UPDATED:2021 MXZ Display Blank

[alcoprop]

I have a 2021 23 MXZ. Last week boat ran great, put it on the lift, turned the battery switch off, cleaned it up and put the cover on it. Today I go down uncover it, turn the battery switch on and hit the power button. Power and start/stop button lights up, fuel pump kicks on lower display light up with nothing on it and main middle display is completely blank with no lights. Put the key in the lower fuse panel and the motor starts. Seems like I do not have power to the middle screen maybe? I am assuming this might be the main brain of the 2 screens. I have searched around and haven't found any blown/tripped fuses or loose connections. I have called the dealer and waiting for a mechanic to call me but has been over an hour waiting now so figured I would post something. Thank you! 

Update: Went down this morning and the sun is shining on the dash and I can faintly see the Malibu logo come on when the power button is pushed. So the big and little screen both have power but they have no signal to them or they are froze once powered up. I have asked for a Viper update to see if that works. I'll keep this updated. 

Update #2: Dealer said an update wouldn't work since I have a blank screen. I guess in order to do an update you have to go into settings on the small screen to start the upload. Malibu has told the dealer to install a new control module for the system along with all new cables from the module to both screens. Everything is on order and will be at the dealer next week and they will be coming to my place that following Monday. 
 

UPDATE #3: Well the boat is fixed. Dealer came out and replaced the control module and that did not fix it. Malibu said that it would so we called them and went ahead and ordered both screens and both cables. I went down yesterday to Malibu (I am luckily only 1.5 hours away) and picked the parts up. I plugged the new big screen in when I got back and problem fixed. 

Edited May 19, 2021 by alcoprop

[wedge88]

Dumb question but did you try to turn the battery switch off and then back on?  In the 2 years I've had the screens I've had to do this on a few (1-3) occasions.    If it only happens once, I wouldn't sweat it.  Repeated issues get reported to dealer for warranty.

[alcoprop]

9 minutes ago, wedge88 said:

Dumb question but did you try to turn the battery switch off and then back on?  In the 2 years I've had the screens I've had to do this on a few (1-3) occasions.    If it only happens once, I wouldn't sweat it.  Repeated issues get reported to dealer for warranty.

Yes I have done that. I even opened the battery covers up and found that I had a loose ground terminal on one of the batteries. I was hoping that was the issue but didn't fix it. I have talked with the dealer and they said the small screen is the main brain and it is weird b/c it lights up but no info is on it. They are calling Malibu support to see if they can get an answer. The blower doesn't even turn on, so I am hoping the screen is not dead. 

[Slayer]

Please keep this updated.  The first outing on my boat something similar happened.  However, after doing all that you did nad seeing it persist, I discovered that it was the sensor on the center screen that allows you to switch from day to night mode.  Somehow, it started working again once I messed with it.  Fingers crossed, but it hasn't happened again.  I too found loose connections to the batteries.   

 

[23LSVOwner]

1 hour ago, alcoprop said:

Yes I have done that. I even opened the battery covers up and found that I had a loose ground terminal on one of the batteries. I was hoping that was the issue but didn't fix it. I have talked with the dealer and they said the small screen is the main brain and it is weird b/c it lights up but no info is on it. They are calling Malibu support to see if they can get an answer. The blower doesn't even turn on, so I am hoping the screen is not dead. 

The main "brain" is separate. It has been since 2019.

[alcoprop]

47 minutes ago, Slayer said:

Please keep this updated.  The first outing on my boat something similar happened.  However, after doing all that you did nad seeing it persist, I discovered that it was the sensor on the center screen that allows you to switch from day to night mode.  Somehow, it started working again once I messed with it.  Fingers crossed, but it hasn't happened again.  I too found loose connections to the batteries.   

 

Hmmm, that is really weird. Just went down and unplugged the sensor and "messed" with it a little and still nothing. 

[alcoprop]

10 minutes ago, 23LSVOwner said:

The main "brain" is separate. It has been since 2019.

They are telling me the small screen feeds the bigger screen. Don't know if this is true or not. There is a Cat6 cable that comes out of the computer under the dash and goes to the big screen then one comes out of it and goes down to the small screen. I would have thought that the big screen would have fed the small screen but they are disagreeing with that. It acts like the big screen has lost power, but what do I know. Hopefully someone at Malibu will have an answer soon. 

[ahopkins22LSV]

2 hours ago, alcoprop said:

Yes I have done that. I even opened the battery covers up and found that I had a loose ground terminal on one of the batteries. I was hoping that was the issue but didn't fix it. I have talked with the dealer and they said the small screen is the main brain and it is weird b/c it lights up but no info is on it. They are calling Malibu support to see if they can get an answer. The blower doesn't even turn on, so I am hoping the screen is not dead. 

Did you check the batteries? Loose ground could have caused them to drain?

[alcoprop]

1 minute ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

Did you check the batteries? Loose ground could have caused them to drain?

Boat starts no problem with the key in the fuse panel. So I know batteries are good 

[alcoprop]

Well the boat is fixed. Dealer came out and replaced the control module and that did not fix it. Malibu said that it would so we called them and went ahead and ordered both screens and both cables. I went down yesterday to Malibu (I am luckily only 1.5 hours away) and picked the parts up. I plugged the new big screen in when I got back and problem fixed. 

[WhartonCrew]

This happened to me yesterday, while on the lake.  3 times consecutively the screen would blank out, and I would shut down and turn off the battery to "reboot" the boat ("reboat"?  obligatory dad joke).  Each time, when I powered up the main screen would come on, but then when I started the engine, it would blank out again.  On the 3rd try, it somehow stayed on.  After reading this thread, it sounds like faulty hardware or maybe a short circuit in the cable.  I'm calling the dealership to schedule a service appointment, and I'll keep you updated about what happens.

Fun side story:  when I called the service center yesterday, they said that the screen can just overheat and shut down -- like an iphone will do when it gets too hot -- I believed them at first, so I drove around like an idiot for a while with a cool, wet towel over my dash to cool down the screen.  If there are any Nigerian princes out there who need me to help them get the gold out of their country, I apparently will believe anything.....

[Slayer]

On 5/6/2021 at 2:32 PM, alcoprop said:

I have a 2021 23 MXZ. Last week boat ran great, put it on the lift, turned the battery switch off, cleaned it up and put the cover on it. Today I go down uncover it, turn the battery switch on and hit the power button. Power and start/stop button lights up, fuel pump kicks on lower display light up with nothing on it and main middle display is completely blank with no lights. Put the key in the lower fuse panel and the motor starts. Seems like I do not have power to the middle screen maybe? I am assuming this might be the main brain of the 2 screens. I have searched around and haven't found any blown/tripped fuses or loose connections. I have called the dealer and waiting for a mechanic to call me but has been over an hour waiting now so figured I would post something. Thank you! 

Update: Went down this morning and the sun is shining on the dash and I can faintly see the Malibu logo come on when the power button is pushed. So the big and little screen both have power but they have no signal to them or they are froze once powered up. I have asked for a Viper update to see if that works. I'll keep this updated. 

Update #2: Dealer said an update wouldn't work since I have a blank screen. I guess in order to do an update you have to go into settings on the small screen to start the upload. Malibu has told the dealer to install a new control module for the system along with all new cables from the module to both screens. Everything is on order and will be at the dealer next week and they will be coming to my place that following Monday. 
 

UPDATE #3: Well the boat is fixed. Dealer came out and replaced the control module and that did not fix it. Malibu said that it would so we called them and went ahead and ordered both screens and both cables. I went down yesterday to Malibu (I am luckily only 1.5 hours away) and picked the parts up. I plugged the new big screen in when I got back and problem fixed. 

I wish our dealer was like this.  I can't imagine them ever coming to my dock to fix anything.  That's awesome that you have that kind of support in your dealer.