Pilot Disconnected
Raymarine Chartplotter
Severity: ModerateWhat it means
Raymarine 'Pilot Disconnected' (or 'No pilot' / the autopilot tile going grey) means the plotter can no longer see the autopilot course computer on the network.
You lose plotter-side autopilot control — Auto, Track, and Wind modes are unavailable from the screen.
The cause is the autopilot's power or its SeaTalkng connection, not the steering gear itself.
Affected Models
- Raymarine Axiom / Axiom Pro with Evolution autopilot (EV-1, EV-2, ACU)
- Raymarine eS / gS Series driving an SPX or Evolution pilot
- Systems with a p70 / p70s pilot controller alongside the plotter
Common Causes
- Autopilot course computer (ACU / SPX) lost power — its own breaker tripped
- SeaTalkng spur from the ACU or EV sensor loose at the backbone
- Backbone fault — terminator missing or a T-piece pulled apart
- ACU in standby/shutdown after a fault it logged earlier (check the pilot's own alarm history)
- Firmware mismatch after a partial software update across the pilot components
- Failed course computer
How to Fix It
-
Check the autopilot's power.
The course computer (ACU-100/200/400 or an SPX unit) has its own heavy-gauge power feed and breaker — separate from the plotter.
If that breaker has tripped, the whole pilot is dead and the plotter correctly reports it disconnected.
Reset the breaker; if it trips again immediately, there's a short — that needs a dealer, not another reset. -
Reseat the SeaTalkng connections.
At the ACU and at the EV-1 sensor (Evolution systems), reseat the SeaTalkng spur connectors.
Check the backbone they hang off has power and both terminators in place.
A backbone that's lost its power tap or a terminator makes devices drop in and out — the pilot is often the first to go. -
Check the pilot controller.
If you also have a p70 or p70s pilot head, look at it.
If that's blank too, the whole pilot bus is down (power or backbone).
If the p70 works but the plotter still says disconnected, the issue is between the plotter and the backbone — check the plotter's own network spur. -
Power-cycle the whole system.
Turn off the plotter, the autopilot breaker, and the SeaTalkng backbone power.
Wait 30 seconds.
Power up the backbone first, then the autopilot, then the plotter — that order lets each device see the network as it comes up.
Persistent disconnection after that points to a failed course computer or a wiring fault for a dealer.
When to Call a Professional
If the autopilot itself reports a drive or rudder fault — not just 'disconnected' on the plotter — stop using it and have a Raymarine dealer look at it.
A pilot that engages but doesn't hold course, or that drives the rudder hard over, is a safety issue.
A simple 'Pilot Disconnected' with no other pilot alarms is usually just a network or power problem you can chase yourself.