We Need Help Recalibrating Our Garmin Autopilot

K

Kimberly Dawn

Well-known member
Joined
May 29, 2018
Messages
313
Fluid Motion Model
C-30 S
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Hunter Green, 2022
Vessel Name
Kimberly Dawn
MMSI Number
368265930
We are currently tied up at Toba Wilderness Marina in Desolation Sound (with RT group) with their WiFi. Our autopilot has once again gone wacko, causing the boat icon to move sideways on our chartplotter, which displays the chart in irratic orientations.

Can anyone who has recalibrated their autopilot help us out with a "step by step" (for dummies) process to get our autopilot back to normal.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Bob
The Doghouse 2
 
I would have to look it up, but I know there is a youtube video on it and it is quite easy. Have you checked the cradle that holds the compass module? If it is loose or broken the ball will change and then require re-calibration. Once it is set you shouldn't have to re calibrate again. Also, I assume you did not place any metallic items near where the compass is?
 
You need to run what is called the Sea Trial Wizard. It is only available in “Dealer Mode” on your autopilot controller. The secret buttons to get to dealer mode vary depending on the model you have but it should be in your manual. If not, you can find it on line. The Sea Trial Wizard will walk you through all the steps. You will need to take the boat out in calm conditions where there is plenty of room the do circles and zig zags etc.

First check that your CCU (round ball electronic compass mounted somewhere on the boat) is securely in place. If it comes loose from its mounting you could get the symptoms you describe.

Curt
 
You're right Curt... Kenny walked me thru that process @ Bedwell Harbor, but unfortunately, I didn't commit to memory or notes... but it worked for a couple days... I will check fittings for secure mounting.

Kenny, if you see this post we would appreciate your help again! Thanks!

Bob
 
A quick fix is to turn the auto pilot off. The chartplotter will then use GPS to determine the course and orientation of the boat. All chartplotter functions will then work normally while the boat is in forward motion. At anchor, or on a mooring buoy, as the boat swings sideways the GPS will interpret that as your heading.

I'll send the step by step recalibration procedure that I use soon, but as someone else mentioned, it varies a little from model to model.
 
Hello Bob,

Since we re calibrated on the cruise has the autopilot gotten worse? If you continue to have issues my first thought would be there is a magnetic interference by the autopilot compass. Do you happen to have anything stored in the mid-ship berth all the way forward that might be metal in it?

Thanks,
-Kenny
 
The procedure I use is as follows, with the boat underway in calm conditions and plenty of maneuvering room:

Select MENU
SETUP
SYSTEM
SYSTEM INFORMATION
Hold center button for 5 seconds
(Dealer Mode should appear on the screen)
Select BACK
BACK
MENU
SETUP
DEALER AUTOPILOT CONFIG

You will then be given instructions to drive the boat to calibrate the electronic compass.
 
The Doghouse 2":3r1k1ksm said:
You're right Curt... Kenny walked me thru that process @ Bedwell Harbor, but unfortunately, I didn't commit to memory or notes... but it worked for a couple days... I will check fittings for secure mounting.

Kenny, if you see this post we would appreciate your help again! Thanks!

Bob
Click to expand...

If you recently calibrated it and it is off again you most likely have something metal or magnetic near your CCU or its mounting is loose.

Curt
 
The two times I've had to do this, the house batteries had recently been drained very low. I think the CCU then lost its internal memory, but I haven't confirmed that with Garmin.
 
Thanks for the replies... I will check for loose connections and any stowed items for this trip... really appreciate the feedback in this internet deprived area!

Bob
The Doghouse 2
 
Brad,

Thank you for your post.

I just recalibrated my Garman 5215, and it worked out well.

Best regards,
 
OK, I need to recalibrate my compass, but before I do I want to assure all is well with that Garmin compass ball doohicky that plugs into the autopilot. In another thread someone said it's down in the berth beneath the dinette (the "cave"?). I searched all through there, no dice. I searched other likely locations, nope!

So ... on a 2016 Ranger 27, where is it located?

Thanks
 
We have a friend that was storing deck chairs in the mid cabin.. After having to recalibrate a few times it was realized that the deck chairs in the mid cabin were the issue.. As mentioned if you turn the auto pilot off the screen will go back to correct orientation. Mine crabs a bit with autopilot on but doesn’t bother me as tracks fine just looks strange .
Good luck
 
One way to check the autopilot compass is to turn on your radar and using the radar overlay chart compare the shoreline indicated by the radar with the GPS map shoreline. It is a rough test but if your autopilot compass is significantly off you will see the discrepancy. For a quick fix you can even loosen and rotate the compass ball to get them to align. I have found this quick fix typically only works on one heading. The Sea Trial Wizard is needed to do a full calibration for all headings.

Curt
 
Toki":335bwfl8 said:
OK, I need to recalibrate my compass, but before I do I want to assure all is well with that Garmin compass ball doohicky that plugs into the autopilot. In another thread someone said it's down in the berth beneath the dinette (the "cave"?). I searched all through there, no dice. I searched other likely locations, nope!

So ... on a 2016 Ranger 27, where is it located?

Thanks
Click to expand...
On my 2012 R-27 it is in the cave just to the right as you enter mounted behind the clothes rod.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks Tugscout,

So ... on my 2016 R27, there is not a spherical CCU mounted in that cave location, or anywhere on the boat. But what there is in that cave location is a small rectangular Garmin box with 2 cable inputs. In snooping the interwebs, I see that the Garmin Reactor 40 system contains this CPU as opposed to the spherical unit for the GHP 10 system. I was going under the assumption that I had the GHP 10 system.

Interesting, because I see lots of chatter here about that spherical CCU. Can anyone confirm when Fluid Motion switched over from the GHP 10 system to the Reactor 40?
 
I don't know when the change was made, but I believe the spherical CCU is no longer being made. The box is a better solution because it is firmly mounted in position and can't come loose and turn like the sphere can. I considered replacing my spherical unit, but the price was too high.
 
I have a 2012 R31. I've had compass autopilot problems since day one. I've upgraded, shielded, had a Garmin rep flying to ANC for 3 days to work on mine. It will work for awhile then suddenly not be able to follow a heading. The other thing it does is following a heading and suddenly without warning go into pattern steering. Very frustrating. I was out this past weekend, the problem is way worse. Called Garmin - who is always helpful, they are going to send me a refurbished CCU at no cost except shipping. I'll try to replace that myself. If that doesn't fix it, I'll haul it into the nearest shop - 150 miles away and - break out another thousand........

You may want to call Garmin - if they can't talk you through a fix, maybe they'll send a new CCU.
 
For whatever it’s worth, check how your n2k bus is powered. Many boats get the power from the fusion radio and some users reported issues with the electronics. My boat had a breaker switch just for n2k but nothing was wired to it as the power came from the fusion radio. While I have not had any issues, I added a power injector and a power splitter into the bus. Didn’t want the n2k device online when they are not used but I had one device that needed to be on which monitors my battery consumption. The fusion radio has power even when the house switch is off
 
Doc of the Bay said:
I have a 2012 R31. I've had compass autopilot problems since day one. I've upgraded, shielded, had a Garmin rep flying to ANC for 3 days to work on mine. It will work for awhile then suddenly not be able to follow a heading. The other thing it does is following a heading and suddenly without warning go into pattern steering. Very frustrating. I was out this past weekend, the problem is way worse. Called Garmin - who is always helpful, they are going to send me a refurbished CCU at no cost except shipping. I'll try to replace that myself. If that doesn't fix it, I'll haul it into the nearest shop - 150 miles away and - break out another thousand........

You may want to call Garmin - if they can't talk you through a fix, maybe they'll send a new CCU.
Click to expand...
Doc,

My 5215 has the boat crabbing issue and the Auto Pilot and ChartP are off by 10-30 degrees.

I have a new to me 2013 RT31cb, assuming our CCU’s are in the same place on the boat. I cannot find the CCU. Searched in the wooden cavities behind the wooden bulkheads — after removing the top and bottom drawers closest to the fridge, and, I went into the cave and searched behind the small carpeted panel where the Air Con unit sits… looked in the Starboard Lazarett… No CCU ball…

When I first got the boat, I didn’t have issues, so I have been moving the metal objects around. I did update the system… I updated it again and turned the house battery off for 10 minutes…

I am going to purchase a flexible camera for future search work.

Thank you for any advice in advance.
 
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