N
InsightHorizon Digest

How do you hook up a 12 24 volt trolling motor

Author

Joseph Russell

Updated on April 06, 2026

On the 12-24V trolling motor plug, connect the positive 24V wire to the terminal marked “24”, the 12V wire to the terminal marked “12” and the negative wire to the terminal marked “-”. On straight 24V trolling motors, connect the two wires to “24” and “-” as appropriate.

Which wire is positive on trolling motor?

The jumper wire used should be one size larger than the Trolling Motor lead wire. Connect positive (+) red lead (from motor) to positive (+) terminal on battery 2. Connect negative (-) black lead (from motor) to negative (-) terminal of battery 1.

How do you hook up a 12v battery charger to a 24V system?

Connect their two negative terminals together. This makes 12 volts with twice the current. Connect a third battery by its positive terminal to the negative terminal of the fourth battery. This will be 24 volts and half the current of the very first connection.

Can you run a 24 volt trolling motor on 12 volts?

24v hooked to 12v will spin for a while on a full battery but there will be no torque. You could stop it with your hand. It is like running your motor with half the spark plugs missing.

How do I connect two 12 volt batteries to make 24 volts?

Use a battery cable to connect to the unused negative (-) terminal and another to connect to the unused positive (+) terminal. Ensure that you do not allow the negative and positive cables to touch each other as your combined voltage is now 24 volts.

Do I need a circuit breaker on my trolling motor?

It is highly recommended that a circuit breaker or fuse be used when installing a trolling motor. … For motors requiring a 60-amp breaker, the Minn Kota MKR-19 60-amp circuit breaker is recommended.

What are the three wires on a trolling motor?

The three wire plug is for a 12/24V system. On a 12/24 you have a 12V hot, 24V hot, and a ground.

What happens if you run a 12 volt trolling motor on 24 volts?

When run at 24 volts the coils will heat up much faster than at 12 volts, and the motor will not be able to release the heat quickly enough. Eventually the magnetic coils will become so hot that the insulation melts and shorts out, or the insulation starts charring and burning until it again shorts out.

What size wire is needed for 24 volts?

If you have a 24V supply for a 200 amp device, we will assume that the wiring is copper and has a typical insulation and installation type. With a wire distance of 25 feet and a voltage drop of 3%, you will need a wire size of 4/0 AWG.

What is the difference between a 12 volt and 24 volt trolling motor?

Trolling Motor Voltage & Batteries A 12-volt trolling motor is the most inexpensive and easiest to run. … A 24- or 36-volt system will allow the angler to fish longer periods out on the water, as they draw lower amps while providing increased thrust for more power.

Article first time published on

Is the Minn Kota Power Drive V2 12 or 24 volt?

Minn Kota 24 Volt Power Drive V2 and RT/SP Control Board w/o Auto Pilot.

How do you charge a 24 volt boat?

Connect a jumper cable to the negative (“-, ” “NEG” or “GND”) pos of the second battery. Clip the alligator clip at the end of the wire from the negative (“-, ” “NEG” or “GND”) post of the battery charger to the jumper wire. Plug the battery charger in. Turn the battery charger on, set the rate of charge to 20 amps.

Can you charge a 24 volt system with a 12 volt charger?

You cannot use the 12V charger directly to charge a 24V battery. To do the task you will need a boost converter capable of generating output voltage greater than 24V. Boost converters step up the voltage, keeping the input and output power constant.

How do you wire a deep cycle battery in parallel?

To join batteries in parallel, use a jumper wire to connect both the positive terminals, and another jumper wire to connect both the negative terminals of both batteries to each other. Negative to negative and positive to positive. You CAN connect your load to ONE of the batteries, and it will drain both equally.

What is the orange wire on 24 volt trolling motor?

The orange wire is for the +24Volt connection. So, back on the batteries, the black wire is connected to the – terminal of battery #2. The red wire is wired to the + terminal of battery #2.

What gauge wire do you need for a 24 volt trolling motor?

CellAmps drawn15 ft length12 volt308 awg12 volt426 awg12 volt504 awg24 volt428 awg

Why does my trolling motor receptacle have 4 wires?

To make charging easier, the 4 prong/4 wire system became standard on several bassboats. This, in effect, moved the 4 battery post up to the boat side of the plug and configured them in such a way as the two negatives were side by side and the two positives were side by side.

Does a 24 volt trolling motor need 2 batteries?

There are two batteries in the 24 Volt Systems. There are two batteries that need to be deep cycle.

Can you charge 24V battery with 12V solar panel?

1. Compatibility with Battery. The choice of the rating of a solar panel depends on the rating of the battery used. Generally, a 12V solar panel should be paired with a 12V battery and a 24V solar panel should be used with a 24V Battery.

How do you hook up a trolling motor?

Connect 36-volt motors to three 12-volt batteries that are connected in series. Fasten the black negative lead from the trolling motor to the negative battery terminal of the first of the three batteries, and the red positive lead from the trolling motor to the positive battery terminal of the third battery.

How far can you run 24 volt wire?

24 AWG20 AWG10 VA (417mA)103 feet286 feet20 VA (833mA)52 feet142 feet30 VA (1,250mA)34 feet95 feet40 VA (1,667mA)26 feet71 feet

How many amps can 24 AWG wire handle?

From Current Carrying Capacity of Copper Conductors, has a maximum temperature of 90°C. At an ambient temperature of 30°C, 24AWG has a maximum current of 7A.

What diameter is 24 AWG wire?

Wire gauge (AWG)Strand countOuter diameter (mm / in)2671.3 / 0.05124111.4 / 0.05522171.6 / 0.06320261.8 / 0.071

How long will a 24v trolling motor last?

This will give you maximum speed and power and is often necessary on a large boat, or in strong winds. Thus, if you operate your trolling motor at maximum speed, you will typically get about 2 hours of use from a fully charged pair of “average” batteries. Possibly 4 hours of use for the larger extra capacity batteries.

How big of a battery do I need for a trolling motor?

Most trolling motor batteries fail due to lack of proper charging. We suggest selecting a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery with at least a 110 amp hour rating, usually a group 27 size battery. The higher the amp hour rating, the more run time you will receive.