Motorguide XI5 pinpoint woes

[LakeNipissing]

I've had issues since day one = last year was year 1. I bought the extended warranty so I intend on having it repaired every winter because there are some issues that you can work around during the summer.


So last year When I set anchor lock, it would move the head back and forth once about 90 degrees, and then go into sleep mode... speed is off, all lights are on. Hit AL again, does same as before. Sometimes it locks in. I would just keep clicking AL and sometimes it would eventually lock in, but not where I want to be. This it works for a while then does the same as last year unless I reboot it. B-U-T, if I use my foot pedal for anchor mode, which I refuse to use because of the heavy springs, it-always-goes-into-perfect-anchor-mode. ... always. That points to the FOB.

I can't do a course adjust with the foot pedal because when you apply the amount of pressure it needs to make the click, it-always-over-compensates because you can't release it that fast enough for a short click.

When I set a course the head would oftentimes turn about 90 degrees either way (like a head shake), then go back to near original position and slowly set course, and oftentimes it would be back on the same original course, or slowly wander off course 5-15 degrees lets say. A course adjust (fast click on FOB) would move the head just a few degrees in the right direction but sometimes it would end up over adjust and sometimes it took two quick clicks to get an adjustment, and then it would simply wander off course. My work-around was to release course, re-aim then re-set-it... This year setting course works almost all the time, but course adjust doesn't, unless I re-boot.

Last Winter the Service Centre reprogrammed the Dongle.

This year it worked great for a awhile then it would screw up again. If I pulled the plug and reconnected the unit, then it would work again (reboot). I tried re-calibrate compass twice in a row as told... nada. But when it worked, it worked fine. My dock neighbour has the same unit, 2 yrs older and his works fine, but when he wants to adjust a course setting, he turns course off, slowly goes back on course and re-sets course. Aside from that everything else works on his.

I'm bringing it back for this Winter's repair. Seems to me the GPS unit slowly gets lost and the FOB is defective seeing as the pedal anchor locks all the time.

hope this helps

[Andre (wallyandre)]

maybe with the purchase of Navico by Brunswick will be a game changer for the Xi5. Maybe a Xi5-Ghost?

For now mine is working perfectly and my season is quite over, maybe another trip and that's it.

[LakeNipissing]

Navico bought Brunswick. My warranty for Motorguide is actually a Mercury marine warranty as it's serviced through the same Mercury warranty channels!
Kinda cool because you don't need Merc permission to bring it in for repairs... you just drop it off at the repair shop.

[Andre (wallyandre)]

What is better it is not to have your tm repair every year

[Ltrain]

Originally Posted by Andre (wallyandre)

maybe with the purchase of Navico by Brunswick will be a game changer for the Xi5. Maybe a Xi5-Ghost?

For now mine is working perfectly and my season is quite over, maybe another trip and that's it.

A 72" Xi5-Ghost would be going on the boat immediately. I was one of the lucky ones i guess with an Xi5 that worked fine, still is as my old boat is now my brothers.
I also like my current Terrova, I would do the same if Terrova had a brushless model.
Basically a 72" brushless would be the ticket

[David Anderson]

Originally Posted by LakeNipissing

Navico bought Brunswick. My warranty for Motorguide is actually a Mercury marine warranty as it's serviced through the same Mercury warranty channels!
Kinda cool because you don't need Merc permission to bring it in for repairs... you just drop it off at the repair shop.

https://navico.com/2021/06/24/brunsw...1.05%20billion.

[LakeNipissing]

ooops.. my mistake. sorry bout that

[Rick!]

Originally Posted by LakeNipissing

This year it worked great for a awhile then it would screw up again. If I pulled the plug and reconnected the unit, then it would work again (reboot). I tried re-calibrate compass twice in a row as told... nada. But when it worked, it worked fine.

hope this helps

I find that if as soon as I deploy my Xi5 TM, it gets a satellite lock light. Since that's impossible, I pull the plug and plug it back in and after a few moments it gets a good satellite lock. Then all is good until I stow it and start over. Kind of a pain in the *** but when it has the proper satellite lock, it works perfectly. This is after a dongle update in the late spring.

If you spend any time on the FB trolling motor groups like Minnkota, Ghost, Motorguide, the common theme is they all don't work as expected. That's the nature of internet forums. I did ask the Ghost rep if they were going to make a 72" Ghost and the answer was no. (No love for us walleye boat guys.) A 72" Ultrex would be my next choice but would cost me an extra Humminbird to get route, heading and spotlock integration.

[LakeNipissing]

Rick, you touched an important point there.
I noticed that also, as soon as the prop hits the water, the GPS light is on, and that's not right because in the cradle, the power is supposed to be cut off.

My FOB was also updated, but something else is afoot... because the pedal Anchor Lock always works.

[Andre (wallyandre)]

Mine does not do this; it needs to acquire gps every time I put it in the water