The Ulterra is available as a freshwater motor and can be controlled with a foot pedal, Advanced GPS Micro Remote, and Advanced GPS Remote. All Ulterra motors come with Advanced GPS installed.
Jump to:
- Installation Considerations
- Mount Features
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Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the Foot Pedal
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Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote
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Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the One-Boat Network App
- Stow from the Ulterra Motor
- Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Foot Pedal Foot Pedal Functions
- Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote Functions
- Advanced GPS Navigation Micro Remote Functions
- Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Light Patterns
- Serial Number Location
- Dimensions
- General Maintenance Tips
- Recommended Items to Keep on your Boat
- Installing an External Transducer on an Ulterra Brushed (2023-present)
- Manuals
- Ulterra Owner's Manual
- Ulterra Installation Instructions
- Ulterra Quick Reference Guide
- Heading Sensor Instructions
- Wireless Remote Product Manual
- Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Foot Pedal
- Advanced GPS Navigation for APEX and SOLIX
- Advanced GPS Navigation for HELIX
- One-Boat Network App Product Manual
- OBN App & Wireless Remote Pairing Quick Reference Guide
Installation Considerations
When installing the Ulterra, we recommend following the instructions in the Ulterra Installation Guide. We also recommend a 60 amp circuit breaker. You may also want to consider using a Trolling Motor Plug as it will allow you to easily disconnect your motor from power when not in use or when charging the trolling motor batteries.
- It is recommended that the motor be mounted as close to the centerline of the boat as possible.
- Make sure the area under the mounting location is clear to drill holes and install nuts and washers.
- Make sure the motor rest is positioned far enough beyond the edge of the boat.
- The motor must not encounter any obstructions as it is lowered into the water or raised into the boat when stowed and deployed.
- When installing the Ulterra, we recommend following the instructions in the Ulterra Installation Guide. We also recommend a 60 amp circuit breaker
Click here for MKR-27 60 Amp Circuit Breaker purchase options. - Consider a quick release or adapter bracket with the installation of your motor. The button below will walk you through selecting the best Quick Release Bracket for your boat and motor.
- You may also want to consider using a Trolling Motor Plug as it will allow you to easily disconnect your motor from power when not in use or when charging the trolling motor batteries.
Click here for MKR-28 Trolling Motor Plug purchase options.
Mount Features
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Motor Mount
The Motor Mount is designed to securely hold the motor in place on the deck of the boat. It functions to stow and lock the motor flat on the deck when not in use by providing secure stowage for transport. The motor mount also positions the motor when it is in the deployed position.
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Motor Ramps
The Motor Ramps function to hold the Lower Unit in place when the motor is stowed. The Lower Unit will rest on the Motor Ramps when stowed, helping to secure it in place. -
Emergency Strap
The Emergency Strap must be used to place pressure on the motor shaft to hold the lower unit tightly against the Motor Ramps when the motor is manually stowed. The Emergency Strap should be secured every time the motor is manually stowed to prevent damage from high wind, rough water, or vibrations, including while the boat is trailered. See the “Manually Stowing the Ulterra” section of the manual for more information on when the Emergency Strap is needed. -
Belt Collar
The Belt Collar holds the lower portion of the Lift Belt in place. The Lift Belt runs along the motor Shaft and is used to stow and deploy the motor.
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Indicator Panel
The Indicator Panel is located on the end of the Mount, by the Power Cables. Power to the motor is turned "on" and "off" through the Power button on the Indicator Panel. The LEDs on the Indicator Panel communicate the status of the motor.-
Power Button
The Ulterra must be powered “on” and “off” manually. On the Indicator Panel, press the Power button to turn the motor “on.” When the motor is powered on, the System Ready LED will illuminate green. To turn the motor “off,” press and hold the Power button for approximately three seconds until the green light turns off. The Ulterra has an auto-shutoff and will automatically power off after 90 minutes of inactivity in the stowed position. -
LED Patterns
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Status
The Status LED will illuminate red when the motor is stowed and the Lower Unit is resting securely on the Motor Ramps. The Status LED will not be illuminated when the motor is deployed or the Lower Unit is off of the Motor Ramps. When the motor is stowing or deploying, the red Status LED will flash. -
System Ready
The System Ready LED will illuminate green when the motor is powered on and indicates normal operation. When the motor is powered off, the System Ready LED will not be illuminated. If the green light does not remain illuminated after power-up, this is an indication of insufficient voltage/power. For more information, refer to the "Advanced Troubleshooting" section of this manual.
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Status
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Power Button
Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the Foot Pedal
Deploy the Ulterra with the Foot Pedal
- Locate the Indicator Panel at the base of the Mount.
- Make sure that the motor is on by checking that the green LED above the System Ready Indicator is on.
- On the Foot Pedal, press the Mode Button until the amber LED in the center of the Indicator Panel on the Foot Pedal is illuminated. This puts the Foot Pedal in Ulterra Mode.
- To deploy the motor when it is stowed, double press the Stow/Deploy button.
Trim the Ulterra with the Foot Pedal
Once the boat is on the water, it may be necessary to adjust the trim of the lower unit up or down to achieve an optimum depth for motor performance. When setting the depth of the motor, be sure the top of the motor is submerged at least 12" below the surface of the water to avoid churning or agitation of surface water. There will be times when you will need to move your motor up or down depending on how your boat is responding. You can trim up to avoid hitting underwater objects and you can trim down if your prop is coming out of the water.
When trimming the motor using the Foot Pedal, the motor is programmed to operate safely and limit prop rotation when it is within certain limits. The prop will temporarily stop while trimming the motor and resume once trimming is stopped. Trim limits are in place to avoid damage to the unit. An upper trim limit is set 12" from the bottom of the mount to the center of the lower unit. A lower trim limit is set approximately 1.5" from the bottom of the control head to the trim housing. A prop lockout region, defined as 14" from the bottom of mount to the center of the lower unit, is used to eliminate the possibility of the motor contacting the boat hull. All functions, with the exception of manual steer and track record, are canceled upon trimming into this region.
- To trim the motor up, press the Trim Up button located on the bottom left of the Foot Pedal.
- To trim the motor down, press the Trim Down button located on the bottom right of the Foot Pedal.
Stow the Ulterra with the Foot Pedal
- Locate the Indicator Panel at the base of the Mount.
- Make sure that the motor is on by checking that the green LED above the System Ready Indicator is on.
- On the Foot Pedal, press the Mode Button until the amber LED in the center of the Indicator Panel on the Foot Pedal is illuminated. This puts the Foot Pedal in Ulterra Mode.
- To stow the motor when it is deployed, press the Stow/Deploy button.
Note* - If your motor is stalling at a 45-degree angle when attempting to stow, this indicates that batteries are too low to fully stow the motor. If this occurs, re-engage power, deploy the motor, trim the motor to its highest setting, and turn power off until batteries can be recharged. Once batteries are charged, attempt to stow the motor again
Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote
Deploy the Ulterra with the Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote
- Press the Power button.
- Use the Speed Up or Speed Down button to find the motor name, either Instinct or Ulterra.
- Press the Steer Right button to select Instinct or Ulterra.
- Press the Steer Right button to select Deploy.
- The Instinct/Ulterra motor will deploy. While the Motor is deploying, it is possible to pause the action. To pause the action, press the Steer Right button to select Pause.
- To resume the Deploy action, press the Steer Right button to select Deploy.
- If the Motor continues, it will complete the deploy process and normal motor operation will follow.
Trim the Ulterra with the Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote
- Make sure that the motor is deployed, and then press the Power button.
- Use the Speed Up or Speed Down button to find Instinct/Ulterra. Use the Steer Right button to select it.
- Once in the Instinct/Ulterra Menu, use the Speed Up or Speed Down button to select Trim Up or Trim Down. Trimming up will raise the motor and trimming down will lower the motor.
- Press and hold the Steer Right button to select it.
- When the motor has reached its highest trim limit, the Prop will be locked out and the Trim Up option will be disabled. The Prop will stay locked out even when the Deployment Menu has closed. Trim the motor down and out of the Prop Lockout zone to restore functionality.
- When the lower trim limit is reached, the Trim Down option will be disabled.
Stow the Ulterra with the Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote
- Press the Power button.
- Use the Speed Up or Speed Down button to find Instinct. Use the Steer Right button to select it.
- Use the Speed Up or Speed Down button to find Stow. Use the Steer Right button to select it.
- The motor will stow. While the Motor is stowing, it is possible to pause the action. To pause the action, press the Speed Down button to find Pause and press the Steer Right button to select it.
- To resume the Stow action, press the Steer Right button to select Stow.
- If the Motor continues, it will complete the Stow process and normal motor operation will follow.
Deploy, Trim, and Stow with the One-Boat Network App
Deploy the Ulterra with the One-Boat Network App
- Open the OBN app on the mobile device.
- From the OBN home screen, tap on the Motor menu.
- Before the Motor app home screen will open, select Agree on the on-screen prompt.
- Tap Trim/Stow on the bottom of the screen to open the Trim/Stow/Deploy menu.
- Tap Deploy to automatically deploy the motor. Normal motor operation will follow.
Trim the Ulterra with the One-Boat Network App
Once the boat is on the water, it may be necessary to adjust the trim of the lower unit up or down to achieve an optimum depth for motor performance. When setting the depth of the motor, be sure the top of the motor is submerged at least 12" below the surface of the water to avoid churning or agitation of surface water. There will be times when you will need to move your motor up or down depending on how your boat is responding. You can trim up to avoid hitting underwater objects and you can trim down if your prop is coming out of the water.
When trimming the motor using the One-Boat Network app, the motor is programmed to operate safely and limit prop rotation when it is within certain limits. The prop will temporarily stop while trimming the motor and resume once trimming is stopped. Trim limits are in place to avoid damage to the unit. An upper trim limit is set 12" from the bottom of the mount to the center of the lower unit. A lower trim limit is set approximately 1.5" from the bottom of the control head to the trim housing. A prop lockout region, defined as 14" from the bottom of mount to the center of the lower unit, is used to eliminate the possibility of the motor contacting the boat hull. All functions, with the exception of manual steer and track record, are canceled upon trimming into the Prop Lockout Region.
- Open the Motor menu on the OBN app.
- Tap Trim/Stow on the bottom of the screen to open the Trim/Stow/Deploy menu.
- To trim the motor up, press and hold Trim Up . Continue to hold until the lower unit is at the desired height.
- To trim the motor down, press and hold Trim Down . Continue to hold until the lower unit as at the desired height.
Stow the Ulterra with the One-Boat Network App
- Open the OBN app on the mobile device.
- From the OBN home screen, tap on the Motor menu.
- Before the Motor app home screen will open, select Agree on the on-screen prompt.
- Tap Trim/Stow on the bottom of the screen to open the Trim/Stow/Deploy menu.
- Tap Stow to automatically stow the motor. The Prop will be disabled and "Motor Stowed" will display on the screen.
Stow from the Ulterra Motor
In the unlikely event that your foot pedal, wireless remote or One-Boat Network app becomes non-functioning, you can stow the Ulterra from the base of the motor.
- Locate the Indicator Panel at the base of the Mount.
- Make sure that the motor is on by checking that the green LED next to the System Ready Indicator is on.
- Press and hold the Power Button located on the Indicator Panel for ten seconds.
- The red and green LEDs next to the Status (red) and System Ready (green) Indicators will flash alternately, and the motor will begin to stow.
Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Foot Pedal Foot Pedal Functions
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Motor Speed
The Speed Control knob is located on the right side of the Foot Pedal above the and Spot-Lock button. Turn the Speed Knob forward to increase speed and backwards to decrease speed. The Speed Control knob can be set in a range from 0 to 10. Speed can also be adjusted using the remote. -
Spot-Lock
The Spot-Lock button is located on the bottom, right side of the Foot Pedal and is labeled with an anchor symbol. When the Spot-Lock button is pressed, the location of the motor is recorded to a temporary memory location. The blue light next to the Spot-Lock label on the Indicator Panel is illuminated when Spot-Lock is engaged. To engage Spot-Lock press the Spot-Lock button, to disengage, press the Spot-Lock button again. When engaging Spot-Lock, a tone will be emitted. When disengaging Spot-Lock with the Spot-Lock button, no tone will be emitted. Steering the motor with the Foot Pedal or adjusting the speed using the Speed Knob will cancel Spot-Lock and a High-Low, High-Low, High-Low tone will be emitted. Spot-Lock can also be controlled with the remote. For more specific directions on how to use Spot-Lock, please refer to either the i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link Manual. -
Steer Right/Steer Left
The Steer Right and Steer Left buttons are located at the bottom of the Foot Pedal. They function to steer right and left. Holding the Steer Right or Steer Left buttons down will continue to steer the motor to the left or right. Small steering changes of less than one degree can be made by quickly tapping the Steer Right and Steer Left buttons. The position and direction of the Steering Head directly corresponds to the position of the motor. The direction of the motor can also be controlled with the remote. -
Prop ON/OFF
The Prop ON/OFF button is located in the bottom, middle of the Foot Pedal. It functions to turn the Prop on and off. The Prop will turn on when pressure is applied and turn off when pressure to the button is removed. -
Constant
The Constant button is located on the left side of the Foot Pedal, towards the bottom, right below the AutoPilot button. It functions to toggle the motor between Constant Motor Operation and Momentary Motor Operation. The green light on the Indicator Panel will be illuminated when the motor is in Constant Motor Operation. In Constant Mode, the propeller will continually run, regardless of whether or not force is being applied to the Momentary button or Prop ON/OFF button. While in Constant Motor Operation, the propeller will run continuously at the speed set by the Speed Control knob, or by the i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link remote. If a propeller encounters an obstruction while either in Momentary or Constant Mode, while the propeller is running, the increased electrical current being generated by the obstruction will signal the motor to decrease the power to the propeller to prevent damage. If the current overload is detected for more than 20 seconds, the prop will be disabled to prevent damage to the motor. In this event, the operator can turn the prop back on after being sure that the obstruction has been cleared. -
AutoPilot
The AutoPilot button is located in the middle, on the left side of the Foot Pedal. Pressing the AutoPilot button toggles the feature on and off for motor that are installed with this feature. The red light on the Indicator Panel is illuminated when this feature is engaged. When AutoPilot is initiated from the Foot Pedal, the default AutoPilot mode is determined by the remote. AutoPilot can also be engaged and disengaged using the remote. For more specific directions on how to use AutoPilot, please refer to either the i-Pilot or i-Pilot Link Manual. The AutoPilot Indicator on the Mount will also be illuminated when AutoPilot is engaged. -
Momentary
In Momentary Motor Operation, the propeller will only run while downward force is applied to the Momentary button. The Momentary button is on the Toe End of the Heel/Toe Steering pedal. Applying downward pressure to the Momentary button will turn the propeller on. The motor will then run at the speed set by the Speed Knob or remote. Removing downward force to the Momentary button will turn the propeller off. No indicator light is associated with the Momentary button. The Momentary button functions very similar to the Prop ON/OFF button. -
Heel/ Toe Steering
Push the Toe End of the Foot Pedal down to turn right and push the Heel End of the Foot Pedal down to turn left. The position and direction of the Control Head directly corresponds to the position of the motor. You must use your foot on the pedal to control the steering direction during manual operation. The direction of the motor can also be controlled with the remote. -
Steering in Reverse
The propeller always turns in the forward direction. You can reverse the direction of thrust by turning the motor 180°.
Advanced GPS Navigation Wireless Remote Functions
Power the Remote On and Off
- To Power the remote on, press the power button on the side of the remote.
- To Power Off the remote, press the Power button and then the Steer Right button.
Power Button
When using the Wireless Remote buttons, the Power button will open the Power Menu system. The Speed Up and Speed Down buttons are used to move up and down the menu and the Steer Right button is used to select a menu option.
Power Menu
The Power Menu is accessible by pressing the Power button on the right side of the remote. Become familiar with the choices in the Power Menu to better control the Wireless Remote. Power Menu selections are dynamic, depending on your setup. Standard selections include Power Off, Backlight and Backlight Timeout. Additional selections may include Shallow Water Anchor and Motor menus when these devices are connected.
- POWER OFF - Powers the remote "off."
- BACKLIGHT - Sets the Backlight intensity to either "off" or a range of one to five. The default is "off."
- BACKLIGHT TIMEOUT - Sets the timeout duration for the Backlight. It can be set to 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and Always On. The default is 30 seconds.
- RAPTOR/TALON UP - Only visible when a Raptor/Talon is paired. Use to retract the Raptor/Talon.
- RAPTOR/TALON DOWN - Only visible when a Raptor/Talon is paired. Use to deploy the Raptor/Talon.
- INSTINCT/ULTERRA - Only visible when an Ulterra, Ulterra QUEST & RT Instinct QUEST motor is connected. Use to stow and deploy the motor and adjust the trim.
Turn the Prop On and Off
When turning on the prop, the motor needs to be at least 18 inches below the mount. There is a lockout zone to prevent the motor from accidentally turning on and causing damage.
- The prop can be turned on and off by pressing the prop button.
Increase and Decrease Speed
To increase or decrease your speed with the remote, the motor must be deployed and the prop on.
- Press the + button to increase your speed.
- Press the - button to decrease your speed.
Steer the Motor
To steer the motor left or right with the remote, the motor must be deployed.
- Use the right arrow button to turn the motor to the right.
- Use the left arrow button to turn the motor to the left.
Spot-Lock
Use GPS coordinates to automatically anchor the boat at a desired spot.
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Engage Spot-Lock
- Press the Spot-Lock button.
- To save the Spot-Lock, press the Menu button. Scroll to Save Spot-Lock. Select it by pressing the Steer Right button.
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Disengage Spot-Lock
- With Spot-Lock engaged, press the Spot-Lock button on the remote to disengage.
Spot-Lock Jog
Spot-Lock Jog is a feature that is only available when the i-Pilot controller is paired with a Heading Sensor.
- To engage Spot-Lock Jog, first engage Spot-Lock. Use the Speed Down (jog backward), Speed Up (jog forward), Steer Left (jog left), and Steer Right (jog right) buttons to jog the Spot-Lock location 5-feet in the selected direction from the current Spot-Lock location.
Cruise Control
Dial in and adjust target speed to keep speed over ground (SOG) consistent.
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Engage Cruise Control
- Press the Cruise Control button on the remote.
- The Target Speed will appear on the display screen. Press the Speed Down or Speed Up buttons to adjust the Target Speed.
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Disengage Cruise Control
- When Cruise Control is engaged, press the Cruise Control button on the remote to disengage Cruise Control
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Jump To or Set a Cruise Control Preset
- To jump to or set a Cruise Control Preset, first engage Cruise Control.
- Use the Speed Down or Speed Up buttons to change the Target Speed. While adjusting the Target Speed, the menu at the bottom of the display screen temporarily changes to display two Preset Target Speeds.
- While the Presets are showing, press either the Left Softkey or Right Softkey to jump to the corresponding Preset on the display screen.
- To save the Preset to a new value, adjust the Target Speed to the desired value. While the Presets are showing in the menu at the bottom of the display screen, press and hold either the Left Softkey or Right Softkey.
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Locked Heading
Uses compass heading to keep the motor pointed in the same compass direction. -
Locked Course
Uses compass heading and GPS data to correct for wind, current and external forces to keep the boat on the intended course.
- Press the AutoPilot button on the remote to disengage AutoPilot.
- Either Locked Course or Locked Heading AutoPilot will be engaged depending on the AutoPilot Mode selected.
- When AutoPilot is engaged, press the AutoPilot button to disengage.
- When AutoPilot is engaged, press the Menu button and select Adjust Course by pressing the Steer Right button.
- Scroll to the Jog option and press the Steer Left or Steer Right button to adjust the course by 5-foot increments.
AutoPilot
When in AutoPilot, Advanced GPS Navigation keeps the trolling motor pointed in the direction you want to go. Each time the wind or water current moves the boat off course, the AutoPilot senses the change and steers itself back to the original heading. The AutoPilot direction is set every time a steering change is made. To change direction, steer until the Control Head points to the desired course. AutoPilot will pull the bow of the boat around and correct automatically until the boat is moving in the direction you chose.
AutoPilot Modes
Two different modes of AutoPilot are available, Locked Heading and Locked Course. Both are collectively referred to as AutoPilot. There are distinct differences between the two AutoPilot Modes and how they control your boat. Both Locked Heading and Locked Course are valuable tools the fisherman can use for accurate and precise bait presentation. We highly recommend getting on the water and trying both Locked Heading and Locked Course in various fishing situations and applications. With experimentation and time you will find which AutoPilot Mode works best for you in any given situation.
- Locked Heading
Uses compass heading to keep the motor pointed in the same compass direction. - Locked Course
Uses compass heading and GPS data to correct for wind, current and external forces to keep the boat on the intended course.
Engage and Disengage Legacy AutoPilot or Advanced AutoPilot
- Press the AutoPilot button on the remote to disengage AutoPilot.
- Either Locked Course or Locked Heading AutoPilot will be engaged depending on the AutoPilot Mode selected.
- When AutoPilot is engaged, press the AutoPilot button to disengage.
Locked Course Autopilot Jog
- When AutoPilot is engaged, press the Menu button and select Adjust Course by pressing the Steer Right button.
- Scroll to the Jog option and press the Steer Left or Steer Right button to adjust the course by 5-foot increments.
Advanced GPS Navigation Micro Remote Functions
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Speed Down & Speed Up
Press to decrease or increase motor speed. -
Prop On/Off
Pressing this button will turn the Prop on and off. -
Steer Left & Steer Right
Press to steer the motor to the left or to the right. -
Max Speed
Bypasses the current motor speed to speed 10. Double press to engage. Single press to disengage. -
Spot-Lock
Press to enable Spot-Lock. When Spot-Lock is enabled from the Micro Remote, use either the fully functioning standard remote or the fish finder if you want to save it. -
AutoPilot
Press to enable AutoPilot. The selection between Heading Lock and Course Lock must be made from either the fully functioning standard remote or the fish finder.
Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Light Patterns
On the base of the motor, the Ulterra has a Status LED light and a System Ready LED light. These lights can inform you on the state of the motor. The LEDs will change as the motor changes states. You can also use the LEDs for troubleshooting.
System Ready LEDs 
The System Ready Indicator is located on the Indicator Panel on the base of the motor and works while the motor is powered on.
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The LED associated with the System Ready Indicator will be illuminated green when the motor is operating.
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The LED associated with the System Ready Indicator will be off when the motor is powered off.
- The Ulterra does have an auto shut-off. It will automatically power off after 1.5 hours of inactivity in the stowed position.
Status LEDs

The Status Indicator is also located on the Indicator Panel on the base of the motor. The Status LED changes if the motor is stowed, stowing or deploying, or deployed.
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The indicator will be on when stowed.
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The indicator will be flashing when stowing or deploying.
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The indicator will be off when deployed.
Normal Operation LEDs
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Both the Red Status and the Green System Ready are off indicates the motor is powered off.
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Both the Red Status and the Green System Ready are on indicates the motor is powered on and stowed.
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The Red Status is flashing and the Green System Ready is on indicates the motor is Deploying or Stowing.
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The Red Status is off and the Green System Ready is on indicates the motor is deployed.
Using the LEDs to Troubleshoot
You can use the LEDs to troubleshoot the Ulterra. Click the button below
if you would like to access the Ulterra Troubleshooting Guide.
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If the Ulterra motor does not turn on when the Power button on the control panel is pressed and released and the Red Status and Green System Ready LEDs do not light up, it can indicates any of the following:- The motor is receiving inadequate voltage. The Ulterra 80 is designed to operate on 24-volts, the Ulterra 112 is designed to operate on 36-volts.
- reversed polarity
- the switch/LED circuit board has come loose from the backside of the control panel
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The Red Status and Green System Ready LEDs come on when the Power button is pressed but immediately go off when the Power button is released indicates inadequate voltage is being supplied to the Ulterra motor. The Ulterra 80 is designed to operate on 24-volts, the Ulterra 112 is designed to operate on 36-volts. With low voltage the Ulterra motors will not stay on when the Power button is pressed and released or, if the green and red LEDs do stay on, they will go out when the command is sent to deploy or stow the motor. -
The Red Status LED is off, the Green System Ready LED is on and the motor is stowed indicates the motor is reading that it is deployed in error. This can be caused by a stuck Cam Arm. When the motor is deployed, the magnet in the tip of the Cam Arm is pushed over the Cam Sensor. If the Cam Arm gets stuck over the Cam Sensor, the motor will get a false reading that it is deployed. The Cam Arm can get stuck because of build up or debris. To check the Cam Arm, remove the right or starboard sideplate and look at the position of the Cam Arm. If the motor is in the stowed position, the Cam Arm should be pointing above the Cam Sensor at about the 10 o'clock position. If the Cam Arm is over the sensor with the motor stowed, wiggle it back and forth to release it. You may need to clean the build-up or debris for the Cam Arm to move freely.
Ulterra Serial Number Location
- The serial number is located inside the mount near the motor rests, this can be seen when the motor is stowed.
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Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Bow.pdf
2024 Ulterra Dimensions
General Maintenance Tips
The Ulterra needs some general maintenance to keep it running properly. We recommend the maintenance listed below. Click the button below if you would like to access the Ulterra Troubleshooting Guide.
- The composite shaft requires periodic cleaning and lubrication for proper retraction and deployment. A coating of an aqueous based silicone spray will improve operation.
- The propeller must be inspected and cleaned from weeds and fishing line after every use. Fishing line and weeds can get behind the prop, damage the seals and allow water to enter the motor.
- Verify the prop nut is secure each time the motor is used.
- To prevent accidental damage during transportation or storage, disconnect the battery whenever the motor is off of the water. For prolonged storage, lightly coat all metal parts with an aqueous based silicone spray.
- For maximum battery life recharge the battery(s) as soon as possible after use. For maximum motor performance restore battery to full charge prior to use.
- Keep battery terminals clean with fine sandpaper or emery cloth.
- The propeller is designed to provide weed free operation with very high efficiency. To maintain this top performance, the leading edge of the blades must be kept smooth. If they are rough or nicked from use, restore to smooth by sanding with fine sandpaper.
- Keep the Foot Pedal well dry and clean. Debris that gets in the Foot Pedal can cause interference of pedal operation. It is recommended to use compressed air to clean the foot pedal after each use.
- After every use of a Riptide Ulterra in saltwater, the entire motor should be rinsed with freshwater, then wiped down with a cloth dampened with an aqueous based silicone spray. Do not spray water into the ventilation openings in the head of the motor.
Recommended Items to Keep on your Boat
This video will show you a few important tools to keep in your boat in the unlikely event that you need to troubleshoot your Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor. It's good to be prepared.
- Ulterra or Riptide Ulterra Quick Reference Guide
- Emergency Stow Strap
- Replacement Prop Kit
- Backup Control Method (remote/foot pedal)
- #2 Phillips Screwdriver
- Flat Blade Screwdriver
- 3/16" Allen Wrench
- 9/16" Wrench
*This video is shown on Minn Kota Ulterra models that were built after 2017 (Bluetooth-enabled).
Installing an External Transducer on an Ulterra Brushed (2023-present)
An external transducer is not included with your trolling motor. An external transducer can be installed onto motors that have Advanced GPS Navigation. Installing an external transducer is not recommended for motors with Built-in MEGA Down Imaging or Built-In MEGA Side Imaging. Click here for Built-In MEGA Imaging Compatibility.
Installation Steps:
- Mount the External Transducer according to directions provided with the transducer.
- Leave enough slack in the Transducer Cable between the Lower Unit and Control Head to allow the motor to properly stow and deploy.
- Use two tie wrap cables to secure the Transducer Cable to the Shaft just above the Lower Unit and just below the Control Head.
- Run the Transducer Cable through the Coil Cord to the power supply.
Manuals
- Ulterra Owner's Manual
- Ulterra Installation Instructions
- Ulterra Quick Reference Guide
- Heading Sensor Instructions
- Wireless Remote Product Manual
- Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra Foot Pedal
- Advanced GPS Navigation for APEX and SOLIX
- Advanced GPS Navigation for HELIX
- One-Boat Network App Product Manual
- OBN App & Wireless Remote Pairing Quick Reference Guide