PDA

View Full Version : Cold weather = dead EFIS?



LR2001
12-27-2010, 05:41 PM
I have a dual -3500 setup in my RV-7A. Normally they work great. But on very cold days when I start the plane, the AFS screens will not turn on - no sign of life whatsoever. Do you know why this happens?

Above roughly -5 deg Celsius both screens always work great. Below -15 deg Celsius both screens are always dead. In between (which is normal for the entire winter here!) it is anyone's guess - in fact sometimes one screen will work but not the other.

Is there any way to improve the cold weather performance? e.g. will a new efis battery help? Or would an upgrade to -4500 eliminate the problem component(s)? Pre-heating the cabin works fine, but that luxury is often not available when we travel.

As much as I love my AFS units, it is hard to recommend them to any other local builders when I know they won't even turn on 3 months per year! :) Would love to see this fixed!

Thanks!

Trevor Conroy
12-29-2010, 06:00 PM
Hello, I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with cold temperatures. Where are you located that is so cold? The AF-3000 series units do not consistently boot below -15 as you mention. We've improved the hardware significantly with the AF-4000 series ("S" CPU) and it is able to boot in much lower temperatures. We have an upgrade program that would allow you to upgrade your units to AF-4500's with the same wiring and panel cutout for $2,000 each (through tomorrow as the price goes up in 2011).

LR2001
12-30-2010, 07:00 AM
Hi Trevor,

I'm in Ottawa, Canada, so we get plenty of winter here. Good to know there is a fix, albeit it a pricey one. I actually put my name on the upgrade waiting list months ago (mostly just to get SV), but have never got a call/email. Can I schedule it now to take advantage of the 2010 price? Please let me know who to contact - or they can call me today at 613-852-2120.

Thanks,
Matt Pearson

Trevor Conroy
12-30-2010, 09:10 AM
Hi Matt, yes please contact Tricia. I'll let her know to give you a call if she doesn't hear from you. I apologize you have not been contacted about the upgrade. If you get on her list before the end of the day, you ca take advantage of 2010 pricing.