Help Diagnose My New HDS-8

  • TMF89
    Posts: 338
    March 21, 2013 at 7:50 pm #1307207

    So I just wired up my head unit for my HDS 8, and the display keeps flashing/blinking on and off. The buttons stay lit, but the actually screen flashes on and off. It doesn’t do it in any pattern, other than it never stays on/off for more than a few seconds. All functions appear to work, I can move around the display, etc. It also remembers where I scroll to, and it doesn’t shut down/restart, the screen just flickers. I have it wired up to my boat’s fuse box. The old depth finder power wire was connected to a wiring harness full of wires which then went into the fuses. I cut the wire on the wiring harness, installed a new connector, replaced the fuse in the box with the 3 amp that comes with the unit, and connected the negative to a ground post. Any ideas guys?

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5623
    March 21, 2013 at 7:52 pm #1154805

    How’s your battery? Low battery voltage can result in weird behavior.

    TMF89
    Posts: 338
    March 21, 2013 at 8:01 pm #1154808

    I’ll try another battery but I don’t think it’s that. When I tried a hard and soft reset, the screen didn’t flicker while doing the reset (holding the buttons down) but started again as soon as it was done.

    Check that, I just used the data overlay to check the voltage, and it’s jumping everywhere from 8.9-11. Does voltage normally vary that quickly/much? And that’s assuming the unit’s voltmeter is accurate. I’ll check with another battery and let you guys know the results.

    dandorn
    M.I.N.N.E.S.O.T.A.
    Posts: 3207
    March 21, 2013 at 8:12 pm #1154813

    Make sure your unused wires are capped off.

    What software version is your unit running?

    BBKK
    IA
    Posts: 4033
    March 21, 2013 at 8:24 pm #1154816

    Quote:

    I’ll try another battery but I don’t think it’s that. When I tried a hard and soft reset, the screen didn’t flicker while doing the reset (holding the buttons down) but started again as soon as it was done.

    Check that, I just used the data overlay to check the voltage, and it’s jumping everywhere from 8.9-11. Does voltage normally vary that quickly/much? And that’s assuming the unit’s voltmeter is accurate. I’ll check with another battery and let you guys know the results.

    11 is a stone dead battery. Below 11 is a ruined battery.

    Try a new battery, I’d say yours got toasted over the winter.

    KirtH
    Lakeville
    Posts: 4063
    March 23, 2013 at 11:46 am #1155359

    Battery!

    TMF89
    Posts: 338
    March 23, 2013 at 7:32 pm #1155444

    Oh sorry guys! Yeah it was the battery. Switched it to a trolling motor one and she works fine. Thanks for the help!

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