GE Vivid iq: Continuous restart loop
What happened
The system kept restarting its software in a loop and did not respond to any keys except power; no error codes were shown in the case.
What was checked
- Software reinstallation was recommended first to rule out a software cause (as reported in the case).
- The unit was started with the probe connected through the Livescan/Live-D route, as reported in the case, to narrow the fault down.
- Visual inspection of the probe connections at the rear tee adapter: the transducer was found seated upside down, with the cable pointing up.
Cause
The engineers found that the probe had been plugged into the tee adapter on the back of the unit the wrong way round — cable pointing up instead of down. The unit reacted to the mis-seated probe at startup and fell into the restart loop; the picture looked like a software fault, but it was purely a connection issue.
What was done
The probe was reconnected correctly into the rear tee adapter, cable pointing down, and the unit then started and ran normally. No parts were replaced.
Safety
Power the unit down and unplug it from the mains before disconnecting or reseating probes and rear connectors, and complete the required electrical safety checks before returning the system to clinical use.
Lesson: Before diving into software reinstallation or board-level work on a boot loop, check the physical seating and orientation of the probes first — a simple connection fault can mimic a serious system failure.
Covered in the course: Ultrasound Service — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.