I have a 10 year old 24 volt minn 48 auto pilot that has just started giving me problems.The on off swicth at the motor always seemed to not be completly depressed in the on position,but still operated fine.I am now blowing an in line fuse by the batteries everytime I try to use the bow bount motor.The motor has the cordless remote and the boat is a 1997 Lund Pro V that has been kept in good condition.Can I install an in line circut breaker on the fuse line,or will this cause more problems? Thanks for any advice,hard to control the boat without the bow mount.Jkoren.

Yes, you can install a circuit breaker in place of the fuse. But, if you are blowing fuses of the same ampere rating that used to work with your motor, there is a problem you need to sort out first or you'll just keep popping the breaker. Using a breaker with a higher current rating than your fuses is not a good idea. Something is causing your motor to draw more current than it used to. Find that something and get it fixed. Could be a wire with the insulation worn off, could be a bad control board, could be a bad motor- who knows?

All these motors use brushes and I don't know their life span but they are pretty easy to replace. If you are in or around the Twin Cities Fishlectronics on University is a good place to call. At 10 years it is a possibility. They are very helpful and supportive even over the phone (763-571-1277).

http://fishlectronics.com/

A 50 Amp self resetting breaker at the battery is a wise move no matter what to protect the motor from damage or the wiring from a meltdown.

If the switch you mentioned is bad it may be shorting, half engaged? If the breaker does not fix it I would get the motor in for service.