Older Powerdrive Issue

I came across an older Minn Kota Powerdrive 24v 65# at a good deal. It has Autopilot and Copilot, but the Autopilot has issues. Anytime you turn the Autopilot on, the motor begins turning left violently, and if you’ve got it on a higher speed, it could throw you out of the boat. I did some internet searches on this issue and found nothing. I suspect it has something to do with the internal compass, but that’s just speculation. Anyone else ever have this problem? Also, random side question. If/when I do get this working, will using the Copilot remote override the Autopilot, or will it just adjust the direction and continue on the new course?

The head on those units comes off easy. Take it off and inspect the clear puck with liquid in it. I can’t answer the second part of your question because I have never used a powerdrive.