Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 breaker pops when power cord is connetced to motor

My Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 trolling motor has worked for 3 years without any issues. It was installed with a battery charger from the dealer. I was out the other day and hit a rock and still used the trolling motor to back away and then headed home because it was late. I went to my boat today and the trolling motor didn’t work. The circuit breaker connected to the battery had popped but when I reset it, it popped again. I reset the breaker and disconnected the power cable to the trolling motor and the breaker did not pop. But as soon as I plugged the cable back in the breaker popped. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Your encounter with the rock may have nothing to do with the problem. Look for a wire shorting out in the plug, the foot pedal and anywhere in the run from the battery to the plug receptacle. If memory serves me, there are screws in the bottom of the head to remove the head cover. Pull that and look for a short. Worst case, if you’re confident of your mechanical skills, remove the prop and there are two through bolts that hold the motor itself together. Good luck.

Hi Ron, Thank you for your comments. I returned to boat today to check around. I reset the breaker and plugged in the trolling motor and smoke arose from the plug in connection wires. It will be an easy fix

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Jeff Olsen wrote:

Hi Ron, Thank you for your comments. I returned to boat today to check around. I reset the breaker and plugged in the trolling motor and smoke arose from the plug in connection wires. It will be an easy fix

I too hope it is an easy fix for you. Keep in mind, just because that location is where the wires got hot, does not mean there are no additional areas which need attention. At the very least, I’d open up the head unit and take a look for loose or weak connections in that area, before you plug the power cable back in.