"Autorelease" prompt ro Raymarine ST6000+

[Thepipdoc]

The Raymarine ST6000+ autopilot has decided it will no longer work and within a few seconds of pressing the AUTO button, I get a "autorelease" prompt and an alarm sounds. I then have to deactivate the autopilot and revert to steering manually.
Any ideas what could be wrong?

 

[Fergus]

Could be faulty rudder sensor

 

[pvb]

The Raymarine ST6000+ autopilot has decided it will no longer work and within a few seconds of pressing the AUTO button, I get a "autorelease" prompt and an alarm sounds. I then have to deactivate the autopilot and revert to steering manually.

I've never used it, but thought that AutoRelease was an emergency steering function; when in Auto mode, turning the wheel triggers AutoRelease to put the autopilot into Standby and allows manual steering. Is it possible you're turning the wheel after putting it into Auto?

 

[Thepipdoc]

I've never used it, but thought that AutoRelease was an emergency steering function; when in Auto mode, turning the wheel triggers AutoRelease to put the autopilot into Standby and allows manual steering. Is it possible you're turning the wheel after putting it into Auto?

Having read the user manual - which I didn't have when I posted this thread, I can see that your description above is how it's supposed to work but it's not!
The strange thing is, the "autorelease" prompt only becomes apparent when the sea state is not smooth/slight. On the River Dart it isn't a problem and never appears. Would this suggest a sensor issue? (I don't even know if it has a sensor!)

 

[sailorman]

Having read the user manual - which I didn't have when I posted this thread, I can see that your description above is how it's supposed to work but it not!
The strange thing is, the "autorelease" prompt only becomes apparent when the sea state is not smooth/slight. On the River Dart it isn't a problem and never appears. Would this suggest a sensor issue? (I don't even know if it has a sensor!)

there is a rudder angle read-out on the bottom of the instrument head, this is supplied by the rudder reference sensor fitted to the quadrant

 

[Chalker]

Could be the 12v power feed connection is a bit loose somewhere. The autopilot motor will take more current in heavier conditions, drop the voltage at the controller too low and disconnect.

 

[Richard10002]

I had exactly this in the middle of Biscay in 2006. Turned out that the plastic gears in the linear drive had worn down. Raymarine were aware of this as a possibility and supplied a set of brass gears as replacements, ( not free!).

If this is the cause, and you DIY, make sure you put the gears on the right way up. They have a ridge on one side - check which way the ridge goes before taking the old ones off.

 

[Thepipdoc]

I had exactly this in the middle of Biscay in 2006. Turned out that the plastic gears in the linear drive had worn down. Raymarine were aware of this as a possibility and supplied a set of brass gears as replacements, ( not free!).

If this is the cause, and you DIY, make sure you put the gears on the right way up. They have a ridge on one side - check which way the ridge goes before taking the old ones off.

Thanks- So did yours work as it should when you were in flat calm waters ( as mine does)? I can't imagine you had flat calm in Biscay!

 

[Richard10002]

Thanks- So did yours work as it should when you were in flat calm waters ( as mine does)? I can't imagine you had flat calm in Biscay!

Yes. I started to notice it giving up at times in heavy weather off Anglesey on the way to Falmouth, before heading across Biscay. It was then fine for a few days of relative calm and much motoring.

It gave up completely mid Biscay and, whilst I got the parts delivered to Bayona, we hand steered all the way to Lagos where I eventually discovered the gears needed to be the other way up!

Yours may not be the same problem, but the symptoms are similar.