If your boat remains out of the water for a long period of time, it may take some time to wet the transducer when returned to the water. Small air bub- bles can cling to the surface of the transducer and interfere with proper operation. These bubbles dissipate with time, or you can wipe the face of the transducer with your fingers after the transducer is in the water.
Never leave the unit in a closed car or
Troubleshooting
Do not attempt to repair the Piranha yourself. There are no user serviceable parts inside, and special tools and techniques are required for assembly to ensure the waterproof integrity of the housing. Repairs should be performed only by authorized Humminbird technicians.
Many requests for repair received by Humminbird involve units that do not actually need repair. These units are returned “no problem found.” If you have a problem with your Piranha, use the following troubleshooting guide before calling the Customer Resource Center or sending your unit in for repair.
1. Nothing happens when I turn the unit on.
Check the power cable connection at both ends. Be sure the cable is con- nected correctly to a reliable power source — red lead to positive, black lead to negative or ground. Ensure the power available is between 8 and 20 VDC. If the unit is wired through a fuse panel, ensure the panel is powered. Often accessory fuse panels are controlled by a separate switch or the igni- tion switch.
Also, often a fuse can appear to be good when it is not. Check the fuse with a tester or replace it with a fuse known to be good.
Check the power connection to the Piranha. It is possible to force the power cable connector into the cable holder incorrectly. If the connector is reversed, the unit will not work. Examine the contacts on the back of the unit to ensure there is no corrosion.
2. There is no transducer detected.
The Piranha has the ability to detect and identify that a transducer is con- nected. When Powering on, if a message indicates “transducer not connect- ed”, ensure that an appropriate transducer connector is plugged into the unit. Second, inspect the transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, or cuts in the outer casing of the cable. Also ensure the transducer is fully submerged in water. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a switch, temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of these items identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself is probably the problem. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.
3. There is no bottom reading visible on the display.
If the loss of bottom information occurs only at high boat speeds, the trans- ducer needs adjusting – see the Piranha Installation Guide. Also, in very deep water, it may be necessary to manually increase the sensitivity setting to maintain a graphic depiction of the bottom. If you are using a transducer switch to connect two transducers to the Piranha, ensure the switch is in the correct position to connect a transducer that is in water. (If a trolling motor transducer is selected and the trolling motor is out of water, no sonar information appears.) If none of the above solve the problem, inspect the transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, or cuts in the outer cas- ing of the cable. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a switch, temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of these items identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself may be the prob- lem. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.
4.When in very shallow water, I get gaps in the bottom reading and inconsistent digital depth indication.
The Piranha will work reliably in water 1m (3') or deeper. The depth is measured from the transducer, not necessarily from the surface.
5. The unit comes on before I press POWER, and won’t turn off.
Check the transducer cable — if the outer jacket of the cable has been cut and the cable is in contact with bare metal, you will need to repair the cut with electrical tape. If there is no problem with the cable, disconnect the transducer from the unit and see if the problem is corrected, to confirm the source of the problem.
6. I get gaps in the reading at high speeds.
Your transducer needs adjusting. If the transducer is
7. My unit loses power at high speeds.
Your Piranha has
8. The screen begins to fade out. Images are not as sharp as normal.
Check the input voltage. The Piranha will not operate on input voltages below 8 VDC.
9.The display shows many black dots at high speeds and high sensi- tivity settings.
You are seeing noise or interference caused by one of several sources. Noise can be caused by other electronic devices. Turn off any nearby electronics and see if the problem goes away. Noise can also be caused by the engine. If engine noise is causing the interference, the problem will intensify at high- er RPMs. Increase the engine speed with the boat stationary to isolate this cause. Propeller cavitation can appear as noise
