Installed my F900 over the weekend, and I'm fairly pleased with it. Yes, it has all the "known issues" but I can live with those. One on the biggest issues - the startup time, is only about a minute on my unit, music starts within approx 15 seconds, and the reverse camera works after about 10.

Anyway...first thing on Monday morning, I got in the car to go to somewhere (which I needed the nav to find), and the unit powered up, the lights behind the buttons came on (but not the screen), then 15 seconds later the lights went off again, and I could hear the amps in the boot click off, but the fan in the unit stayed running. I tried switching the ignition on and off, pressing reset etc, but whatever I did the same thing happened - lights came on, then went off again.

After giving up and using my phone to navigate to my destination, I tried the unit again...and it powered up first time!! This has happened the last two mornings as well - the next day I managed to power it up about 30 minutes into the journey, and this morning it worked about 15 minutes in. I've checked the wiring and unit mountings and it's all fine. When I get into the car at lunchtime, having left it for about 4-5 hours, the unit powers up first time.

I can think of two causes for this problem - either it doesn't like being left powered on but not used for >8 hours, or it doesn't like the cold (mornings here are cool, but not what I'd call cold - about 16C, enough for condensation on the windscreen). I've discounted the >8 hour theory, because it worked fine when I turned it on at the weekend, in the heat of the afternoon. So...that leaves me with the cold theory, which seems bizarre. I thought it might be condensation, but there wasn't any on the windscreen this morning, and I've never had a problem with any other HU. I'm discounting dodgy wiring, because that wouldn't work depending on the time of day!

Any ideas??? I'm confused, and frustrated!!

Durable temperature range:

Power on ............................+14 °F to +140 °F

Power off ............................ –4 °F to +176 °F

You are WELL above the minimum operating temperature, so that shouldn't be a problem. My guess is either there's something wrong in the wiring (although you've already replaced it all once) or the unit is just faulty.

Durable temperature range:

Power on ............................+14 °F to +140 °F

Power off ............................ –4 °F to +176 °F

 

You are WELL above the minimum operating temperature, so that shouldn't be a problem. My guess is either there's something wrong in the wiring (although you've already replaced it all once) or the unit is just faulty.

The lowest temperature I've had in the morning according to the car is 16C, but then I used it this evening, and it was 15C (and raining)...and everything worked - weird.

I think I'm going to have to replace it, but no one has any new stock at the moment. Of course, there is a chance that it's another bug in the software - perhaps the unit has a dew sensor that's a bit overprotective! It's just odd that it comes on for a while before shutting down, as if it's running a few checks and then gets stuck part way in.

So this temperature range precludes anyone living in a desert from using this unit.

Great work on the part of the engineers! I will be returning my F900BT to the dealer.