Vetus Bow/Stern Thrusters

[bmac]

Today when I went to check my thrusters before leaving the slip I encountered a problem I haven't seen before. After turning the dash switch on and then push the control panel button I get the typical green lights. However, when I go to use either thruster in either direction the green lights blink once red and I get no response from the thrusters. I've checked the fuses and they all look good. The manual indicates the lights wouldn't be lit if the fuses were blown but no indication of what else to look for. I can turn the shaft of the bow thruster from inside the boat so it's not bound up. Any ideas on what to look for?

 

[FootballFan]

Battery charge level? I had the same symptom, the charger had inadvertently gotten turned off.

Mark

 

[bmac]

Battery charger is on, batteries show a little over 24V.....

 

[FootballFan]

When I had the issue, batt's were showing 9 or 10 on the charger display. Your on a diff issue than I was.

 

[Sea Gull]

There is a large fuse in-line just above the batteries. I once blew this one in the 58. Symptoms were similar, but the thrusters worked a little, just didn't have what I would consider full power. I can't recall how it's all wired, but check that fuse as a fist step.

 

[melida]

Caught a mooring line to my stern thruster while maneuvring stern to my slip and stern thruster suddenly stopped while bow thruster was working. Jumped to the sea and removed the tangled line and props were turning freely, then jumped into the bilge and saw that thank God I blew the fuse and replaced it with a new one and working fine since then.

Have a check with a new fuse as Sea Gull suggested to.

 

[bmac]

So.......over the weekend I had taken a voltmeter throughout the bow/stern thruster circuits (thanks for the help Greg and Alex). I hadn't thought to turn the thruster battery charger off before making my checks, so I had 28-29V through all of the various fuses (350A, 25A and two 7.5A) right up to the motor and directional solenoid leads, but still no thruster activity. Thruster shaft turned freely by hand. Turned off the battery charger.....no voltage. Two dead 8D batteries....new ones on the way tomorrow. Hopefully that resolves the issues.