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Raymarine Smart pilot X5-R repair?

BrokeOff

BrokeOff
in This Old Boat

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BrokeOff

BrokeOff

Posted
Posted

Smart pilot is locking up my steering. So pulled unit ripped it apart. Can't figure out whats making it bind up. Lots of brass parts, not the plastic inards I was picturing. Unit is 10 years old, and steering has always been hard with the auto pilot installed. After removing the auto pilot steering is like new. Hard to fish without an auto pilot tho. Any insight would be great.

EKoselny

EKoselny

Posted
Posted

Mine does the same thing, it makes the steering wheel very hard to turn. I talked to Raymarine tech support last year and tried to send it back for repair, but they wanted payment up front just to look at it, and there is no guarantee they could do anything to fix it. I pulled the drive unit off the boat and took it home and opened it up to see if there was anything obvious that was causing it to be so hard to turn. Unfortunately I did not find anything that looked out of place. I lubed everything inside and put it back on the boat this year but unfortunately it is still the same. Very annoying, but I also don't want to go without an autopilot. I would love to know if someone has a fix for this. 

BrokeOff

BrokeOff

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I did the same thing, took apart greased the spring and put back together. Now I have to hook it back up and see if it's useable.

 

One other thing though I forgot is which wire connects to the A/B port on the back of the computer. Is it red wire to A, black to B?

IMG_20200911_115601428_HDR.jpg

IMG_20200911_120013797_HDR.jpg

fish whistle

fish whistle

Posted
Posted

I have   the same AP on my 23'Penn....It locked up once a couple years ago and i had to pull the pin to steer..

Then it worked ok but i  sent it to Raymarine in New Hampshire and they informed me that the AP is NON serviceable and discontinued..The helm unit is near impossible to find anywhere new but i found 1 in the  UK last winter and bought  it for about $500 ,(the compass and computer are available everywhere)  I still have the old drive unit on the  boat and the steering is a little sticky at times but im not gonna install the new one until this one fails completely cause i dont think i could find another...Wish you luck cause a  new AP is $$$$$

L&M

L&M

Posted
Posted

There is no need to scrap an X-5 system because of the failed head unit. You can replace it with an octopus drive with few wiring modifications.

outback kennels 2

outback kennels 2

Posted
Posted
There is no need to scrap an X-5 system because of the failed head unit. You can replace it with an octopus drive with few wiring modifications.
[/quote
is the head unit what goes on the steering
do you have information on the octopus unit
thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United
L&M

L&M

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, BrokeOff said:

One other thing though I forgot is which wire connects to the A/B port on the back of the computer. Is it red wire to A, black to B?

 

That is where they go, if you do happen to switch them it will just steer in reverse & you can always just switch them on the computer

 

L&M

L&M

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, outback kennels 2 said:

is the head unit what goes on the steering
do you have information on the octopus unit
thanks

 

Yes. The bottom picture in Broke Off's post shows the clutch spring that over time locks to the plastic spindle causing the hard steer. 

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...
outback kennels 2

outback kennels 2

Posted
Posted
Smart pilot is locking up my steering. So pulled unit ripped it apart. Can't figure out whats making it bind up. Lots of brass parts, not the plastic inards I was picturing. Unit is 10 years old, and steering has always been hard with the auto pilot installed. After removing the auto pilot steering is like new. Hard to fish without an auto pilot tho. Any insight would be great.

i greased mine now it like new


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United
BrokeOff

BrokeOff

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I believe he is talking about the coiled up spring (on the right, in the picture) when you tear it apart. It's a PITA to get the spring back in tho.

 

IMG_20200911_120013797_HDR.jpg

  • 11 months later...
MAKWA

MAKWA

Posted
Posted

Hi. I'm new here. Looking forward to interesting communications. What brought me here are the posts regarding my Smartpilot X5-R.

Mine also has stuck and stiff to turn without auto on.

I see one fella took his apart and greased the spring. I would to do that too, but how the heck do you take the cover off?

I see a slot at the bottom and I tried with a flat head screw driver but it feels like there is something holding it together. Help?

EKoselny

EKoselny

Posted
Posted (edited)
Quote

 

You first need to remove the drive unit from the steering wheel. Then there are several screws on the backside of the unit that need to be removed. Once those are removed you can separate the front cover from the unit.  

Edited by EKoselny
EKoselny

EKoselny

Posted
Posted

Also, just an FYI, I have taken mine apart several times and greased every part inside and it has made no improvements for me. 

L&M

L&M

Posted
Posted

Read my replies above as to what happens to them. You can replace it with an Octopus type S drive and still utilize all the raymarine components as they are. 

  • 1 year later...
Tondi

Tondi

Posted
Posted

I've just bought a boat with one of these 'Smartpilots' and it is seized.

Any other comments about freeing one up a bit?

Read the comments above, but what are people lubricating the spring with and is it working or not?

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