Steering cut out. Strange noises and fluid. Got anchor down. Thinking of a tow back t

Update. Did not shoot me. Auto pilot on. Back on track! Phew.

No problem, everyone gets a brain fart now and then.

Still I would check and fix that leaking through hull

L

I've done that too.
Started up, adjusted the autopilot head unit position ( it's not in-dash ) and accidently hit the auto button.
Really gets your attention !!!

The Admiral and I frequently go through a "Man Overboard" drill. She may not do everything right if I go into the water but two things I am pretty sure of is that she will hit the standby button on the autopilot and regain control of the boat and will hit the MOB on the gps and also the radio.

pete

Update- yesterday when I thought I had lost steering(auto pilot on), I went through the “ there must be something on my prop” drill. I checked out the prop and rudder and they were all clear. However, my Raymarine auto pilot, when engaged, is now steering/putting me in right hand circles??

Anyone ever has this problem? I don’t have enough experience with the software. For now, I am not using auto pilot until I find a fix.

Insure autopilot is not steering to MOB position. If not, re-do autopilot Setup.

Called Raymarine today. They said to check which autopilot I have. Mostly likely model 6001 or 6002, as my boat is a 2004 Mainship 400. Also gave me Ohm levels to investigate on the backside of the fly bridge control panel behind the autopilot. The LCD screen is almost unreadable.

There are places that may be able to replace/repair screens as you describe.

Burnt Screen Services – Your EVC unit is a vital piece of equipment that you rely on when captaining your vessel. It should never let you down. … but when it does
https://www.ebay.com/usr/kodiakjack99

Might need to due a compass swing on the ole Flux gyro, solved my problems a few times.
But the leak now, that’s another story.

Wow. Lots of good tips. Booked an appointment for diagnosis July 13th with Norton Yachts in Deltaville just incase I cant’t find a quick fix. Apparently, they are a certified Raymarine Service Center and located roughly 30 NM north of me by boat.

In the meantime, does anyone know how to locate the fluxgate compass on my 2004 MS 400?

Most likely, it will look something like the one in the photo below. I would expect it to be mounted on a bulkhead. Look at the bulkhead(s) under your cockpit first. Good luck!

Update: haven’t found the fluxgate compass yet. Yesterday the AP course corrected within 30 degrees to both port and starboard. I also noticed that on my Navionics chart it is not displaying depth. Occasionally the chart plotter displays “no GPS fix” upon startup.

Do know if your system is relying on an external GPS or a GPS in your plotter?


Regarding the auto-pilot: There's one other easy thing you can check while waiting for the technician to arrive. Open your Auto Pilot control box (most likely on a bulkhead under the aft deck). You will likely see a number of automotive type fuses there. Check them. One time when I had unexpected communication behavior between my auto-pilot control at the helm and the autopilot itself, I accidentally found that one of these fuses was blown. Replaced it and everything was fine again.

The control box may look something like this...

Pretty sure that box is under upper helm station. Will go up there and check it out in a few minutes. It’s positioning makes it tough to service. Have to view it upside down. a mirror would be helpful.

Bay Retriever said:

Called Raymarine today. They said to check which autopilot I have. Mostly likely model 6001 or 6002, as my boat is a 2004 Mainship 400. Also gave me Ohm levels to investigate on the backside of the fly bridge control panel behind the autopilot. The LCD screen is almost unreadable.

Click to expand...

Try Changeing the LCD Contrast level

Reading some of this thread leads me to think you might be struggling without any kind of owner's manual, Bay Retriever. Cartouche has a good idea about the contrast. In case it might help, page 14 of the manual I attach here explains the "Lamp" function and how to change brightness. If you manage to find a model number during your investigations, then a little Googling or a visit to Raymarine's site will lead you to the very manual for your system.

Found auto pilot control box and checked fuses which looked good. Swapped them out anyway with three backup fuses found inside control box. View attachment 104584

Tried autopilot after swapping fuses and no luck. Still moving errantly to port and starboard. AP reads “no rudder” now.

Also found fluxgate compass under lower helm station. Not sure how to test. Perhaps order a new one plug and play?

View attachment 104585

Sounds like progress in that you have at least located components! I doubt very much that the fluxgate has failed. Don’t buy a new one before the technician comes.

Cartouche said:

Try Changeing the LCD Contrast level

Click to expand...

Display is so worn that it is very hard to read. One tip I received was to hold a flashlight up close to the screen. Will try now.

I'm not sure if I understand the original situation. AP was on, steering was wonky, hydraulic fluid leak at the rudder? If so, this raises an issue that I have been wondering about. I have a Simrad AP27 with auto and standby. If when autopilot is engaged and I forget and take the helm, what happens? Am I fighting one hydraulic ram against another and weakest seal loses? Or does the AP register that something else has taken over and simply cut out? I can't find the answer in my Simrad owner's manual.

Sorry if this isn't relevant to the original post.

I have done this on my Raymarine autopilot by accident on a couple of occasions. Autopilot prevails. Nothing broken as of yet, though I’m sure it’s not a wise thing to do. I have no experience with Simrad autopilots.

My Garmin autopilot with Shadow Drive recognizes helm input and goes to standby. Most older sutopilots do not.

Tmac, I started watching a youtube video by Pacific Yacht Systems on electrical trouble-shooting. One thing that stuck with me was that electronics rarely fail, it's the electrical connections that are most often the problem.

I would spend some time following the wires and cleaning the terminal connections anywhere you can find them.

I will send you the manual electronically in a few minutes.

Good luck with the trouble-shooting.

Gary - Thanks. If I can get this fixed, I would like to cruise north and spend some time investigating your part of the Bay!

Norton Yachts diagnosed the problem as a faulty rudder reference. Glad to know it wasn’t a more complicated problem. Haven’t gotten the bill yet, but we all know what “BOAT” stands for!

How about that useless LCD screen? I would certainly want the thing repaired/replaced.

Yup. Ordered the LCD screen from an eBay vendor. Should be here this weekend. The replacement job is reportedly straight forward. Will update with results after weekend.