Something is wrong with my Bot. What should I try?

Although the MarkSetBot is able to drive itself and stay in place, it is actually a fairly simple design with only a few parts that can break.  Below is a guide used to problem solve if the Bot isn't working correctly.  If you find there is a scenario or fix that should be added, reach out to us at support@marksetbot.com and we will update this article.

Common Bot Symptoms and Their Fixes

Below is a list of areas that can corrode and the symptoms they cause.  For corrosion related issues, we recommend CorrosionX for cleaning and protecting components.  In the US, you can buy via www.corrosionx.com. For international distribution, check out https://www.corrosionx.com/pages/international-distributors 

 

Symptom: Any/All
Fix:

1. Verify Pelican switch is on, all four Minn Kota LEDs are lit, and ProNav LED is lit
   • If it is lit, continue below
   • If it is not lit, verify the connection between the black Pelican case and the Minn Kota is tight - i.e. the cables are firmly plugged in to each other and there is no corrosion
2. Visually inspect all MC4 connectors for corrosion and that the pins are fully seated
3. Verify the battery is charged by checking the battery screen on the app on your phone - MENU>BATTERY
4. If there is more than 10% showing on the battery screen and you have verified the power cables look good then test the battery with a voltmeter (fully charged is 14.5v and 20% is 12.89v) 
5. Confirm spin preventer clutch is tight but not too tight
6. If you are using HW0 ProNav lower with MC4 splitter, confirm it is plugged in correctly with the single sides plugged into the Pelican case and the double sides plugged into the ProNav & Minn Kota 

Symptom: My Universal Lower Is Not Working or Has Smoked (applies to sensor based spin preventer motors like MotorGuide and upgraded Minn Kotas):
Fix:

1. Manually spin the prop to see how it feels.
2. Unplug the motor.
3. Turn on the Pelican.
4. Test voltage from black battery to red relay that is close to the battery (there is a good chance this has failed).
5. Test steering by touching the battery wires to the steering wires.
6. Test thrust by connecting the battery wires to the thrust wires.
7. If everything looks good, replace the control board.
8. Once everything is back together
   1. Test Left, Right, and Prop
   2. Ensure that ProNav Upper gets a GPS lock
9. Send support@marksetbot.com pictures of the board including the serial number and any visible damage

Symptom: My Bot is Drifting
Fix: 

1. Open the app and hit refresh, check to see if the Bot is red or yellow
   • If red, see below symptom
   • If yellow, see below symptom
2. Check for topside obstructing motor head 
3. Check satellites - MENU > LOGS > BOT STATUS > scroll to Bot in question and see how many satellites by looking at "ProNav GPS Count"
   
   • If less than 10 satellites try to have the Bots out on the water for 2 hours, then go to menu and logs and see how many satellites each Bot has.
     • If any are less than 10 (after the 2 hours), write down which one(s) and power cycle it by turning the battery off, waiting 10 seconds and turning it back on.
     • If it doesn’t get above 10 satellites this time then the ProNav upper should be replaced
4. Check to see if wires are wrapped around the motor shaft 
5. Thrust motor isn't working - SEE BELOW

Symptom: My Bot is Driving Erratically
Fix: 

1. If you can't access the Bot directly:
   
   • In the app hit RESETCOMPASS, which resets the compass data
   • In the app hit RESETPRONAV, which resets the GPS data - this may take up to 5 minutes and the Bot cannot be maneuvered during it
2. If you have limited access to the Bot
   • Check that the topside is not obstructing the motor head
   • Power cycle the Bot - turn the Bot off, wait 10 seconds, then power back on
3. Once on land: Open the remote screen on the app and verify that left/right/prop work
   • If any do not work go to corresponding section below
4. Check that the white bottom spin preventer clutch is tight enough, but not too tight - difficult to twist, but possible
   
   • If it is not tight enough, tighten 1/4 turn on each bolt. Then test the Bot in the water
     • If it is still driving erratically, tighten by another 1/4 turn
5. Confirm the ProNav is line up straight in the motor head
6. Talk with support and run a Hardcal on the compass

Symptom: My Case is Wet Inside/My Bot Phone is Over-heating
Fix: 

1. Is there a lot of water?
   
   • If yes, examine the case to see if water is coming in any of the holes or seals
   • If no, check the dehumidifier crystals
     • If they are orange, they are fine
     • If the crystals are clear, they need to be baked at 300 Fahrenheit for 3 hours
   • Contact support@marksetbot.com

Symptom: My Bot Icon is Gray or I can't control my Bot
Fix: 

1. In the app, check to see if the Bot icon is gray
   • If it is, hit REFRESH on the top menu bar and confirm that it stays gray
2. There is likely an internet issue with either your phone or the Bot phone
   • Check the screen of the Bot phone and confirm it has a cellular connection (shows bars in the top right corner)
   • If you have no signal on the Bot Phone, check that your cellphone has service
     • If you don't - you are likely in an area where the Bot won't work without a remote
     • If you do have cellular, reopen the MarkSetBot app on the Bot phone and take a picture
     • Then, try restarting the Bot phone 
3. Ensure that roaming is enabled on the Bot phone
   1. Click out of the MSB app to the phone home screen
   2. Then click SETTINGS >> NETWORK AND INTERNET >> MOBILE NETWORK. You will click on the toggle to turn roaming on.
4. If that doesn't work, send the picture you took to support@marksetbot.com with the details of your problem and the steps you have tried already.

Symptom: My Bot Icon is Red
Fix: 

1. Tap the red circle on your phone so the individual Bot menu appears at the bottom of your screen
   • Tap the Bluetooth icon and click REPROVISION on the popup that shows
   • Wait 15 seconds and see if that helps
2. If it doesn't you will need to look at the Bot phone in the pelican case
   • When it is working correctly, the MSB app on the Bot phone should say "awaiting remote commands and BT connected"
   • Verify the LED on the ProNav top unit is lit by looking at the small peephole on the top of the motor head (this is a faint light and can be difficult to see, cup your hand over the spot to make it easier)
     • If it isn't lit, check out the steps in the section below
     • If it is lit, it is possible that you are paired to the wrong ProNav. IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE BOTS, YOU NEED TO TURN THEM ALL OFF BEFORE CONTINUING. 
       • At this point, contact support@marksetbot.com because you will need a password in order to repair the GPS
       • Once you have the password from MSB Support continue below:
       • Hit the GPS SEARCH button on the Bot phone and it should find and update the unique ID of the ProNav that you are connected to
       • Click REPROVISION to force the connection
       • Wait a few minutes and then check the app on your phone to see if Bluetooth is now green 
3. Once you confirm the battery is outputting voltage, verify that all terminal nuts in the case are tight and that the cables inside the case look okay. 
4. Verify the cable from the ProNav lower is plugged in to the Minn Kota footpedal cable
   1. If it isn't, plug it in
   2. If it is, unplug and plug it back in 5 times to see if there might be some corrosion on the connector
5. It might be a failed relay or switch; you can temporarily work around the problem by moving the large red cable from the left side of the relay to the right side of the relay
   • If you aren't familiar with relays, you should reach out to our support team at support@marksetbot.com and we can walk you through the process
6. To isolate if you need a new relay or a new switch, temporarily run a wire from the right spade connector on the relay to the negative terminal of the battery, which should power up the relay
   • If it does, your switch has gone bad
   • If it doesn't, your relay has gone bad 
7. If your Bot is still not green, contact support@marksetbot.com with your problem

Symptom: My Bot Icon is Yellow
Fix: 

1. Confirm you are outside and that you can clearly see the sky
2. Tap the Battery icon and tap the RESETPRONAV button, then wait 15-45 seconds 
3. If you are outside and none of the above steps worked, tap the GPS icon and take a screenhot of the popup that is displayed.
   • Send that to support@marksetbot.com with details of what you have tried

Symptom: No Minn Kota Power (limited thrust/steering) 
Fix: 

1. This can happen when the wires running to the Minn Kota control board are disconnected or have weak connections 
2. Confirm that the connections from the motor to the battery are secure
3. Check contacts on control board by cutting away the shrink wrap, cleaning, filling with dielectric grease (warning: that stuff is the worst and gets everywhere), and reinstalling with new shrink wrap (this is the most likely cause but also the hardest to do) 

Symptom: No Thrust (will turn left/right) 
Fix: 

1. Eliminate ProNav lower as the cause by using two paper clips and running a pin test - https://support.marksetbot.com/How-to-test-Minn-Kota-PowerDrive-V2-or-Riptide-PowerDrive. 
   • If the pin test is fine, then replace the lower 
   • If the Bot fails the pin test, the thrust motor or control board has failed
2. Check corrosion on the two wires running from the control board to the battery 
3. Disconnect wires from the control board and connect them directly to the 12v battery to confirm that the motor works 
4. Check for corrosion on the two thrust wires in the motor head 
5. Disconnect the wires from the motor head and connect them directly to the 12v battery to confirm the motor works 

Symptom: No Left/Right (but will thrust) 
Fix: 

1. Eliminate ProNav lower by using a paper clip and running a pin test -https://support.marksetbot.com/How-to-test-Minn-Kota-PowerDrive-V2-or-Riptide-PowerDrive.
   1. If the pin test is fine, then replace the lower 
   2. If the Bot fails the pin test, the steering motor has failed
2. Check for corrosion on the two steering motor cables that run from the steering motor to the Minn Kota control board 
3. Disconnect the steering wires and connect them directly to the 12v battery to confirm that the motor works (test for 30 seconds in each direction and confirm 7 full turns) 

Symptom: Left Only (no right turn) 
Fix: 

1. Eliminate ProNav lower by using a paper clip and running a pin test -https://support.marksetbot.com/How-to-test-Minn-Kota-PowerDrive-V2-or-Riptide-PowerDrive. 
2. If recently serviced, check control board to see if red wire has been accidentally plugged into the black motor wire 

Symptom: ProNav Returning “Reverted by Restart” Status 
Fix: 

1. This happens when the ProNav upper loses power 
2. Do all the steps in the first article at the top of this page.  Especially paying attention to the MC4 pins being fully seated and the lower spin preventer clutch not being too tight
3. Inspect for moisture and corrosion in the Pelican case 
   • If you find moisture, find the cause of the leak and then clean everything inside the Pelican case 
4. Verify the battery terminals are tight 
5. Verify pink and blue terminals running from the switch to the relay are tight 
   • If not, unplug the terminals then use pliers to bend the terminals in slightly to make it a tighter fit 
   • Then plug them back in 
6. Press the power button 20 times to self-clean it 
7. Test the motor with 2 paper clips to ensure thrust works - https://support.marksetbot.com/How-to-test-Minn-Kota-PowerDrive-V2-or-Riptide-PowerDrive. 
8. Hot-wire the relay 
   • Temporarily move large wire from left stud in Pelican case to the right stud to remove the switch and relay from the mix.  Test the Bot for a day
   • If hot-wiring solves the problem, switch the wires back to their original studs and run a temporary wire from the black battery terminal to the right spade terminal on the relay (the one that has a black+red wire on it).  That will power on the Bot without the switch.  Test the Bot for a day.  If the Bot restarts, it means the relay is bad.  If the Bot is good, it means the switch is bad.
9. Check contacts on the control board 
   • Cut away shrink wrap, clean, fill with dielectric grease (this will make you hate your life) and reinstall with new shrink wrap 
10. If problems persist, replace the following parts one at a time until the symptom goes away 
    • ProNav Lower 
    • Relay 
    • Switch 
    • ProNav Upper 
    • Battery BMS 
    • Reach out to support@marksetbot.com

Symptom: ProNav Returning “Reverted by Pedal or Board” Status (while giving “GO” or “NAVIGATE” command) 
Fix: 

1. This happens when the positive (red) wire running to the Minn Kota control board is disconnected or cannot draw enough amps. Usually cause by corrosion or a bad MC4 connector 
2. Eliminate ProNav lower as a cause by using a paper clip and running a pin test -https://support.marksetbot.com/How-to-test-Minn-Kota-PowerDrive-V2-or-Riptide-PowerDrive.  
   • Replace the ProNav lower if necessary 
3. Check contacts on the control board by cutting away the shrink wrap, cleaning, filling with dielectric grease (good luck) and reinstalling new shrink wrap. 

Symptom: ProNav Returning “Reverted by Pedal or Board” Status (while actively anchoring or navigating) 
Fix: 

1. This happens when interference occurs on the ProNav signal wire (typically only occurring on HW0 ProNav lowers with 3 or 4 wires) 
2. Complete steps in “ProNav returning ‘Reverted by Pedal or Board’ Status while giving GO or NAVIGATE command” 
3. Ask support@marksetbot.com for a ProNav dongle that removes interference 

Symptom: Prop Spins Faster Than Normal or Engages When It Should Be Off 
Fix: 

1. This happens because of a bad Minn Kota and/or ProNav connector 
   • On HW0 lowers, it can also happen when the negative (black) wire running to the ProNav is damaged or corroded – which causes the ProNav to ground via the Minn Kota 
   • If you have an HW0 lower, visually inspect the MC4 connectors on the ProNav 
     • Replace the ProNav MC4 disconnect if the problem persists 
   • Disconnect the ProNav lower and see if the prop still engages 
     • If yes, the Minn Kota control board has a short  
     • Run a pin test on the thrust pins of the control board one at a time to see if the motor engages (it shouldn’t) 
       • If it does, replace the Minn Kota control board 
       • If it doesn’t, replace the ProNav lower 

Symptom: No ProNav LED or BT Connection is Red In The App 
Fix: 

1. This is typically because the ProNav upper doesn’t have power due to something in the “all issues” section above. Try the fixes above and if the problem persists do the following: 
2. If HW0 lower, inspect the fuse and look for corrosion 
3. There is likely a bad wire leading to the upper 
   • Replace the ProNav lower 

Symptom: Automated Anchoring or Routing Has Failed
Fix: 

1. This is caused due to a high GPS interference (HDOP) or low satellite count
2. Will cause the Bot to stop navigating/anchoring while it clears out bad data and/or waits for at least 4 satellites
3. The Bot should come back on automatically
4. Check satellites - MENU > LOGS > BOT STATUS > scroll to Bot in question and see how many satellites there are; look for "ProNav GPS Count."
5. Clear the GPS data manually; in the app hit RESETPRONAV, which resets the GPS data - this may take up to 5 minutes and the Bot cannot be maneuvered during it