9. Troubleshooting
Specialized equipment is required to service the CPT; there is no internal fuse or other internal parts that are owner-serviceable. For satisfactory and warranted repairs, repairs should be done only by the manufacturer.
Warning
UNAUTHORIZED REPAIR ATTEMPTS VOID THE WARRANTY REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE
9.1. Light on Control Box Unlit
When the autopilot is turned on (RUDDER control turned to 5), the light on the control box will turn orange and then after 60 seconds turn red. If the light is unlit, the autopilot is not getting power. Make sure the red wire is connected to 12 volts positive and the black wire is connected to battery negative. If you have poor wiring, bad connections, or small gauge wires the voltage may read 12 volts but there will not be enough current for the motor to operate. In these cases, a voltmeter will usually show the voltage dropping when the motor attempts to run.
9.2. Light on Control Box Flashes Red During Normal Operation
This indicates power was interrupted to the autopilot while it was set to HOLD HEADING. This will also happen if the autopilot is turned on while the HOLD HEADING toggle switch is engaged. If this occurs during operation, check the autopilot power connection.
9.3. Motor Does Not Turn, Control Box Light is Green
The autopilot may be receiving enough power for the electronics to run but not enough to power the motor. Check the power connection.
Check the electrical connection by testing for motor torque and voltage drop: With the belt off and clutch engaged, set the RUDDER control to 10 and push a 10° button. Grip the clutch disk with your hand: the motor should show good torque and be difficult to slow. If the clutch is easily stopped there may be voltage drop and the pilot will not operate properly. When testing the connection, the supply voltage level must be measured when the motor is running.
9.4. Does Not Turn Wheel In Either Direction
Be sure shear pins are not damaged and that clutch is engaged.
Test that the autopilot has a good 12-volt power connection, with no oxidized connections. Check battery voltage (12 volts minimum), check the voltage at the power cable connection when the pilot motor runs or would normally attempt to run (turn RUDDER to 10 and set to TACK). A large voltage drop when the motor attempts to run indicates poor 12-volt connections and/or inadequate wire size. Trace the power circuit back to the power supply for breakage, loose/oxidized connections, a blown fuse, defective fuse holder, etc. Poor connections, switches, and small gauge wires can cause voltage drop, blown fuses, and damaged circuits. The autopilot will compensate for voltage drop by drawing more current.
With the belt off and clutch engaged, turn the RUDDER control to 10 and TACK to port or starboard; if you grip the small clutch disk with your hand, you should feel good torque and not be able to stop the motor.
Motor: Engage the clutch after 1 minute warm-up, set RUDDER 5, DEADBAND 1, toggle to HOLD HEADING and press a 10° button: the autopilot motor should rotate to make a heading correction. If there is no response, try back-driving the motor briefly by turning the boat’s wheel by hand; if this brings a response from the motor, it may be a sign of worn brushes or carbon build-up in the motor after seasonal storage. Back-driving the motor by hand may clear carbon build-up and restore brush contact.
Testing the motor
Engage the clutch after 1 minute warm-up, set rudder 5, deadband 1, toggle to hold-heading and press a 10-degree button: the autopilot motor should rotate to make a heading correction. If there is no response, try back-driving the motor briefly by turning boat’s wheel by hand; if this brings a response from the motor, it may be an indication of worn brushes or carbon build-up in the motor after seasonal storage. Back-driving the motor by hand may clear carbon build-up and restore brush contact.
To back-drive the motor:
Turn the autopilot off
Engage the clutch
Slowly turn the wheel so that the autopilot motor is backdriven.
9.5. Motor Turns the Wheel the Wrong Direction
The direction the motor rotates must be set for the wheel to turn the correct direction; it has been preset for your installation at the time of manufacture. See Changing the Motor Rotation.
9.6. Motor Runs But Drive Pulley Does Not Rotate
Check that shear screws are not broken or bent. See diagram under Drive Pulley and Clutch Maintenance.
The motor will also turn very slowly/weakly if there is too much voltage drop in power wires.
9.7. Motor Turns One Direction Only
First check that the motor turns one direction only and never turns the opposite direction:
Remove the belt from the drive pulley and engage the clutch so that you can see which direction the autopilot turns without the wheel hitting the stops.
Hold the control box upright in hands, away from anything magnetic, about chest high. Set RUDDER to 5, DEADBAND to MIN.
Toggle to HOLD HEADING.
Turn the control box to starboard and observe drive pulley rotation. Turn the control box to port and pulley should rotate in opposite direction. Turn the control box as far as necessary to initiate a rotation.
If the motor truly turns one direction only, the problem may be a bad connection between the control box and motor box. Check the pins on the connector in the cable (control cable). There are 6 pins. If a pin is bent, the signal will not get through—carefully bend the pin straight with a small flathead/slot screwdriver. This may also be caused by corrosion inside the connector. Note that the connector pins were coated with dielectric grease when the autopilot was manufactured to prevent corrosion. If the problem is not in the connector there may be an internal problem and the autopilot may need to be returned for service.
9.8. Unit Will Steer/Turn in Only One Direction
Try turning the pilot off and restarting.
Be sure there is no magnetic interference.
During the warm-up period the sensor heading may drift. Allow one minute for warm-up after powering on. Keep the vessel on a consistent heading for 30 seconds before flipping to HOLD HEADING. If the pilot is toggled to HOLD HEADING without adequate warm-up time, it may turn and pulse frequently (once per second) in the same direction. At the dock, while the boat is stationary and unresponsive to the rudder, a small autopilot correction every 10 seconds is normal.
Continual turning one direction once per second while sailing or if the pilot steers on some headings but not others may be a sign of magnetic interference near the control box.
9.9. Under Steers
Boat Does Not Reach Heading Or Does So Slowly, Eventually Falling Off-Heading
Small, repeated heading corrections in one direction indicate the RUDDER is too low—increase; set RUDDER as high as possible without over-steering. This may also indicate that the DEADBAND is too high—lower the DEADBAND. Make sure the boat is making adequate headway, set DEADBAND to the lowest setting and set RUDDER high enough so that one motor-pulse brings the boat back to the rhumb-line. Some spade rudders on racing-type hulls are easily understeered or oversteered, and the best RUDDER setting may be a compromise between the two.
9.10. Over steers, Passes Course, “S” Turns
Rudder control set too high – use lower setting. Deadband may be too low – increase the setting (may be both).
9.11. Rhythmic Steering, Corrects as Boat Rolls with Swells
Deadband set too low – increase setting.
9.12. Frequent Corrections to Port/Starboard
Rudder and Deadband Controls Ineffective: Wheel Play
This is typically from too much play in the steering system, or air bubbles, foaming or valve delay in hydraulic systems. The boat’s rudder will not center, and play will alternate between port and starboard sides. The pilot tends to only hold heading within 10°-20° or more, understeering on one side, oversteering on the other, and the best RUDDER setting will be a compromise between the oversteering and understeering. Adjusting the RUDDER and DEADBAND may seem to have little effect. To check for play in the steering system:
While having someone holding and locking the rudder quadrant to one side, measure how far the wheel turns.
Place 18” of masking tape on the outside perimeter of the wheel, centered at the top of the wheel, - top-dead-center (TDC).
Slowly rotate wheel starboard until it will not turn further: mark the tape TDC.
Slowly rotate wheel port until it will not turn further: make a mark on the tape TDC.
Measure the distance between the two lines
Measure the circumference of the wheel
Divide the circumference of your wheel by 360; the result is the distance for 1° of wheel play for your wheel. Poor performance may occur if wheel play is more than 25°. Wheel play in hydraulic systems can be harder to measure and may only occur under heavier loads or intermittently depending on the cause.
9.13. Belt Slips, Belt adjustment, Excess Torque
The belt should be snug, but over-tensioning is unnecessary and will make it hard to operate the clutch. Increase the tension if the belt jumps in the cogs under load: unclamp the lever, push down on the motor box and re-clamp.
The boat must be balanced to reduce weather-helm and provide consistent steering (See “Sail Trim” on page 9).
Check the steering system for binding, bad control cable leads, damage, or lack of lubrication. Correct as necessary.
Make sure the wheel pulley is centered on the wheel, and that the belt is aligned.
Make sure hose-clamps and bracket are tight and have not slipped on pedestal. For pedestal diameters under 4”, heavy loads, or reverse pedestal mounts: the pedestal bracket may need to be screwed directly to the pedestal.
If heavy loads cause the mounting to flex causing the belt to slip, a belt tensioner may be used to prevent the belt from slipping.
Warning
Use of a belt tensioner will increase belt wear. In normal use without a tensioner the belt will periodically jump in the cogs to release sudden shock loads from the rudder (such as in cross seas). When using the tensioner in heavy seas there will be no release for rudder shock loads and the belt or shear pins are more likely to break.
9.14. Clutch Disengages
Motor unit may be tilted so the drive pulley shaft is not parallel to the wheel shaft, and belt tension is disengaging the clutch. Pulleys must be aligned and parallel when the clutch is engaged. If in doubt or the wheel is not uniform favor a slight belt slant that will help keep the clutch engaged.
The setscrew recessed into the drive pulley-gear adjusts the friction of the ball bearing detente in the clutch. Slightly tightening this screw will lock the clutch more securely in position; tightening too much will make the clutch difficult to disengage. This normally does not need adjustment unless it has worked loose or there has been extensive wear. Use a small bit of thread locker if the screw has worked loose.
9.15. Shear Pin Breakage
Warning
The shear pins are a consumable wear-and-tear item and not a warranty issue. It is normal for the shear pins to get stressed and weakened, and then eventually break unexpectedly in mild conditions.
Be sure all excess friction and play is removed from the steering system. A steering linkage with excessive play can transfer sudden shock loads from the rudder directly to the shear pins.
Be sure the wheel pulley is centered on the steering wheel ±⅛” (3mm).
A worn drive gear with excessive hub wear will no longer rotate on center and be wobbly, transferring belt tension to the shear pins instead of the hub and shortening shear pin life; contact us for a replacement drive gear. To prolong the life of the clutch and shear pins when hand steering, loosen tension or remove the belt from the drive gear and hang the belt over the binnacle or wheel shaft.
Clean and lubricate the clutch on a regular basis.
Common Causes of Shear Pin Failure
Using a belt tensioner
Using the autopilot as a wheel brake
Engaging or disengaging clutch under load
Shear pins catching while hand steering
A broken shear pin head in a drive plate hole preventing the clutch from fully engaging after new shear pins installed
Belt Tensioners
A very common cause of shear pin breakage is from using a belt tensioner (which does not allow the belt to slip under rudder shock loads) or from engaging/disengaging the clutch while the wheel is turning or under load. It is best to relieve the wheel from any load by holding it with one hand while engaging or disengaging the clutch with the other.
In heavy weather, the belt must be allowed to periodically slip when there are shock loads from the rudder, especially when the stern gets tossed by seas. This provides a release from rudder shock loads that will otherwise stress and break shear pins, belts, and eventually damage the motor. When the belt tensioner is used to stop the belt from slipping, the belt will often not slip at all and rudder shock loads transfer directly to the shear pins, the belt, and the motor, resulting in broken shear pins and belts. The shear pins are designed to shear by forcing the wheel when emergencies occur and to protect the motor from shock loads.
Our recommendation is to avoid using the belt tensioner and allow the belt to periodically slip under heavier wheel loads; it does not hurt the belts. Belt tensioners are usually used for installations where there is no other choice due to a short belt or mountings that flex. When they are used the shear pins and belt can be expected to wear faster.
Engaging/Disengaging Clutch Under Load
Engaging/disengaging the clutch while the wheel is turning or under load will put more force on the shear pins and weaken them. It is best to relieve the wheel from any load by holding it with one hand while engaging or disengaging the clutch with the other.
Autopilot Used as Wheel Brake
Sometimes people will keep the clutch engaged to use the CPT as a wheel brake at anchor, rather than use the actual wheel brake. Grabbing the wheel when getting off a cockpit seat will stress and weaken shear pins.
Warning
Do not use the autopilot as a wheel brake! This will cause the shear pins to wear and break prematurely.
Shear pins catching while hand steering
If the clutch is not fully disengaged, the shear pin ends can catch in the holes when hand steering. In some cases, a loose detent (ball spring detent) in the clutch will not keep the clutch firmly disengaged. The detent can be carefully adjusted–refer to the manual or contact us for instructions. Broken pin ends causing problems
The broken head of the old pin may remain in the drive plate hole and cause problems when the new pins are installed. When the clutch is engaged, it will not engage all the way and the pin will break sooner. The old pin head will also get pushed through the drive plate and get caught behind. When replacing shear pins, make certain the old pin ends are not in the drive plate. You may have to remove the clutch and drive-plate to check—see the diagram on page 16. If you hear a grinding, scraping, or screeching noise, a pin end is likely caught behind the drive plate.
Temporary Emergency Fix for Broken Shear Pins
9.16. CPT Steers +/- 10 degrees or more
Be sure the DEADBAND is set to the lowest setting. Otherwise, this is usually a sign of excess play in the boat’s steering system or some magnetic interference. Excess play at the wheel must be removed. Inspect and tighten cable systems. Air, foaming and valve delay in hydraulic steering systems must be removed. Try relocating the control box away from stereo speakers and any metallic equipment that may have a magnetic field; only 316 stainless fasteners should be used to mount the control box.
9.17. Poor Power Connections and Voltage Drop
To test the power connection, the supply voltage level must be measured when the motor is running. Just checking for 12V at the line is not adequate; voltage drop will only show when the pilot motor runs and draws current. If there is excessive voltage drop the small drive pulley may barely turn or vibrate. If the motor is receiving sufficient current, with the belt removed and RUDDER set to 10, you should not be able to stop the small drive pulley with your hand.
Loose power connections can cause the unit to intermittently turn off and power-up again. If the autopilot is steering and the indicator LED begins blinking red, this indicates that power to the autopilot has been interrupted. The autopilot will steer to the last known heading and may steer the boat off course due to the compass sensor warming up.
9.18. HF Radios, Iron Objects, Magnetic Interference
Warning
Common Sources of Magnetism
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Magnetic objects will alter the sensor heading if placed too close to the control box. Ham radios and SSB radios should be properly choked and grounded and be used at 50% transmit power to limit effects and stress on all electronics onboard. Generally, SSB transmissions will not immediately affect the CPT, but long transmission times may gradually affect the heading and cause a noticeable magnetic field on the ship’s compass. If SSB interference cannot be lessened, it is recommended that the CPT remain off or on STANDBY mode during SSB transmissions.
Magnetic interference may lengthen the warm-up time for the sensor, lengthen the time taken to settle on a new heading, or if strong enough, completely prevent it from holding some or all headings.
With steel vessels, the control box must be at least 6 feet from steel. With mild magnetic interference, the pilot may steer fine on some headings but not others, depending on the control box mounting location. Some steering systems in fiberglass or wood boats may have magnetized parts in the pedestal, worm-drive, or parts of the steering system or engine controls. Refer to the section “How to check for magnetic interference”
9.19. Basic Circuit Function Test
To check basic circuit function, remove belt and engage clutch. Keep the vessel on a consistent heading during this test or at the dock. Flip control box to STANDBY, set RUDDER to 5 and DEADBAND to 1. After a minimum 60 second warm-up, toggle to HOLD HEADING. The small drive pulley should be stationary for a brief time, and will begin to make a small correction every 10 seconds. Push the 10° PORT button once and the clutch should turn to port and then make momentary corrections to port. Push the 10° STARBOARD button once and the clutch should rotate back to starboard and stop. Slightly rotating the control box box itself should bring the same results. When left on HOLD HEADING when the boat is stationary, it is normal for the pilot to make a small correction periodically once every 10 seconds; making corrections once every second after 60-second warm-up indicates a magnetic field too close to the control box.
9.20. Reversed Power Wire Polarity
The CPT will not operate at all if the polarity of the power wires are reversed. The red wire must connect to +12V, the black wire to ground / battery negative.
9.21. Cutting or Splicing the Control Cable
The control cable electrically connects the motor box to the control box. A 10ft (3 m) extension cable is available to easily extend the length of the control cable without cutting the cable.
Note
Warning
Be sure the power wires are completely disconnected from the battery or 12-volt source before cutting the control cable or damage will result. Damage resulting from cross-connecting wires during splicing or routing is not covered under the warranty.