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

This article is intended to help troubleshoot Bots powered with a Minn Kota motor. If you have a MotorGuide powered Bot, please see this article – LINK

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

For any corrosion related issues mentioned below, 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

Table of Contents:

Any/All
I have an upgraded Minn Kota motor with the new Universal Lower
My Bot is Drifting
My Bot is Driving Erratically
My Case is Wet Inside/My Bot Phone is Over-heating
My Bot Icon is Gray or I can't control my Bot
My Bot Icon is Red
My Bot Icon is Yellow
No motor Power (limited thrust/steering)
No Thrust (will turn left/right)
No Left/Right (but will thrust)
Left Only (no right turn)
ProNav Returning "Reverted by Restart" Status
ProNav Returning "Reverted by Pedal or Board" Status (while giving "GO" or "NAVIGATE" command)
ProNav Returning "Reverted by Pedal or Board" Status (while actively anchoring or navigating)
Prop Spins Faster Than Normal or Engages When It Should Be Off
No ProNav LED or BT Connection is Red In The App
Automated Anchoring or Routing Has Failed

Symptom: Any/All
Fix:

Verify Pelican switch is on
1. Press the Test button on the Minn Kota motor and verify all 4 LEDs are lit, and ProNav LED in the motor head is lit as well
2. If they are lit, continue below
3. 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
Visually inspect all H4 connectors for corrosion and that the pins are fully seated
Verify the battery is charged by checking the battery screen on the app on your phone - MENU>BATTERY
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)
Confirm spin preventer clutch is tight but not too tight
If you are using HW0 ProNav lower with H4 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: I have an upgraded Minn Kota motor with the new Universal Lower:
Fix:

Manually spin the prop to see how it feels.
Unplug the motor.
Turn on the Pelican.
Test voltage from black battery to red relay that is close to the battery (there is a good chance this has failed).
Test steering by touching the steering wires to the H4 connectors on the Pelican case.
Test thrust by disconnecting the battery wires and touching them to the thrust wires.
If those tests work, the problem it the control and it should be replaced.
Send support@marksetbot.com pictures of the board including the serial number and any visible damage.

Symptom: My Bot is Drifting
Fix:

Open the app and hit refresh, check to see if the Bot is red or yellow
1. If red, see below symptom
2. If yellow, see below symptom
Check for topside obstructing motor head
Check satellites - MENU > LOGS > BOT STATUS > scroll to Bot in question and see how many satellites by looking at "ProNav GPS Count"
1. 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.
  1. 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.
  2. If it doesn’t get above 10 satellites this time then the ProNav upper should be replaced. Reach out to support@marksetbot.com to arrange a replacement
Check to see if wires are wrapped around the motor shaft
Thrust motor isn't working - SEE BELOW

Symptom: My Bot is Driving Erratically
Fix:

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

Symptom: My Case is Wet Inside/My Bot Phone is Overheating
Fix:

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

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

In the app, check to see if the Bot icon is gray
1. If it is, hit REFRESH on the top menu bar and confirm that it stays gray
There is likely an internet issue with either your phone or the Bot phone
1. Check the screen of the Bot phone and confirm it has a cellular connection (shows bars in the top right corner)
2. If you have no signal on the Bot Phone, check that your cellphone has service
  1. If you don't - you are likely in an area where the Bot won't work without using the Off-Grid remote feature
  2. If you do have cellular, reopen the MarkSetBot app on the Bot phone and take a picture
  3. Then, try restarting the Bot phone
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.
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:

Tap the red circle on your phone so the individual Bot menu appears at the bottom of your screen
1. Tap the Battery Icon. 4 options should be available – RestartApp, RebootPhone, ResetCompass, and ResetProNav. If ShutdownPhone is listed as an option, the Pelican is turned off or not providing power
2. Tap the Bluetooth icon and click REPROVISION on the popup that shows
3. Wait 15 seconds and see if that helps
If it doesn't help, you will need to look at the Bot phone in the pelican case
1. When it is working correctly, the MSB app on the Bot phone should say "awaiting remote commands and BT connected"
2. 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)
  1. If it isn't lit, check out the steps in the section below
  2. If it is lit, it is possible that you are paired to the wrong ProNav. That can only happen if you have changed hardware or messed with the provisioning on the Bot Phone. If you have multiple Bots, you need to turn them all off except the one you are problem solving before continuing.
  3. At this point, contact support@marksetbot.com because you will need a password in order to pair the GPS
  4. Once you have the password from MSB Support continue below:
  5. 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
  6. Wait a few minutes and then check the app on your phone to see if Bluetooth is now green
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
You need 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.
1. With a volt meter set to Volts DC touch the black test lead to the black terminal on the battery
2. Touch the red test lead to the red terminal on the battery. The volt meter should read 13.0-14.0V.
3. If it does not, you likely need to reset the Battery BMS. Follow the steps in this video - Battery Management System Reset - YouTube
It might be a failed relay or switch; there are 2 types of switches/relay combinations in the field.

Type A Type B

Follow these steps if your switch/relay matches picture A.

1. At any time you can temporarily work around the problem by moving the large red cable from the back right terminal to the front right terminal on the relay
2. Make sure the power switch is Off
3. With a volt meter set to Volts DC, touch the black test lead to the black terminal on the battery
4. Touch the red test lead to the red terminal on the battery. The volt meter should read 13.0-14.0V.
5. Keeping the black lead on the black battery terminal, touch the red lead to the back right terminal on the relay. The volt meter should read very close to the same voltage as the battery – 13.0-14.0V.
6. Keeping the black lead on the black battery terminal, touch the red lead to the front right terminal on the relay. The volt meter should read 0.0V.
7. Turn the Pelican power switch On. If the light doesn’t come on it is likely the switch has gone bad
8. Touch the black lead to the black battery terminal and touch the red lead to the right front terminal on the relay. The volt meter should read very close to the same voltage as the battery – 13.0-14.0V. If the voltage is much lower, the relay is going bad.
9. If the voltage on the front right terminal is still 0.0V the next step is to check the switch. If the light is on, make sure the all of the wires connections are in tact, there is no visible corrosion, and if there is a blue connector on the backside of the switch, make sure it is fully seated with the release facing towards you.
10. Using a wire or paper clip, bridge the relay + spade terminal (back left) and the Line terminal (back right). You should hear the relay click and the Bot Phone chime. If you don't, the relay is bad. If you do, the switch or harness is bad.

Follow these steps if your switch/relay matches picture B

1. At any time you can temporarily work around the problem by moving the large red cable from the front left terminal to the front right terminal on the relay
2. To isolate if you need a new relay or a new switch, temporarily run a wire from the back left spade connector on the relay to the back right stud on the relay, which should power up the relay
  1. 1. If it does, your switch has likely gone bad
    2. If it doesn't, your relay has likely gone bad

Symptom: My Bot Icon is Yellow
Fix:

Confirm you are outside and that you can clearly see the sky
Tap the Battery icon and tap the RESETPRONAV button, then wait 15-45 seconds
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 motor Power (limited thrust/steering)
Fix:

This can happen when the wires running to the Minn Kota control board are disconnected or have weak connections
Confirm that the connections from the motor to the battery are secure
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 (if applicable). This is the most likely cause but also the hardest to do.

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

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.
1. If the pin test is fine, then replace the lower
2. If the Bot fails the pin test, the thrust motor or control board has failed
Check corrosion on the two wires running from the control board to the battery
Disconnect wires from the control board and connect them directly to the 12v battery to confirm that the motor works
Check for corrosion on the two thrust wires in the motor head
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:

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
Check for corrosion on the two steering motor cables that run from the steering motor to the Minn Kota control board
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:

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.
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:

Verify you are running ProNav Firmware 2.2.96+ and that the lower is running 2.1.6+
Do all the steps in the first article at the top of this page. Especially paying attention to the H4 pins being fully seated and the lower spin preventer clutch not being too tight
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
Verify the battery terminals are tight
Verify the spade terminals running from the switch to the relay are tight
1. If not, unplug the terminals then use pliers to bend the terminals in slightly to make it a tighter fit
2. Then plug them back in
Press the power button 20 times to self-clean it
Reset the BMS
Hot-wire the relay by temporarily combining the two large red wires on the same terminal. Test the Bot for a day. If that fixes it, it is likely the relay or the switch.
Check contacts on the control board by cutting away shrink wrap, clean, fill with dielectric grease and reinstall with new shrink wrap
If it doesn't, it is likely the Control Board, ProNav Lower, ProNav Upper, or Battery BMS. Reach out to support@marksetbot.com

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

This happens when the positive (red) wire running to the Minn Kota control board is disconnected or cannot draw enough amps. Usually caused by corrosion or a bad H4 connector
Check contacts on the control board by cutting away the shrink wrap, cleaning, filling with dielectric grease, and reinstalling new shrink wrap.

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

This can happen due to memory leakage in the ProNav Upper. If the Pelican case has been left on for more than 12 hours, you should power cycle the Pelican by turning off the Pelican, waiting 10 seconds, and turning the Pelican back on.
Ensure you are running ProNav Upper 2.2.96+
This can also happen when interference occurs on the ProNav signal wire. If you have a ProNav Lower that has 3 or 4 cables running out of it, ask support@marksetbot.com for capacitor dongle. For other units, try replacing the lower and then the control board.

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

This happens because of a bad Minn Kota Control Board, bad ProNav Lower or bad connector between them. On HW0 Lower (units with 3 or 4 wires), 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 H4 connectors on the ProNav. Replace the ProNav H4 disconnect if the problem persists
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)
1. If it does, replace the Minn Kota control board
2. If it doesn’t, replace the ProNav lower

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

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:
If HW0 lower, inspect the fuse and look for corrosion
There is likely a bad wire leading to the upper. Replace the ProNav lower

Symptom: Automated Anchoring or Routing Has Failed
Fix:

This is caused due to a high GPS interference (HDOP) or low satellite count
This will cause the Bot to stop navigating/anchoring while it clears out bad data and/or waits for at least 4 satellites
The Bot should come back on automatically
Check satellites - MENU > LOGS > BOT STATUS > scroll to Bot in question and see how many satellites there are; look for "ProNav GPS Count."
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 the reset