When all else fails...

I took video of mine malfunctioning. I put it on YouTube and included a link when I emailed them. They sent me a new transducer that didn't fix my problem. They then had me send in the unit. They haven't fixed the problem and they haven't charged me either.

Traildad

Did they send your unit back?

I just sent the info in my post to Lowrance.  I asked for a replacement unit.

I will post when I receive a reply.

Doug

Traildad

Did they send your unit back?

I just sent the info in my post to Lowrance.  I asked for a replacement unit.

I will post when I receive a reply.

Doug

They will likely have you ship them your unit before they decide to replace it. I sent mine in, they sent it back but it wasn't fixed.

They do need to follow due process for warranty & simply asking to upgrade w/o them testing a unit isn't exactly a realistic request.  Most of the transducers sold y Lowrance are made by Airman.  Lowrance does not test transducers; correct.  They do have a 1 year warranty on the unit but at three years you would be well outside the period.  I believe the bench test fee would be applied towards a replacement unit if found to be broken.  Transducers cannot be repaired so that would have to be replaced if bad.  On a three year old, basic unit, the cost of replacing a transducer vs. a whole new (modern) unit is a choice you would need to weigh out.

FishingForTheCure

I would be glad to send them the unit.  I would not be glad to pay $65. and have my unit sent back, not working, as they did with Traildad.  September is my fishing month.  I need a unit that works.  Whether it is a Lowrance is not my highest priority.

I did some diagnostics on the voltage and current of my Lowrance unit, and my connections to the battery.  I have zero ohms in my fuse and connectors.  I also wired the Lowrance harness directly to the battery, without my wiring connections or the fuse.  The unit's readings were the same.  Do you know the normal operating DC current of a an Elite 4 DSI?

Thanks for you input and your expertise.

Doug

FishingForTheCure

I would be glad to send them the unit.  I would not be glad to pay $65. and have my unit sent back, not working, as they did with Traildad.  September is my fishing month.  I need a unit that works.  Whether it is a Lowrance is not my highest priority.

I did some diagnostics on the voltage and current of my Lowrance unit, and my connections to the battery.  I have zero ohms in my fuse and connectors.  I also wired the Lowrance harness directly to the battery, without my wiring connections or the fuse.  The unit's readings were the same.  Do you know the normal operating DC current of a an Elite 4 DSI?

Thanks for you input and your expertise.

Doug

Amperage draw should be less than 1amp.  Voltage can go into the low 11volt rage IF it can support the amperage draw.

FFTC

Thanks for the quick response.  The current on my unit was .4 amps @12.9 volts, with the battery fresh off of the charger.  I doubt if that reading is diagnostic enough to determine whether the transducer is operating. 

I will wait for a response from my email to Lowrance.  I understand that they don't want to replace a unit that is working properly. However, having the warranty/replacement policy apply to the whole system that is purchased, not just the "black box," seems reasonable.  The problem could be in the transducer, in-line filter, cable connecter, or the cable itself.  Most people, Traildad and myself included, don't read the fine print that says the warranty only applies to the black box and not to intermittent defects that don't show up on a bench test.

There is a another manufacturer that provides for a flat rate replacement for a unit that is defective or damaged.  The flat rate fee can also be applied to the purchase of an upgraded unit at a reduced cost.  That policy seems to protect the buyer and the manufacturer.  If my unit is not replaced, I know which which policy my new unit will have, even though I have two Elite 5's in my bass boat.

Thanks again for your response and sharing your product knowledge.

Doug

I sent them links to videos showing the malfunction and reminding them it had been sent in once already. They sent me an RMA saying they will replace the unit. I hope that solves the problem for me.

I need a new unit for my PB.  The one I  have was purchased in 2005.  Based on this thread, I will certainly not be purchasing a Lowrance FF.  I need one that is dummy proof and bullet proof.

I know West Marine offers warranty options.  Bass Pro may as well.

I believe the warranty on the Lowrance is in-line/same as all the other manufacturers.  For most of us, we are dealing with the bottom most units that the corresponding manufacturers are producing.  These manufacturers help to support & rely on the distributors to offer extended warranty options beyond the mfg 1 year period.

I'm not ready to give up on them yet. Everyone has a few bad ones in every batch. I wonder how many people feel the same about the other brands. It seems that most of the people on this thread were able to resolve the problem with a hard reset. Hopefully the replacement unit will live up to the Lowrance name.

They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.

They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.

Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.

They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.

Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.

You think so? It has worked fine up till now. I have a unit that is getting sent back to the factory for the second time because it wacks out for no good reason and you think the program that has worked flawlessly for years is the problem? The converter still is able to convert files I saved from the first time I sent it back. So I'm hard pressed to figure how an issue with my 3rd party program would allow it to work fine with the files I saved before I sent it in and fail with the file I saved after they returned it to me. I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet money that the software is at fault.

They gave me a new RMA so maybe this time they can fix it or replace it. On a side note I tried to save my waypoints and it wouldn't work. I've done it before so I don't know why it won't work now. The file it creates is unreadable by my conversion program GPSBabel. Lucky for me there was only one new waypoint I needed so I saved it manually.

Sounds like an issue with your 3rd party program.

You think so? It has worked fine up till now. I have a unit that is getting sent back to the factory for the second time because it wacks out for no good reason and you think the program that has worked flawlessly for years is the problem? The converter still is able to convert files I saved from the first time I sent it back. So I'm hard pressed to figure how an issue with my 3rd party program would allow it to work fine with the files I saved before I sent it in and fail with the file I saved after they returned it to me. I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't bet money that the software is at fault.

Could be a corrupt waypoint but I'd assume the unit wouldn't read it's own waypoint if that were the case.  There are a number of documented cases of issues with third party software, some of which could have been caused by the unit but generally the GPS unit itself won't read the waypoint either.  But hey ... What do I know