Issues With LX-5 In The Cold

[mote1977]

My LX5 recently started giving me issues when I use it outside and it’s below freezing. It sounds like the motor is squealing and the screen flickers and jumps around. As soon as I bring it in the shanty or my house and it warms up it works fine. Could this be a brush issue or something else?

[ice dawg]

Some years ago they had a problem with the motors. As I remember they acted like that. Is your battery fully charged? I believe quite a few LX5s had to be sent in to be repaired.

[DR.SPECKLER]

if the whole display rocks up and down,bottom ,fish and jig with a squealing noise its just a matter of time before the motor takes a dump.that's what all three of my marcums did..but if it clears up when in a warm environment maybe your battery is getting weak due to cold and recovers a bit when warmer..those vx1pros,lx3tc and lx5 motors go out frequently thats probably why marcum stopped making that line up and went brushless.jmo

[mote1977]

It’s definitely not the battery. I’ve tried 2 brand new SLA’s and also my lithium shuttle ,it does the same with all of them

[3300]

sounds like the motor bushings, but in any case it needs a motor. you could use much less than one drop of non fouling oil used for motor bearings on both ends of the motor and maybe get more time from it. the bushings are self lubing, but only for so long. then they dry out and allow motor shaft wobble and make noise.
cold worn bushings are loose when cold and tighten up when they heat up (if they can heat up). i'd like to know why they don't use dual ball bearings instead of bushings.

ask them if they will be using their new brushless motor when they tune it up. i think a tune up is 75$

sounds like it has some time on it.

[mote1977]

I’m going to send it in after the season is over. It does have a lot of hours on it and could probably use a tune up regardless. Thanks for the help.

[slipperybob]

I had that problem with mine...after several years of use though.

When it got really cold it just wouldn't power up correctly and I had to force wiggle and hold the power knob to one side.  Something to do with the connectors on the depth/power knob.  Once the unit warms up or so in the shelter and being on for like 10+ minutes it would work.  Still a problem if I switch the depth and had to play with the knob again.  As it would sometimes shut off as I switch depth.

I've got mine serviced finally this season, but hadn't been out there in the frigid cold yet to really give it a full day+ of fishing.  Waiting on some vacation request time to be accepted.