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[seaslug]

my Garmin 160C has developed "sonic failure" and quits after just a short use. Any ideas where to get it fixed?

[shortstack]

Clean the transducer. use windex or some all purpose cleaner.

[seaslug]

nothing on the transducer to clean but will try, thanks,

[yani]

I had one and it did the same for me. So,
I returned it, upgraded to a Garmin color 190
and within a week, the same thing happened.

So now I wondering, does Garmin have a
QC problem? Or is it something on my end?

I found my problem: low battery voltage caused
both my units to say the same thing,
Sonar Failure.

Maybe that's your problem too? Now I engage
my ff feature of showing the battery voltage,
sure as shit, if my voltage drops below 7.8v
my ff says Sonar Failure.

Hope it's something simple...
Yani

[flydigital]

7.8v and it still works?  That's pretty low voltage for a 12v battery.  I run my 12v for up to 3 fishing days at a time and still don't get below 9v, this is on a gps/ff combo.

Are you guys running your bait tank on the same battery?  A 12v pump will drain a standard 12v battery pretty darn quick, with the high draw with both ff and pump it can go below 9v within a few hours.

Anyway, check your voltage, you should have about 13v on a full charge.  If you're not getting that your battery is ready to retire.  Remember, these SLAs lose about 20-30% of their capacity every year, depending on how much you use it.  If you're voltage is fine it sounds like either a bad transducer, bad cable/connectors (corroded?) or an internal problem in the head unit.  If so, call Garmin and see what they can do.  You may want to try putting your head unit onto someone elses Garmin transducer/battery install, would easily isolate where the problem is.

[seaslug]

Thought it might be dirty contacts not conducting so I sanded them clean.  Started 12.9v and less than hour later down to 8.6v.  Waiting to see where it goes and if I get the sonar failure again.  Then I will check my other 12 volt battery and see how it runs. 

thanks for the tip Yani.  not running fish finder on same battery as the bait tank.  Low horsepower undoubtedly why my bait was dying off so fast.

[seaslug]

battery just quit about hour later - blank screen.  Traded to other battery and it ran fine for 4 hours and still at 12 volts plus. 

Thanks for the help!

[seaslug]

followup - problem was definitely the battery.  Runs fine now.

Next problem is the battery terminal is corroding off the negative terminal. If it is not one thing it's 3 others.