2018 RT31CB Autopilot issues

[Marnis]

I just launched my boat for the season. It was stored indoors in a heated warehouse. Everything electronic functioned perfectly prior to winter storage. Upon getting underway I selected a waypoint on my GPSMAP 7616xsv. Selected the auto route function. Saw the route outlined on my gps and selected engage. The gps asked if I wanted to engage and I confirmed yes. The gps said engaged, the GHC 20 marine autopilot control unit said engaged. Despite showing everything engaged, the autopilot remained manual. I had to steer manually. When I then disengaged the follow route option it defaulted to heading hold. It was not holding the heading even though the GHC marine control unit showed heading hold. In every autopilot or heading hold option there was never any engagement of the reactor 40 hydraulic autopilot with the steering. At all times there were no error messages on the gps unit or the GHC 20 marine autopilot screens. All software for all the electronics is current. I checked for loose hydraulic connections, oil leaks and loose or disconnected power connections. I am at a loss. Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

Sonny

 

[Rocky]

I have not heard of that particular issue before, But every anomaly I have seen on my AP (an had a few) were cured by shutting off the batteries about 10 seconds and re-booting.

Good luck!

Rocky

 

[Marnis]

I just launched my boat for the season. It was stored indoors in a heated warehouse. Everything electronic functioned perfectly prior to winter storage. Upon getting underway I selected a waypoint on my GPSMAP 7616xsv. Selected the auto route function. Saw the route outlined on my gps and selected engage. The gps asked if I wanted to engage and I confirmed yes. The gps said engaged, the GHC 20 marine autopilot control unit said engaged. Despite showing everything engaged, the autopilot remained manual. I had to steer manually. When I then disengaged the follow route option it defaulted to heading hold. It was not holding the heading even though the GHC marine control unit showed heading hold. In every autopilot or heading hold option there was never any engagement of the reactor 40 hydraulic autopilot with the steering. At all times there were no error messages on the gps unit or the GHC 20 marine autopilot screens. All software for all the electronics is current. I checked for loose hydraulic connections, oil leaks and loose or disconnected power connections. I am at a loss. Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

Sonny

As a follow up to this issue, I talked to Garmin technical service and was told that one of the options to reset the autopilot problem was to disconnect the 2 connections at the CCU unit that is installed somewhere between the autopilot unit in the starboard cockpit hatch and the helm for at least 5 minutes and then reconnect. I could not locate the CCU unit. Does anyone know the location? Thanks

 

[Full_O_Fish]

While I don't know the exact location of the ccu in your vessel, I can say that the ccu is the compass unit for the pilot so it will generally be (if installed correctly) located in an area with little magnetic interference or wiring. I have seen a couple mounted in with the wiring i at the forward end of the quarter berth behind a carpet panel.

While rudimentary, if you have two people, you can easily locate it with a cast iron skillet. Turn the electronics on and have someone watch the chart or autopilot heading. Begin moving the Skillet around the boat, get within a few feet of the CCU and it'll start changing the heading. Get close enough and South will point right to it.

 

[Wee Venture]

Our boat is a couple of years later but I’ll bet our CCU is in the same place. Take out the drawers beside the refrigerator and reach back through the lower cabinet over the plywood bulkhead and down by the hull. You can feel it there. We don’t keep anything magnetic in the lower drawer so as not to interfere.

John