Black screen but unit has power and makes noise still?

I’m kinda at a loss here I just upgraded to a 12” helix g4 side imaging unit first time out on the water today and the units working perfect for about ten minutes and then the screen goes black there’s no picture but the unit is still making the beeps when u push on a button. I try turning it off and on. Disconnecting the unit. Check the battery and the terminals and the fuses and I get nothing at every turn.

Well I drove him get the boat back on the garage and try to turn it on again and it works fine like nothing is wrong. What the actual hell causes this? I’m still in the return period so I’m wondering the units defect e rather than sending to hummingbird and waiting for weeks.

New Birds are known to do this. It’s been a problem for several years now.

Your only option is to send it in. I only buy used birds because of that same problem

This one is still returnable to cabelas but if I get another new one you’re saying this can still happen. Is this a wide spread issue or does it happen just randomly. I could return this one and get another one that’s the same. I haven’t heard about this issue before so I’m kinda shocked.

Is your unit connected directly to your battery or running with other accessories? How old is your battery? Use a voltmeter to check your actual voltage at the battery and at the unit. Make sure all your wiring is in good shape with clean and tight connections especially the ground side. I have never had or heard of this being a common thing with Bird’s but does not mean it doesn’t happen. My last two new units worked perfect right out of the box with no issues but, mine are all individually wired circuits direct to a house battery with proper gauge wire. If the problem continues call Humminbird customer service (None Better) and they will give you some things to check, which will likely include what I mentioned above.

My unit runs through a power switch same as my old g2 mega did and I never had problems before this.

For reference I have a 1775 Lund impact and the power has always run through the switch board then to the cranking battery and I never had a problem with it for 5 years upgraded to a 12” because bad eyes helps me see the screen a little better.

When upgraded to this 12” unit I also put in a new epoch lithium battery and switch all the electronics over to the lithium.

Im going through connections and checking things out so far no issues that jump out.

It was so weird I’m on the water units on for about ten minutes and I go over a school of crappie I’m guessing mark the spot and then I’m saving my favorite setups to the quick buttons and the screen goes black but the unit still is on and has sound. If I push a button it responded with sound. I have no idea why this happened first time on the water and I didn’t run the unit for but a few seconds in the garage to verify everything was working and connected.

After leaving the lake which is about a 25 minute drive from home I try it again to see what I can do and it fires right up screen works fine no issues. So I’m wondering if to test it I could put the transducer in a bucket of water and let it run for 10 minutes and see what happens.

Appreciate the post.

I would try to run it out of the water. Just start the unit and let it power up. then push the power button and turn the sonar “off” and let the unit run to see if it goes black with the sonar off after awhile. You will still have other views that can be seen with the sonar off. You could also put it in simulation mode and let it run for awhile to see what happens.

So I think this is a problem not related to power? What do you think?

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For a price of a 12 inch bird new that thing would be going back so fast smoke would be coming off my tires . I have two used helix 10s and have never had any issues close to these . Get a new one!!

I will be retuning it soon didn’t have time today. Its defff glitched

Tom Dehnert wrote:

So I think this is a problem not related to power? What do you think?
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“They’re here”!!