Auto Pilot fixable?

[Anchor Lady]

Hello Sailboat Forum,

Someday I’ll have a nice sailboat where everything works. Today is not that day.

Having issues with my Simrad WP30 Autopilot. Possibly 40 years old on my 1980 Oday 30.

I’ve had the boat for 6 years without any autopilot issues. Lately, when I take her out, the autopilot works well for 20 minutes, then slows, almost gets weaker, long beeps, then doesn’t even turn on.

New belt is on its way, but I’m thinking it’s electrical the way it slowly gets weaker. But odd that I would eventually have electrical problems. No other changes to wires or currents that run to the helm.

Thoughts? Maybe the new belt will fix it?

Thanks as always.

Jim

 

[dlochner]

Someday I’ll have a nice sailboat where everything works.

Searching for unicorns are you?

First check the electrical connections, make sure all of them are tight and clean.

How old are the batteries? How well charged are they? What size and kind of battery? This sounds like an electrical supply problem. Does it happen when sailing or when motoring? When motoring the alternator will supply the power, once the engine is shut off the AP runs on the battery. A battery near its end of life will not have enough capacity to run the AP for very long, the voltage drops, the motor turns slower, and eventually the voltage drops below the cut off point and it stops completely.

 

[kappykaplan]

A battery near its end of life will not have enough capacity to run the AP for very long, the voltage drops, the motor turns slower, and eventually the voltage drops below the cut off point and it stops completely.

Been there, done that!

 

[Anchor Lady]

Searching for unicorns are you?

First check the electrical connections, make sure all of them are tight and clean.

How old are the batteries? How well charged are they? What size and kind of battery? This sounds like an electrical supply problem. Does it happen when sailing or when motoring? When motoring the alternator will supply the power, once the engine is shut off the AP runs on the battery. A battery near its end of life will not have enough capacity to run the AP for very long, the voltage drops, the motor turns slower, and eventually the voltage drops below the cut off point and it stops completely.

Searching for unicorns are you?

First check the electrical connections, make sure all of them are tight and clean.

How old are the batteries? How well charged are they? What size and kind of battery? This sounds like an electrical supply problem. Does it happen when sailing or when motoring? When motoring the alternator will supply the power, once the engine is shut off the AP runs on the battery. A battery near its end of life will not have enough capacity to run the AP for very long, the voltage drops, the motor turns slower, and eventually the voltage drops below the cut off point and it stops completely.

Batteries are about 5 years old. No issues starting the engines after sailing but it still light be time to replace them. I will also check the connections. Sometimes the speedometer goes to zero before kicking back on. We always thing something is stuck in the wheel, but maybe it’s the same bad electrical connections. Previous owner was a bit of a bad DIY guy. Stay tuned.

 

[LloydB]

I think it would be helpful to know the voltage at the failing device when it is troublesome before replacing the power supply to the wiring.

 

[higgs]

Batteries "about" 5 years old. Could they be 6 or 7 years old? The AP works well for twenty minutes and then malfunctions makes me think the battery runs low and does not have the power to allow the AP to properly function. You should, IMHO, replace the five year old battery and trouble shoot from there.