the wire size is your problem. If you're sure the electrical connections at the plug are clean/tight, I would try going to a more heavy duty connector. If the connections at the plug are dirty/corroded/lose, that adds resistance and resistance = heat build up.


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## gillhunter (Mar 7, 2012)

I had a TM plug that looks very similar to the one in your picture a number of years ago that actually shorted out. Since you are not tripping your circuit breaker you probably need a heavier duty plug. I am using a Minn Kota plug with my 55 lb. 12 Minn Kota TM and haven't have any problems with it, yet.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Mar 7, 2012)

gillhunter said:


> I had a TM plug that looks very similar to the one in your picture a number of years ago that actually shorted out. Since you are not tripping your circuit breaker you probably need a heavier duty plug. I am using a Minn Kota plug with my 55 lb. 12 Minn Kota TM and haven't have any problems with it, yet.



I think that's my problem as well. Both plugs that have melted on me are the cheapo models.


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 7, 2012)

This is what I use for a quick disconnect. =D> 


https://www.montanajacks.com/quickdisconnectwcc-50.aspx

You can get them at a fork lift distributor.


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## Bob Landry (Mar 7, 2012)

The biggest cause of electrical heat generation after dirty/corroded connections is undersized wire. I havn't looked at MinnKota, but the installation instructions for my motor guide specifically states that any wire in excess of what is provided with the motor head has to be 6ga. The manual doesn't make any reference to the length of the wire run, so regardless, you need to use 6ga. Also, the wire you use needs to be AWG, not SAE. Size for size, SAE wire is 12-18% smaller than AWG and will handle less current. 
A lot has been said on this forum about the type of wire to use. Guys, if you are going to go cheap on your boat, do it somewhere besides the electrical. Use marine wire. It's made for the marine environment and it's pre-tinned to resist corrosion. Even if you do not go into salt water, it's worth it. If you do, it's necessary. There is absolutely no reason not to use crimp connectors. If they are properly done on new, clean wire and sealed with adhesive lined shrink tubing, the connections will last forever. Thekey is clean wire, and if it is not, there is no type of connection that is going to be reliable. When you get into wire of this size, forget about soldering. it's unlikely that you will be able to get the wire hot enough to properly flow solder, and even if you do, solder alone does not provide a good mechanical connection. Add to that the melted wire insulation from the soldering iron, and you have a pretty sloppy looking job.

The main thing is to check the wire size and type. I bought a G3 CC from a guy who ran it in salt water and did zero maintainence, and when I rewired the boat because of salt water electrical corrosion, I found that G3 had run 8ga SAE wire to the bow for the trolling motor. Even the factories don't always get it right.


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## earl60446 (Mar 7, 2012)

" At the end of the day, my plug heats up so much that it becomes very, very soft. I have gone through 2 plugs now."

Thats because at the end of the day, the voltage in the battery is dropping, since the trolling motor requires the same amount of power (read wattage) to run, the motor starts to draw more and more current (amperage) to make up for lower voltage. Not good for wire, connectors or the trolling motor.
Bigger battery or spare battery would help.
Tim


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## Gramps50 (Mar 7, 2012)

crazymanme2 said:


> This is what I use for a quick disconnect. =D>
> 
> 
> https://www.montanajacks.com/quickdisconnectwcc-50.aspx
> ...


 
The 120 amp model you can get a waterproof cap for it.
https://www.montanajacks.com/quickdisconnect-wcc-120.aspx
https://www.montanajacks.com/dustcoverfor120ampquickdisconnectsdc-120.aspx


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## Bob Landry (Mar 7, 2012)

earl60446 said:


> " At the end of the day, my plug heats up so much that it becomes very, very soft. I have gone through 2 plugs now."
> 
> Thats because at the end of the day, the voltage in the battery is dropping, since the trolling motor requires the same amount of power (read wattage) to run, the motor starts to draw more and more current (amperage) to make up for lower voltage. Not good for wire, connectors or the trolling motor.
> Bigger battery or spare battery would help.
> Tim



Don't confuse operating characteristics of DC motors with those that run on DC. DC motors do not draw excess current to compensate for low voltage the way AC motors do. When the voltage on a deep cycle battery gets to low to run the motor, they simply slow to the point that they stop running. If what you say was correct, everyone who runs a trolling motor all day on a single battery would be burning up power plugs.


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## JMichael (Mar 7, 2012)

Gramps50 said:


> crazymanme2 said:
> 
> 
> > This is what I use for a quick disconnect. =D>
> ...



If it's anything like this one, I'd say it's far cry from being waterproof. I agree with your link title in that it makes a good dust cover but mine acts more like a bowl than anything else when it comes to water. :lol:


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Mar 8, 2012)

Replaced my TM plugs yesterday. I think my problem is the cheap plug that I used. I didn't "cut corners" selecting it, I just didn't know any better. So, with that being said, I bought a heavier duty plug and put it on yesterday. We'll see what happens.


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## FuzzyGrub (Mar 9, 2012)

Most likely the plug was the problem, and the one you bought is better than what you had. I have been using the 2-prong like Crazy linked to, for many years now (in freshwater), without any issues. 

If the your trolling motor wires are hot I'd suspect an issue with the motor, like drag from fishing line around shaft, and that the CB may be faulty. 30A CB for a 55lb thrust is generally undersized, but maybe you ran smaller gauge wire? It is usually a 50-60A.


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## moi (Mar 15, 2012)

FuzzyGrub said:


> Most likely the plug was the problem, and the one you bought is better than what you had. I have been using the 2-prong like Crazy linked to, for many years now (in freshwater), without any issues.
> 
> If the your trolling motor wires are hot I'd suspect an issue with the motor, like drag from fishing line around shaft, and that the CB may be faulty. 30A CB for a 55lb thrust is generally undersized, but maybe you ran smaller gauge wire? It is usually a 50-60A.


 
8) I use the same connectors as well. When I was working I used to Rep the company that makes them, Anderson Power Products. I've still got a few samples I'm using on stuff around the house & shop as well as the boat. :LOL2: :LOL2:


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