I have a Lowrance HDS 7 gen2. It comes on fine but after a few minutes it cuts off. If I let it cool down for 5 minutes it will let me turn it back on, but will only stay on for 1-2 minutes and I have to wait for it to cool down so it can be turned back on. Its basically useless like this. Has anyone had a similar problem and if so, what was your solution. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a cranking battery going down. Had the same issue with mine. Does it turn off when you crank the big motor?

thanks Chri. I dont remember, I usually dont turn it on til I get where Im going. all my batteries are charged, did not notice any other problems with motor or boat

Turn it on while you have your boat batteries charging and see if it stays on. If it does, then you'll know its a battery issue.

This!!!!

Had the same issue with old boat and Lowrance 522.

Neither did I. Boat always started. But after 3 or 4 hours fishing the graph would turn off when I cranked the motor.

I had something similar, but mine never over heated. It was due to improper grounding. I had my wiring re-routed inline with the battery and put the fuse in between. Before it was wired to the bus bar in the back. Works great now.

That is a sign of a battery going south.

I had a similar problem when the inline glass fuse holder from my battery corroded ever so slightly.

Every time I cranked the engine the depthfinder shut down. I changed over to an ATO/ATC fuse and worked great until I accidently switched the positive and negative battery cables.

That fried the depthfinder for good.

thanks for all the help, at least there is a good chance it will be a simple fix and not the finder itself

Same issue ,run direct wire to battery with in line fuse problem solved.

Check the connections where it plugs in to the unit also

No expert but what does the unit show the volts are when running fine and right before it turns off or starting the motor? Not sure how low the colts can go before it turns itself off. Mine HDS beats due the low volt alarm if the volts drop when starting the motor. You can add volts to the screen by going editing page data overlay and add volts from the list and then click menu save. You move it by clicking enter when higlighted and using directional pad.

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Running electronics, accessories or a modern engine with its' key ON, at the same time from a battery with a connected and powered charger can harm/damage the electronics. Especially damaging are the many newer chargers which use pulse charging and are able to apply equalization stages, voltages that sonars and their power circuit boards were never intended to withstand.

Best to use a battery disconnect switch or turn main breaker to off before powering the charger if present. If not, be sure to not turn on power to a sonar/gps during any time its' battery is charging.

Just tried WillieKetchum suggestion of trying the unit while charging. Same thing, after 1-2 minutes it turned itself off. going to look at the voltage next as suggested by stratos1760dv-Jeremy. Im not sure how to wire it, so will have to think about that one for awhile.