Went fishing today and my tm prop is running backwards. It's a motorguide w55.. last November was the last time I fished .. it worked fine then.. I have not done anything other than charge the battery.. it stays on my boat lift and has had the same battery for a year... the plug on the wire end will only go in one way.. any ideas? Thanks! 

That happenned to me once when I connected the positive clamp to the negative post and the negative to positive by mistake.

If thats not it I have no idea.

It's wired bacwards.  

maybe you are just facing the wrong way?

Yep, check to make sure you have your wires on the right post. 

If you truly have not changed anything, that would be strange. I think the wires have been crossed by someone.

 

A long time ago I replaced the rack and pinion steering assembly in my old boat. I put it in wrong and got to the lake and my steering wheel was backwards...that was a strange trip.

I know in certain conditions a battery can reverse polarity but it is rare.  

Welcome aboard!

 

Yup, wired backwards most likely (on the battery).

Reversed the neg and pos connection somewhere between the battery and TM switch.

DC is direct current and electric motors run forward wired one way and reverse wired the opposite.

Tom

I had to take mine apart recently and replace the parts and when I put it back together it was running backwards. I did some research and the motor I think its called the arm assembly had to be spun 180 degrees and it ran forward instead of backwards. If you haven't taken apart I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but it was a pretty easy fix for me once I figured it out. 

Well, I have the same problem; but, different.  Mine runs backwards no matter which way I connect the wires.  Replace the plug and socket and the motor ran backwards.  Switched the wires in the plug (while on the water)  and it still ran backwards.  Cut the wires and reversed them (still on the water) and it continues to run backwards.

If nothing was changed but the battery then most likely the wires are reversed or as stated earlier uncommon but the polarity in the battery reversed.

I just reread your post and you said you haven’t done anything since November except charged your battery. We’ll if by mistake you let the battery go dead and you hooked your charger up wrong that can reverse the polarity in the battery.

If you are sure you did not change anything ,you may be in big trouble.  You could have a boat gremlin on board.  The only way to find out for sure is to pay a mechanic way to much money to come trouble shoot the trolling motor.  If it doesn't run backward when the mechanic checks it out and you have to pay him for doing nothing more than tell you it is working fine, then you definitely have a boat gremlin issue.

      Not much you can do.  Gremlins are scared of mechanics.  They hide whenever one comes around.   As soon as the mechanic leaves the gremlin comes back and the problem returns.   The only thing you can do is park your boat next to a more expensive boat with newer complex systems and hope the gremlin jumps ship.  If you get really desperate you can pass him on to a friend with a boat. While that solution is perfectly legal in all 50 states it is highly unethical and can end up costing you a friend for life.  Hopefully you do not have a boat gremlin and someone on this forum can provide the solution to your problem.