2017 R29 CB Bow Thruster not responding

[Scuba Too]

Hi team,

The bow thruster on my 2017 R29 CB is not responding. The stern thruster is working fine. I checked the 250 amp ANL fuse and it hasn't failed. Beyond a visual check I also checked the voltage across the fuse - 12+V. The rotary switch was switched on. I don't hear a click or any noise when I attempt to engage it. I did see and download the Thruster Troubleshooting guide but it's from 2014 and covers Side-Power models up to 2005.

Beyond any suggestions you may have could you also advise:
1) Access to the bow thruster? Is it accessible under the bed? Or forward of that? Pictures would be helpful.
2) What model thruster should there be in my year and model? (2017 R29 CB)?
3) Any other fuses I should be checking? I went through the manual in detail and didn't see anything beyond the ANL fuse and the rotary switch.

Thanks!
Eric

 

[knotflying]

I thought all the thrusters in your model were sidepower, made by Imtra. I would troubleshoot the joystick first and all connections to the thruster.

 

[KennyMarrs]

Hello Eric,

Your boat does have two battery switches for the thrusters, one for the bow and one for the stern. Are you sure you have both switches in the on position? That would be my first check before digging any deeper.

If both switches are on and the fuse is good for the bow thruster I'd look at the motor next. You can gain access to the motor once you remove the cushions in the V-berth. If you have a thruster remote you can also try to see if it engages the bow thruster.

Let us know what you find.

Thanks,
-Kenny

 

[Scuba Too]

Hi Kenny,

I'll always remember with great appreciation when you helped me with a generator issue on New Year's Eve - and it was in the evening!

I double-checked the rotary switch for both thrusters during troubleshooting, including switching them off and back on. Also I did try using the remote. It worked with the stern thruster, but not the bow thruster.

Looks like I'll have a holiday project with the boat. I'll let you know what I find with the motor. Do you know what model thruster may have been used and can the motor be replaced (if that's the issue) while the boat is in the water?

Knotflying, thanks for the suggestion. My model has separate switches for the thrusters and not the joystick, but good point. I did try the remote, which also had the same non-responsive bow thruster issue.

Eric

 

[Osprey]

Search : http://www.youtube.com. From the results chose

Sleipner (Side-Power) Bow & Stern Thruster Troubleshooting Guide

This gets you to a video by Imtra’s Steve Howd. From this I found that my thruster's no operation fault was due to an open thermal switch.

 

[KennyMarrs]

Hello Eric,

The bow thruster PN from Imtra is, SE40/125S and the stern is SE40/125S-IP.

Always happy to help, but can I have this New Year's Eve off? :lol:

 

[Scuba Too]

Search : http://www.youtube.com. From the results chose

Sleipner (Side-Power) Bow & Stern Thruster Troubleshooting Guide

This gets you to a video by Imtra’s Steve Howd. From this I found that my thruster's no operation fault was due to an open thermal switch.

Thanks Osprey! I'll check that out tonight.

 

[Scuba Too]

Hello Eric,

The bow thruster PN from Imtra is, SE40/125S and the stern is SE40/125S-IP.

Always happy to help, but can I have this New Year's Eve off? :lol:

Thanks Kenny! And no boating plans for this NYE so have a great evening off 😀

 

[Scuba Too]

Update - I came down to the boat to diagnose the issue after watching the excellent troubleshooting video and downloading the transcript. First step was powering the thruster and pressing the switch, which caused it to…

Run. Yep turned on fine lol.

There had been significant debris in the water from a recent storm and I suspect that something got caught in the side prop. I had taken the boat out and taken a number of turns to try to clear the channel but it didn’t help that day. I suspect that the overhead circuit may have caused it to shut down for a bit. Whether my crazy turns or perhaps my bottom diver cleared the props will remain a mystery.

Ah well, I learned more about the thrusters so now I’m ready in case it does happen. I ordered a few spare parts to help with preparedness.