Thread: Diagnosing Sonar Problem

Yesterday I received the replacement battery for my sonar. Charged it over night. Put it on the sonar and still NOTHING!? So, it is not the battery that is the problem. I pulled the 3 amp blade fuse and took it an auto supply store for a replacement. They didn't have one, but checked the fuse I had, with their tester and it's just fine.

So, I replaced this blade fuse back in the fuse connecter again, re-connected the new battery and still nothing. I connected the leads to my main TM battery again, just to verify that it would still work with that. But, I got no reading with that either now! I just don't know where to go with this next? I pulled the sonar connector out and reconnected it as well - several times. I still get no start up.

If anyone has any suggestions that I could try, please let me know. Looking more & more like the sonar itself has failed. But I've had sonars for a lot longer with never a problem. Opinions PLEASE!

I would disconnect the battery and do a continuity test of power and ground wires. Wiggle the wires while continuity testing.

METER between battery an power connector pin. Wiggle near the connector especially. Intermittent problems are aggravating,
even the experts get frustrated.

If you unplug the unit when boat is stored/trailered, then plug it back up when you go fishing : check to make sure ALL the pins are still there, in the back of the unit, and ALL the pins are straight & line up correctly with the holes in the female plug.

This may not be your problem, but if you have to wiggle the power/tdx plug to get it OUT of the unit, you can bend one or more pins out of alignment. Then when you plug the power/tdx wires back into the unit, you "can" bury that pin that's out of alignment into the plastic filling around the holes of the plug. The pins can be straightened back to their correct alignment, if gently pushed back into position .... but, the pin will be weakened & subject to breaking off should they get pushed or wiggled out of position in the future.

This is exactly why I'm no longer using my Elite 5DSI unit, and had to replace it. The pin that broke was the negative battery pin.

Originally Posted by Cane Pole

METER between battery an power connector pin. Wiggle near the connector especially. Intermittent problems are aggravating,
even the experts get frustrated.

Not sure I'm understanding what is meant by "between the battery and power connector pin". Sorry my lack of savvy! I've taken some pictures of the sonar, the battery, and the connections; if this is of any help?







Again....THANK YOU for any help/suggestions.

Also, I pulled off the connector from the sonar and looked closely at the pins. They "appear" to be straight and undamaged and the plug goes in nicely and snug. For the first part of this season, the sonar worked just fine, as usual. Then a couple of trips ago, I started to get "intermittent" blank outs on the screen. Then the last time we were out it started just fine, but blanked out after a couple of hours.

At that point I assumed the battery, being over 5 years old, was down on charge. Re-charged it and as previously discussed, elected to get a new battery. Which is where I'm at now. Only now, I can't get the sonar to turn on at all.

Sent you a PM

wires at battery metered to associated connector pin when unplugged at back of unit. clip meter to either battery wire and search for continuity at connector. both wires should read continuity to their associated pin.

you didn't reverse connect your battery did you? 2 red wires makes me nervous.