Lowrance Elite5 Troubleshooting

I've got a couple of questions about troubleshooting on my Elite 5.  I did a search and didn't come up with anything that covers the problems.

1.  The Unit ran fine for most of the morning, then it would turn itself off randomly.  After about an hour, it finally stayed "ON" and appeared to work fine.  Is it a connection issue with the battery?

2.  As I was pulling into the harbor, the unit, which had been working fine again, suddenly started to "flash" or "blink" between backlight On and Off.

3.  Lastly, the manual states to use "Freshwater" for fishing in waters less than 100 feet, which is also the same thing it says about the "Shallow Water" setting.  I mainly fish HMB... so which is the proper setting?  I have it set to the 200khz as well.

Thanks guys!

Check your battery connections.  Could be a voltage/amperage issue.  What does the voltage on the display show when this happened?

Check your software version.  The current version is 4.0 (recently released)  Free to download.

As for the backlight flashing ... umm .. maybe a voltage issue.  Could be related to the need for a software upgrade.

Was the unit bought new?  used?  Maybe perform a "soft" reset.

I leave the unit set for 'general' fishing as opposed to freshwater shallow.  Seems to work best for me.

Check your battery connections.  Could be a voltage/amperage issue.  What does the voltage on the display show when this happened?

Check your software version.  The current version is 4.0 (recently released)  Free to download.

As for the backlight flashing ... umm .. maybe a voltage issue.  Could be related to the need for a software upgrade.

Was the unit bought new?  used?  Maybe perform a "soft" reset.

I leave the unit set for 'general' fishing as opposed to freshwater shallow.  Seems to work best for me.

I don't know what the voltage was. I didn't know it gave that info as it wasn't listed in the Owner's manual. Can you tell me how to find it?

I'll attempt to do the software upgrade. I bought the unit used.

Thanks for the help!!

If it doesn't have waypoints or stuff you need saved, you can do a hard reset to flush it out.  For sure upgrade the software.  Its free to download.  Check your connections & look for any corrosion that may cause resistance in the electrical line.

Bill

Mine was doing the same thing. I had it new for about 7 months and then  it started blowing the fuse.
I sent mine in to Lowrance and they just upgraded me to the  elite 5 HDI. Never found out what the problem was.


Tim

Tim,

   When they replaced the unit, I assume they also replaced the transducer/power cable too?  If you were blowing fuses, that is (typically) a sigh of corrosion in the connector or power line that causes resistance in the electrical system.  Symptoms that can occur along the way are shorter battery life and intermittent power shutdown.

   Nevertheless, glad to hear that they took care of you.

      Things to consider during your install to prevent some problems:
1.  Use dielectric grease on the fittings for day 1.  Use it on your plugs, wire splices, etc
2.  Clean the head unit/plug with freshwater after each use
3.  Cover unused ports on the back of the head unit with the supplied caps.  If yours didn't come with a cap, places like H.D. or Lowes have them for about .50 cents
4.  FREE software updates.  Install them.  These fix any map, software & operational glitches that may be found over time.  These are also needed if you are using some of the newer map chips in older units.
5.  Don't be afraid to perform a 'Reset' to the unit if needed.  Start with a 'Soft' reset if needed.  I do this EVERY trip when I go to the stores because people play with the units & get all sorts of weird settings done (most of the time by accident).  You would be amazed the performance difference a soft or hard reset will do.  It "flushes" the internal memory and makes a unit like-new again.  Warning -- if you do a 'Hard' reset, you will loose your waypoints/routes, etc. 
6.  Lastly ....  Backup.  Did you know that you can insert a blank memory card & backup the data you have stored on a Lowrance unit?  Waypoints, routes, screen shots, etc...  Easy & worthwhile to do!  You need the smallest GB card you can find (ie 2GB).  The software updates & waypoints/logs/routes, etc. are TINY files.
7.  If all else fails ... don't hesitate to drop me a PM or call the Lowrance Customer Service department.  Their RMA claim process is easy, fast and effective.  After all, it is electronics and sh!t happens but it's good to know that someone will help.

   Bill

Thanks for all the help!  I'll keep ya updated on the outcome.

The flashing screen you describe is what happens when my battery starts running out of power. The other issues sound related...perhaps a power issue. I would replace the terminals that connect the power cable to the battery--and also cut off an inch of the power cable before crimping on new terminals. And definitely pack some dielectric grease into the plugs & terminals. 

Tim,

   When they replaced the unit, I assume they also replaced the transducer/power cable too?  If you were blowing fuses, that is (typically) a sigh of corrosion in the connector or power line that causes resistance in the electrical system.  Symptoms that can occur along the way are shorter battery life and intermittent power shutdown.

   Nevertheless, glad to hear that they took care of you.

      Things to consider during your install to prevent some problems:
1.  Use dielectric grease on the fittings for day 1.  Use it on your plugs, wire splices, etc
2.  Clean the head unit/plug with freshwater after each use
3.  Cover unused ports on the back of the head unit with the supplied caps.  If yours didn't come with a cap, places like H.D. or Lowes have them for about .50 cents
4.  FREE software updates.  Install them.  These fix any map, software & operational glitches that may be found over time.  These are also needed if you are using some of the newer map chips in older units.
5.  Don't be afraid to perform a 'Reset' to the unit if needed.  Start with a 'Soft' reset if needed.  I do this EVERY trip when I go to the stores because people play with the units & get all sorts of weird settings done (most of the time by accident).  You would be amazed the performance difference a soft or hard reset will do.  It "flushes" the internal memory and makes a unit like-new again.  Warning -- if you do a 'Hard' reset, you will loose your waypoints/routes, etc. 
6.  Lastly ....  Backup.  Did you know that you can insert a blank memory card & backup the data you have stored on a Lowrance unit?  Waypoints, routes, screen shots, etc...  Easy & worthwhile to do!  You need the smallest GB card you can find (ie 2GB).  The software updates & waypoints/logs/routes, etc. are TINY files.
7.  If all else fails ... don't hesitate to drop me a PM or call the Lowrance Customer Service department.  Their RMA claim process is easy, fast and effective.  After all, it is electronics and sh!t happens but it's good to know that someone will help.

   Bill

Great info Bill, Thanks.
Yes they sent new cables and I ended up buying a new transducer to be able to use the down imaging.
I have been pretty diligent on using dielectric grease and keeping an eye on the connections.
Maybe a combo of things lead to this . It makes since.
I've had my elite 4 for about 2years with no problems at all,except like Pat stated when the battery gets low. Your right with electronics [ it ] does happen.

Thanks again,
Tim

....and of course, feel free to reach out to me at any time.  I don't work directly for Lowrance but I'll do my best to help.  I'm just a lowly 'Pro-Staff' guy.

Just giving an update. 

I did the software upgrade and I also noticed there was some sand caught in the dielectric grease on the plug and fitting.  I cleaned both out and reapplied dielectric grease. 

On my first trip out after the "fixes," I found that I packed too much grease in which made it difficult to plug into the fitting.  The grease was preventing the plug from locking in.  I cleaned them back out again and then lightly greased.  The plug fit better.

On the last two outings, no problems so I'll chalk it up to the software upgrade and the cleaning. 

Thanks for all the help

What did you use to clean the plugs. My sons mark 4 plug is not going all the way in either, grease or sand I'm guessing

The first time I cleaned them at home, I wiped them as well as I could, then used some toothpicks to pull out what I could, then gave in and used WD-40, then some carb cleaner, then immediately rinsed with clean water. The pressure from the spray cans blew most of the crud out and cut the grease (I think).

The second time, I was at the beach so I wiped as much excess grease off as I could and then kept fitting the plug to the fitting and wiggling it to squeeze out as much grease as I could. I repeated it a few times.  Once it looked like I had most of it worked out, I just smeared around what I could with my finger in as light a coat as I could.

3.  Cover unused ports on the back of the head unit with the supplied caps.  If yours didn't come with a cap, places like H.D. or Lowes have them for about .50 cents

My new Elite 4 HDI came with caps, but they are for the cable's ends, not the head unit. 

Just got the plug cleaned out thanks for the tip. I had been thinking of carb cleaner too but was scared to maybe melt something plastic. I used wd40 and a small jeweler drill bit maybe.028 diameter and worked the crud out of the plug. Just one hole of the plug had either sand or corrosion but all good now. Thanks