Motorguide Xi5 Pinpoint Issues

This is my second season with the Xi5 with Pinpoint and I have been having issues with it all season. I absolutely loved this trolling motor last season but this year it keeps acting up. While in anchor mode it will be doing fine then all of a sudden it goes rogue turning sideways at full throttle. It’s a 80lb model on a 16ft Jon so when it takes off you better be hanging on. It also does this while using heading lock. The next issue is the cruise control takes breaks. It will randomly come to a near stop then take off again.

I have done the offset calibration and tried resetting the compass but neither helped. At first I thought it was just signal issues from trees along the river but it does it while out in the open on the lake.

Has anyone else been experiencing any of these issues with theirs?

Did you install any updates since new? I had one issue with the GPS functions and got a plug-in update from Reeds the same day..problem solved. Apparently those who actually registered the product received an update via mail, oops.

I have heard from others that motorguide customer service is excellent too, I would suggest contacting them if you don’t get it figured out.

I love my Xi5.

Phil Bauerly wrote:

Did you install any updates since new? I had one issue with the GPS functions and got a plug-in update from Reeds the same day..problem solved. Apparently those who actually registered the product received an update via mail, oops.

I have heard from others that motorguide customer service is excellent too, I would suggest contacting them if you don’t get it figured out.

I love my Xi5.

I never registered mine either. I will try calling them this week.

X3 on the customer service
Dumb question here but is it possible it picked up another signal from another boat nearby and threw you off?

You wouldn’t by chance be using the footpedal AND the remote would you? If you are, that is your problem. Use one OR the other, but not both at the same time. There is apparently an update to fix this, but since you haven’t updated it, it would likely still be a problem.
I have used the anchor mode to hold in location in 20MPH winds and not one hiccup. Never had an issue with the cruise either.

CaptainMusky wrote:

You wouldn’t by chance be using the footpedal AND the remote would you? If you are, that is your problem. Use one OR the other, but not both at the same time. There is apparently an update to fix this, but since you haven’t updated it, it would likely still be a problem.
I have used the anchor mode to hold in location in 20MPH winds and not one hiccup. Never had an issue with the cruise either.

I have had issues in the past with the foot pedal being in the front storage with a tackle box pushing the momentary switch. Lately I just leave the foot pedal out in the open. I will make sure it is off next time I’m out. Yesterday I used heading lock and cruise all afternoon trolling crappie and only had issues with the cruise.

Just curious on the cruise control issue you described, how fast do you have the speed set when you notice the problem? I am wondering if its possible that it loses track of where you are if its really slow. The cruise control will cause the motor to speed up and slow down to maintain a set speed. So if its just the motor output that you are noticing that should be normal, but the speed should remain relatively constant.
One other thing is make sure to have the motor all the way down and that nothing is interfering with GPS in the unit itself.
I haven’t encountered either problem you are describing, but I have heard about the foot pedal and remote issue.
Give Motorguide Support (actually Mercury marine) and describe the problem. They are very helpful.
I had an issue with the update when I installed the Pinpoint Gateway and they sent me out a dongle to update my trolling motor software and it was PERFECT after that. I was having some different issues, but all of them were caused when I updated the SW on the trolling motor when I went to v 4.0 on my HDS.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Just curious on the cruise control issue you described, how fast do you have the speed set when you notice the problem?

Yesterday I was going 1.4 to 1.9 mph with no wind most of the afternoon. The motor was dropped and I am right in the middle of what the motor can pull for speed. On calm water it tops out at 3.7 mph. When it happened yesterday it came almost to a standstill for probably 30 seconds then took off going past 2 mph then settled back in at 1.5.

Unrelated to the motor itself, but what gauge wire are you running? I see you referenced a 16′ john boat. 6AWG would be expected for this, anything lighter than that and it could cause excess heat and who knows that goes on then.
Otherwise, I cannot think of anything that would cause that based on what you described.
I would call the support # and they will help. I received that dongle the next day.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Unrelated to the motor itself, but what gauge wire are you running?

The boat was pre-wired with 8awg, the batteries are located up front near the trolling motor. The cables are approximately 6ft in length and based off of a wire gauge calculator I should have been good for 50 amps.

Yep, that should be fine. That motor only draws 38 at peak.