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HI, sorry you have a problem with your remote, these are repairable but they have to be sent to us for repair. Your problem is usually a result of the cable being pulled to tight while in the base connection or not screwed into the base connection. This unit new is now around $6500 and we can...

While there are some instances of the controls failing due to improper installation or worn components you have to keep in mind there are over 300,000 of these controls on vessels world wide. As a ZF service distributor we see very few of these type of failures and they are usually a result of...

They have tried two speed transmission with little success due to the amount of torque on the unit. Marine transmissions are subject to constant torque and even more so when running thru swells. Most of the two speeds have failed after short periods of time.

Most of the electronic engine controls allow you to increase throttle in troll but at the same time start closing the trolling valves proportional to the increase in throttle. They have a setpoint in the controls so that when your rpm reaches the max rpm setpoint the trolling valve is...

With what the description of the problem being at both stations I would have to say the problem is in the processor in the engine room. Send me a photo of your box cover in the engine room so I can see it there is anything we can have you do to repair it. You can send that to my email...

The complete boxes in the engine room and the sync harness goes between the boxes.

Yes I would replace the worn control head now and then if you want wait until the old boxes fail to replace them with the new Series. The 460-4 control head is $1,085.00 or you can use the 463-4 which is the same control head with Morse style handles and it is $757.00 (this is the one that I...

Actually both the old Mathers and the new ZF require a APS unit (Auto Power Selector) when installing these controls. All electronic control systems require this so if your vessel does not have one then the install was improperly done. I would recommend purchasing the APS and having it...

Ok now I see you have 24 year old ClearCommands. These units have a feed back pot in them that sends a signal to the circuit board to let it know what position it is in. This pot could be getting worn causing the issue. Due to their age these units are no longer repairable and you would...

those are the 460-4 control heads, look for corrosion on terminal strip on bottom. Do not take apart as there is nothing you can repair inside the unit and you may damage it taking it apart. Also what is the processor numbers in the engine room?

I would look for corrosion on the terminal strip on the bottom of the control head. These are analog controls so you are dealing with low voltage signals at the control head. The control heads are wearable items and depending on usage will need to be replaced when worn. Based on the timeline...

Electronic engine controls Then ZF Mathers controls will work on 12 or 24 VDC as they are auto select on the power input. Usually power issues are found on the 12 VDC inputs as the unit can start seeing some issues at 10.5 volts, again that is why ZF specifies using an APS (Auto Power...

ZF Mathers Sorry for the long time in posting on these controls, we have been traveling the world doing installs on everything from a 28 ft center console to a 200ft island freighter. As I have said in previous post the ZF MicroCommanders, and the Glendinning System are ranked as some of...

Just the Facts As someone who has installed both mechanical, pneumatic and electronic controls on everything from a 20ft to a 300ft ship over the last 40 years, I can tell you there is no perfect system. With that being said I have had electronic controls on my vessels for the last 30 years...

Thrusters I install thrusters and my recommendation is to go for an electric bow thruster as it is much cheaper then a hydraulic system. Sidepower makes a nice proportional DC thruster that works just like hydraulic and provides plenty of power. Check with your local sidepower dealer for cost.

Hi, its Ed with Control Masters. Just to clarify the issues with the MicroCommanders on the Mainships. The problem is not with the controls it is with the installation of the controls on these vessels that were the problem. There are over 300,000 MicroCommanders on vessels worldwide from...

8D's Suck I agree with most of the posters here, I hate 8D's. Mine were located on the outboard side of my engines and only Hercules could get them in and out. Not only did I move my battery's to my Lazaret, I also replaced them with two Odessey 2250 battery's (one for each engine start)...

MicroCommanders I will agree with the previous poster that spoke about wiring issues on these vessels with electronic controls. The MicroCommander, Glendinning System and Kobelts are all great engine controls. Like all things on a boat if not installed properly they will not work correctly...

Actually you should have stop buttons at each station where there is a control head. I start from my pilot house and run the boat from the flybridge. I have start & stop buttons at the flybridge location but the master switch is in the pilot house. Most of the time you will get a warning...

Mathers/ZF Controls Sorry to hear about your control problems, I wanted to clarify any misconceptions about marine electronic engine controls. There are over 100,000+ vessels with the MicroCommanders worldwide (including Navy vessels and Coast Guard Vessels), commercial ships, pleasure craft...

Stabilizer seal replacement Most manufactures will say 3 to 5 years for seal replacement. As someone who actually does this for a living I recommend every 5 years for most users based on the projects I have done. Now to qualify this every boat and boat user is different so the wear rates may...

Bow Thruster As an installer of thrusters I always recommend a Bowthruster first. The reasoning is that with both a single or twin engine vessel the control (movement of the vessel) is always at the stern when docking. The bow thruster will move the bow in the desired direction and the...

Trolling Valve I am a marine controls distributor so here are the facts about solenoid shift trolling valves. These can only be used with electronic engine control systems (so if you look in the engine room you will find your processors), you can contact me with the info off the label and I...

Dimming Lights Turn off your charger and wait about 30 minutes to check your battery. I believe you will find out that you have a bad one and have been working off your charger. I just had a customer fly me all the way down to St. Thomas because Cat in P.R. told him his engine controls were...

Photos More Photos coming as soon as weather clears here in Florida.