Built in trolling motor wiring question

[Jgstewart8]

I have a 1997 172 Scout - there is a plug near the bow that came stock in case you added a trolling motor. My question is, the wiring is just one large flat wire with three different wires within it.

My question is, if I do add a trolling motor - what are those three different wires, I'd assume positive and negative but there are 3....

ps. do remember this is a 1997 - and the wiring may be somewhat old school

[SIM]

Every 12 or 24volttrolling motor I have installed has been only two conductors. Most likely the connector with three was more readily available when they installed it. [img]../images/emoticons/wink.gif[/img]

Andy

[baypro21]

I had a 1996 Sunbird a few years ago, it had the 3 conductor plug like you describe. I had a Evinrude trolling motor on the front that was switchable 12/24v. I guess dual voltage motors were popular when those boats were built. If you use a modern trolling motor I guess you'll have a spare wire.

[Max Lib]

My 2003 Key Largo had three conductor wiring also. It came with the matching plug for attachment to the actual trolling motor wiring and in that package were instructions on what the three wires were for. I can't remember what it said since I wired my 12 volt TM to that plug three years ago . I DO remember that the third wire was for 24 volt installation.

[Jgstewart8]

Hmm.. ok thanks. It seemed weird when i first found that wire it looked like a washing machine wire!

[warthog5]

Beware that the wiring may be No good. Most boat manufacture's, when they install the trolling motor wiring coil the end and lay it in the bildge.

The problem come's when they do nothing to seal the open end of the wiring and it has laid in the bildge for 8yrs now.

I'm betting it's all coroded and JUNK.

You don't need 3 wire's for a 12V or 24V system. I never understood that.

[Hub]

I had the same wire/plug on my Scout 162. Since I was going to use a 12 volt trolling motor, I pulled out the existing 24 volt wire and plug and replaced it with the 12 volt set. When threading in the new 12 volt wire, make sure that you attach the new 12 volt wire very securely to the old 24 volt wire by using a good bit of tape in a thin layer around the wire. I had trouble threading the wire through the pipe and bilge because of tight turns and spaces.

Good luck!

[reelapeelin]

Warthog's right...2 wires all that's needed for 12 AND 24 volt TMs...there must have been a grounding issue somewhere along the line w/ some TM mfgrs...