[CA] [CA11] Raymarine st1000 push rod problem ?

[mickhodapp]

Can someone tell me what i can try to do to get the push rod on my auto tiller to move, i had it hooked up to the rudder tiller & set on a course of 179 degrees with the outboard motor running when a big wave hit our Macgregor 25 sailboat on the starboard quarter deck & turned the motor because i didn't have the steering friction bolt turned tight enough. In the chaos that followed i cannot explain what happened but it lost it's course & now the screen is lit & the numbers change when you push the 1 -10 buttons but the push rod doesn't move in or out. It looks to me like the rod is pushed in pretty far. I disconnected it & then hooked it back up & it beeps & the screen reads 1000 but no movement with the rod when i push any of the + - buttons. Is there a way to un jamb it or is it broken? I am not very knowledgeable about this unit or electronics for that matter & i just use it for setting a course so that i can leave the tiller from time to time. The unit has always worked fine until now & it really comes in handy & is WAY smarter than me & any advice would be greatly appreciated if it can be explained in simple terms. The boat & unit is on a mooring close by & i can get the serial number or any other info & reply back tomorrow, if necessary. Thanks for reading this & hopefully it'll be a simple fix !

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum Mick,

Based upon the symptoms reported, the autopilot's shaft appears to be jammed internally and is in need of service or replacement. Should the autopilot actually be a ST1000+ rather then a ST1000, then it would be recommended that the autopilot be sent to Raymarine’s Product Repair Center to be bench checked / serviced. However, should autopilot be a ST1000, then please note that our Repair Center can no longer service these autopilots. Should you or someone you know be mechanically adept, you may want to consider disassembling the ST1000 to free the jam. That said, such jams are frequently indicative of excessive wear or damage within the autopilot and that the autopilot may fail again after freeing the jam. Please note that disassembly, repair, and reassembly of Raymarine products is unsupported.