Another Lowrance FF problem..

I've read several threads on here as well as the one over NCKA..  Lowrance Elite 4x Chirp, transducer mounted on the stern, underwater, level to water surface.  Ping speed is set to fastest, i'll be changing that to slowest next time out.  200khz.  I've had it about 6 months.  It was initially installed as a fire-through, but I thought the wonky readings were because of firing through the hull.

Main problems:
-It's stuck in a "zoom" setting.  The "split zoom" isn't turned on, but it always zooms in to the lower half of the water column.  Turning split zoom on and back off does nothing.

-It loses the bottom sometimes.  Depth starts blinking and will show wildly inaccurate numbers, bottom disappears, sometimes the screen will go orange when this happens.  Usually, it will go back to normal if given time.  Sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes an hour.  Turning off and on seems to have no effect.

-The downscan has never done more than show the bottom, but only in very shallow water (less than 20 feet). Never shows structure, it always looks like i'm cruising over a perfectly level, weedy bottom.

-Does this even have a functional speedometer?  I found the setting and turned it on, but my speed is always 0.00

-It sucks.  Usually, it functions like a very expensive depthfinder/thermometer, but that's only the %50 of the time that the depthfinder is working.  So, basically, it's a very expensive thermometer.

Thoughts? 

I forgot..  Everyone talks about an SD card for a software upgrade, but I can't see anything that looks like an SD card slot.  The Lowrance website just speaks about all of the Elite 4 series in general, not in specifics.  Is there an SD card on this thing?

Yes, there is a micro-SD card slot,  On the bottom, there's a small rubber cover protecting the card slot.  It isn't attached to the head unit, so be cautious about where you are when you pry it open.

If you can't locate the slot, go here: https://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/GB/ELITE-4_HDI_OM_EN_988-10576-001_w.pdf and look at page 4.  It's in the same spot on the Elite-4 CHIRP as it is on the Elite-4 HDI.

Do this: do a hard reset by pressing and holding the (+) and (-) buttons, then press the power button.  Keep pressing the (+) (-) buttons until the unit starts up.

That's the reset.  It should start up in the initial set-up mode.  Don't fiddle with any settings except, if you want, the overlay settings until you test it.

If you have never updated the firmware, do that.  Doing a hard reset does not overwrite the firmware version if you've already updated it.

If that doesn't fix the problem, check the wiring for damage to the insulation or the pins in the connector plugs/sockets, and for tight fittings at the head unit.

If all the wiring looks fine, call Lowrance.  They're going to ask you to do the steps I outlined above, so get them out of the way before calling.

I got a butthead having a seriously buttheaded morning on my first call, but a truly great technician answered my second call a couple of hours later.  The techs really are good and Lowrance support is excellent.

-It loses the bottom sometimes.  Depth starts blinking and will show wildly inaccurate numbers, bottom disappears, sometimes the screen will go orange when this happens.  Usually, it will go back to normal if given time.  Sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes an hour.  Turning off and on seems to have no effect.

-The downscan has never done more than show the bottom, but only in very shallow water (less than 20 feet). Never shows structure, it always looks like i'm cruising over a perfectly level, weedy bottom.

-Does this even have a functional speedometer?  I found the setting and turned it on, but my speed is always 0.00

I have an Elite4 chirp, also a HDS8 gen2, and had an Elite7x hds. 

all 3 occasionally lose the bottom, best is to manually set the display to a depth that will show the actual bottom, mine will get a lock on the bottom again within a minute or so. 

you said you have an Elite4x, that means no GPS, charting, or speed over ground.  also, I do not think the "x" units have the micro SD slot.

my downscanning has always worked just fine. 

cheers, roger

Roger is right, there is no SD card slot on the X-series.  I missed that "X" in your original post.  Sorry about that.

Coffee first, NWKA second.

I am not sure about the newer Lowrances.  Mine has a shallow water setting.  If selected it will not show bottom below 40 feet.

Mine does too, but I have it set for slow trolling in depths up to 400 feet.  Out of all the problems, I'd really love to figure out the zoom issue (can't see my lure to verify depth), and maybe resolve the bottom tracking issue.

I'm going to try the reset when I get home..  This is not leaving a good taste in my mouth with regard to Lowrance products.